I know I saw a thread on this in the past, but I have been unable to find it. I have to sleep on my side and have pretty bad shoulders. Need recommendations from experienced side sleepers on which pad they have found to be the most comfortable, durable and best for backpacking. I am not worried about the price, and I don't want an air mattress that can spring a leak. Will mainly be used for summer and fall trips. Thanks for the help.

In terms of comfort, I’ve found the Exped Downmat 9 to be tops. A close second, lighter weight, and nearly as comfortable, is the Thermarest NeoAir XTherm MAX. Both are air mattresses, which maximize comfort for the weight and bulk.

For backpacking, I don't know of anything that isn't air filled that's thick enough for a side sleeper (I'm one) but still light enough and compact enough to carry. Self inflating pads are just too darn heavy.

I’m a side sleeper as well. I use an Exped Downmat 7 and I like it a lot. My brother uses an Exped Downmat 9 and it is even better.
We’ve done a lot of trips with these and haven’t had any leaks so far.

I put a zrest on top of my Helinox cot. Combo is a little heavier then your standard pad, but is more comfortable then my memory foam mattress at home. I run a quilt instead of a bag and get most of my weight savings back. The cot is one piece of kit I’d replace with another without hesitation if it comes to that.

That's a good combination. My cot is an Alps Mountaineering Ready Lite. It's slightly heavier but I pack with llamas so that's not an issue. Any cot with some insulation can turn a rock pile into a good bed.

I don't know anyway possible you're going to get away from an air type pad if you're a side sleeper and you want to backpack. I like the big agnes park series and the q core pad, (I still owe pointer for telling me about them. maybe I will finally not think he is an a hole anymore, LOL. ) but that is still air. the main problems I have had with air mattresses is when I have tried to use them on bare ground. I will never do it. as long as I use them on a tent floor or something to protect them. they haven't been a problem for me.

I have had good luck with a thermarest neo air for back packing, although they are a bit narrow for my fat aszzz, oh for inexpensive pads, klymit has worked great!!! my son has the cheapest green pad and used it all over the place for years without issue.

For whatever reason, I have had terrible luck with the neo air. 3 pads, they all leaked within a couple trips. Not that much fun. I have been loving the sea 2 summit air pad - not as thick as the neo air, but way more durable for me. Their pattern works well. I generally have at least a partial ridge rest foam pad as well. Insulates and is a backup.

As a teenager and young man, pretty much any closed cell foam pad thicker than a yoga mat would work.
Now, I might find time to sell off my closed cell mats to the college students who like to backpack. I have some new closed cell foam around an inch thick.
What I use now to prevent sore shoulders is a hammock. The proper set up will distribute weight better than anything else.

Last year I found a closed cell pad similar to this photo for $5. It weighs nothing although it's a bit bulky. Combine it with almost any air mattress and you've got a good warm bed.
I think many of the leaking mattress problems can be traced to something stickery on the ground. Putting the ensolite pad under the air pad will protect it. A cot will protect it much better.

I'm a side sleeper also. After over sixty years of sleeping on the ground, using various mattresses, I've arrived at combining a ZREST (like to the one above) with a 4' long self-inflating pad. Seems to be the best mix for combining lightweight with comfort, for me.

Because I'm a side sleeper, like you, I can't use a hammock. Too bad. Looks like a good way to go.

Everyone is different.
Most people who buy a hammock use them for lounging in the back yard for a little while, but when they use their hammock to sleep they run into this problem.


There's a way for stomach sleepers to be comfortable too.
Some use a proper bridge hammock while others can with a more typical design.
Regardless, different choices for different folks.

Add me to the Exped users. I start out on my back and end up on my side most of the time. I've found the Exped to be fairly comfortable all the way around.

Thermarest Xtherm for me as well. Been a great pad and lightweight.

So your gonna have to find a reliable air mattress and put a Thermarest Ridge rest underneath. My Big Agnes has been unreal. But many prolly disagree, Good luck and happy trails!!!

Hammocks work great if you have a good choice of trees. We don't. Where we've got our elk the last 2 years, it's literally miles between trees.

You just need longer rope.😉

Seriously, I think your idea sounds great. I've used all kinds of pads and air mattresses alone and anything much firmer than my bed doesn't work for me personally. However, the combo of two lighter pads like that must keep the hip and shoulder off the ground. The z rest has had good reviews since they came out a couple or three decades ago.

I’m new to backpack hunting and only have a few nights under
My belt with limited experience on sleeping pads, but I have the Klymyt insulated static V lx. It’s big for an air pad, and heavier than some, but still packable and not a burden to pack or use. I coupled that with a Coleman closed cell z-pad and found that to be a very comfortable arrangement. I liked it so much I bought the uninsulated version for warmer weather.

Check out Klymit air pads. I have a couple of the uninsulated ones. They're very light weight and easy to use. I've never had an air leak with one.
They have a couple good insulated ones that I haven't got yet since I have another older insulated one. I've heard that they're pretty good. The best one (and most expensive) is called the Insulated Static V Luxe SL. It's 3.5" thick with an R value of 6. It's a little heavier than the less insulated ones at about 2lb.

That’s the one I have. I said Kelty but definitely a Klymit. I like it a lot, so far. Coupled with a closed cell pad underneath, I don’t think any side sleeper will have trouble.

I’m in my mid 50’s and my wife became an obsessive backpacker once the kids grew up, which I also enjoy, so I’ve spent a lot of nights sleeping on a pad in the last few years. I had to address comfort to be able to do it- my old Thermarest was torture. I’m a side sleeper too, and it would just kill my hips and shoulders. I used a Big Agnes Q-core SLX on the JMT (230+ miles) a couple years ago, then a lighter version of the same luxuriously thick pad from Tahoe to Yosemite (150 miles) last summer, plus lots of shorter hikes. So about 50 nights/500 miles on the two pads. Never a puncture.

With a thicker pad like that, if you get the inflation just right your hips and shoulders are just off the ground. It’s a lot of cushy. Makes a huge difference for my old bones.

Inflation sacks...this hasn't come up yet. Blowing up a large pad takes a lot of time and air. At high altitudes, that air can be hard to come by. The sacks really do work. The problem is that every brand has it's own valves and the sacks have to match the valve. Some valves just don't lend themselves to any brand of sack. If your pad comes with an air sack or if they sell one to match the valve, I highly recommend it.

True that. I didn’t have one on the JMT and blowing up that huge thing was a daily chore I loathed. High altitude doesn’t help, also correct. I got the correct sack from BA for both my pads (different valves, but the same inflation sack works) for the TTY hike last year, and it was awesome. 👍

The really cool inflation sacks double as a dry-bag, I believe. Mine doesn’t. It was still weight worth carrying. My sleeping comfort is really critical on long hikes like that. We did some big days in the high Sierra, it would whup my butt. Get camp set up... take my Vitamin I, some CBD, get a good nights sleep on my thick pad, and I’m back in the game in the morning. Rinse wash repeat for 23 days (on the JMT) and those decently comfortable nights are just huge....

.....like my pad.... lol... my wife pitches me a lot of crap about it. It takes up more than half the Duplex, for sure.

It was pretty up there....

Was a serious back packer, in my high school and college days.... we did a lot of distance hiking in Boy Scouts in those days...

I've hiked the entire Appalachian Trail back during the 60s and early 70s....the Long Trail the length of the State of Vermont,
and the Pacific Crest Trail from the Canadian border, down to about Bend Oregon area when I was in the Army and Stationed at Madigan AMC on Ft Lewis, in the late 70s..

I've always been a side sleeper, and curl up like a baby when its real cold outside...

I always use a thin mattress pad, that was easy to carry... for padding, I used what was locally found on the ground...
like pine needles or leaves.... push them up into a mattress pile with my foot, lay a tarp over them... put down the mattress pad, then sleeping bag..

if the weather was bad, used a tube tent set up... real light to carry also...easy to set up and easy to tear down...tube tent cost me $3.00 in those days..

I've bought some of them for my scouts in our troop, within the last 10 to 15 years of so... the price has tripled since the late 60s and early 70s... they are up to $10 now...

two of those lasted me 10 to 12 years.... so $6.00 on tents.... and then surplus army poncho, to put over the tent entrance.. to keep back pack dry etc...

no one taught me this stuff... just learned it on my own... travel light, use your local resources....considering hiking 15 miles or so in a day.. sometimes more..

OP here. Thanks for the input guys. Don't think the hammock would work for me. Looks like it is going to be one of the air pads. Lots of people like the Therma rest and Big Agnes pads , and I have seen good reviews on Sea to Summit as well. Good to know about the inflation sacks.

Another to look at is the Nemo stuff. We have a couple of them and as a life long side sleeper they have been game changers compared to older self inflators or z-rest types. I like the Astro ultralight insulated for a good sweet spot of weight/price/comfort. It also comes with one of the inflation sacks which is very nice to have.

^this .... Expend Downmat 9 has been my most comfortable. I use Thermarest Neoair xtherm max now - it is lighter weight and works great for side sleeper.... just not quite as comfortable as the Exped dm 9.

Thanks. It looks like the Exped downmat 9 has been discontinued. They have the ultra and dura. I plan on emailing the company to see which model is most comparable.
It looks like all the brands have some negative reviews regarding leaks, I guess the company with the best warranty will be a big factor as well.

If that's the case, then you should just get the NeoAir XTherm MAX.

Thermarest All Season. Inflate to ~95%.

Add Thermarest Ridge pad in Winter or cold temps.

beinga big guy, and a side sleeper, so far the best system I have found is the Big agnes Qcore deluxe on top of a closed cell foam pad, i find that extremely comfortable. i also break tradition and take the pillows from my bed,,,i absolute despise the little camping pillows

I agree, pillows high enough for side sleepers are another big problem. It's a pain in the neck (pun intended) stuffing your clothes into a stuff sack trying to get the height just right.

https://www.amazon.com/KLYMIT-Insulated-Sleeping-Camping-Backpacking/dp/B07YP8TPX9/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=1UDCGG1S6UN1U&keywords=klymit+sleep+pad&qid=1651938379&sprefix=klym%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-4


I'm 6'4" 235 and this is the stuff for side sleeping. Can't speak to the durability( just picked it up) but the other 2 klymits I've had have held up very well for 30-40 nights of sleep so far.