Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting your favorite sleeping pad?

I did appreciate that advance warning system of yours before changing your Depends each night, last thing I wanted to see was old man junk.

I sleep in the raw, you were just playing grab-ass.

It's hard to beat an old down pillow. Shake the down to 1 end and cut it off. It cuts the pack size and it's nice and soft.

I've got a Therm-a-Rest Compressible pillow that works pretty good I've been using, but that's an option I hadn't considered. As for a backpacking inflatable sleeping pad, I'm considering the Klymit Static V sleeping pad . They make them with and without insulation and seem to get pretty good reviews. They're also much cheaper than all the other backpacking brands.

Klymit has some nice light and easy to inflate pads for backpacking...If I can spare the weight, the REI insulated Air Rail has been super dependable, and warm in colder temps

I have both long and short ridgerests and a couple of the short thermorests as I seem to keep buying a new one every time there is a lighter variant.

I generally prefer sleeping on the inflatables but until the neoair, I trended to a short ridgerest (trimmed a bit to save even more weight) just because it was lighter than the inflatable. The neoair is close enough in weight that its a tough choice.

So in moderate temps, its likely to be the neoair, and in the cold I am likely to run the long ridge rest and the neoair

I've got two Neoairs and love them. In colder temps I pack along an Evazote pad that goes over the top. My old Ridgerest's and Z Rest's are covered in dust.

The Neoair, like the Jetboil, are two of the best innovations of the last ten years IMO.

I have the Xtherm and its warmth is incredible.

What I don't like about it is I am a side sleeper and like to curl up into a ball. For this, the regular Xtherms are too narrow for me. I looked into the wide/Max Xtherms but they are north of $220.

What I got instead is the Exped Synmat Winterlite in size "M Wide" that is very comparable to the Xtherm max line in terms of weight, width and R value but costs $100 less.

http://sectionhiker.com/exped-synmat-winterlite-sleeping-pad-review/

The Exped is actually wider than the Max by an inch. The extra width from a regular, 20" pad does not seem like much on paper but it is a huge difference for me when in actual use - nonlonger feeling like I am sleeping on a 2x4.

Brad which Neoair model do you have and are they quite?

Randy, my hunting Neoair is the first Gen Rectangular in size Large. My hunting tent is the MSR Hubba HP (only available in the EU), and the big, rectangular Neoair fits the interior of that tent exactly, side-to-side, keeping me in place. It's just more comfortable than a smaller pad on the long fall tent-bound nights. It weigh's 17.1 oz's, 77" x 25" x 2.5"

My summer backpacking pad is the newest gen Neoair XLite in size "Regualr." This is the newer "shaped" Neoair. It is 5.1 oz's lest than my older Gen 1 in size Large.

I've never gotten the "noise" complaint about the Neoair. My original is the one people complained about, but once you use them most of that goes away. Regardless, I found it to be internet nit-picking by bored first-world hipsters.

The newest Gen has little to no noise.

For an all-around hunting pad I'd get the Neoair X-Therm in size Large. I plan on getting one this year.

But for a bit less weight, the Neoair X-Lite in size Large will be just fine, and you can always pack an additional 1/4" Evazote pad to boost its R-Value for genuine cold. That's what I currently do, though the past couple hunts have been warm enough I left the Evazote at home. You'll save 4oz's/$40 with the Large X-Lite over the X-Therm. I'd stay away from the "SV" models (Speed Valve)... an awful lot of complaints about leaks with those.

And BTW, you'll find a lot of people that think the closed cell pad should go underneath the inflatable... I've tried it both ways, and definitely have found it warmer on TOP of the inflatable.

Evazote: http://gossamergear.com/thinlight-hammock-pad.html

And don't forget Memorial day sales are coming up...

Great info Brad, thanks much!

You bet Randy. And, nice thing about buying from Cascade Designs is it's US built (mostly) and has about the best warranty out there.

Do not mean to be wise ass,
but even if hauling top of the line from REI
really prefer two cool pad saddle blankets
as long as they are half way clean.

That's exactly what I use as well. I pack the Neoair in the pack, and the Thermarest wraps around my tent and goes under my pack lid--never damaged one. I am 49 years old and have backpacked countless times, using only a Thermarest (or, further back, a different foam pad). But a couple of years ago, I started carrying a Neoair as well. I will never go back. I now often can sleep all night without waking up. Before, on just the foam pad, I was constantly turning over and having to squirm around in my mummy bag to get comfortable. I do have to carry another 16-ozs of weight, which I was reluctant to do, but now I am much more rested, alert, and happy during the day (especially important on hunts). As I get older, I always am looking for ways to shave weight, but I will never go backpacking or backpack hunting again without a lightweight air mattress.