ttb@ihu1e.UUCP (Thomas T. Butler) (08/27/85)
I am looking for information on foam pads for use in camping
(under sleeping bags). Both my wife and I love camping, but
our bones need more protection than they used to. I have
heard that there have been new innovations in pad design, but
I don't know where to start. Any comments/suggestions/information
would be greatly appreciated.
--
Tom Butler
..!ihnp4!ihuxn!ttbrgo@druhi.UUCP (OlsenRG) (08/29/85)
I highly recommend Thermarest mattresses. They are a combination foam rubber pad and air mattress. The standard model is 1" thick, and the ultralight model is about 3/4" thick. They come in full (72") or 3/4 length. Weights range from 1 to 2 lbs., and prices range from $35 to $50, depending on the model. Repair kits are available to patch leaks (I've never had one) and a non-slip aerosol spray is available to increase friction if your sleeping bag tends to slide off the mattress. Thermarest mattresses are by far the most comfortable sleeping pads I have ever used - they are definitely worth the money and I wouldn't go camping without one. Ron Olsen druhi!rgo
rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (08/29/85)
[] It is important, I think, to have a closed cell pad. I have some that are about 1/2" thick and are alleged to be like those used by the Swiss Army. I put an air mattress on top of that, but the pad is the backup. -- "It's the thought, if any, that counts!" Dick Grantges hound!rfg
daleske@cbdkc1.UUCP ( John Daleske ) (08/29/85)
After about a month of fun learning while reading Colin Fletcher's tome on camping I would recommend it as an excellent starting point to determine which type of pad would be your best buy. He recommended the Therma-rest style of pad, explaining that should you spring a leak the foam at least covers your basic needs. The air mattress portion makes for a pleasure-filled rest. (Doggone it! I'm having a block on the correct title of the book. It will likely come to me after I've sent this off. Anyway, let's see, the cover mentioned that Field and Stream dubbed it the "Backpacker's Bible". Ah ha! "The Complete Walker". I read the most recent, version III.) John Daleske @ Bell Laboratories, Columbus, OH ...ihnp4!cbosgd!cbdkc1!daleske
langet@ecn-pc.UUCP (Timothy Lange) (08/29/85)
My wife and I have been using Therma Rest pads, kinda expensive,
$40 for one full size pad but... they self inflate to a
thickness of 1.5", provide an excellent thermal break from the
ground, very comfortable, my wife should know, and will roll up
and stuff into a bag about 6" diameter and 2' long. Also, they
are very light. A short version is also made, goes from mid
thigh to head.
--
Tim Lange Engineering Business Offices
317-494-5338 Rm 120 Engineering Administration Bldg.
Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47907
{decvax|harpo|ihnp4|inuxc|seismo|ucbvax}!pur-ee!langetgbr@mb2c.UUCP (Jerry Ruhno) (08/30/85)
> I am looking for information on foam pads for use in camping > (under sleeping bags). Both my wife and I love camping, but > our bones need more protection than they used to. I have > heard that there have been new innovations in pad design, but > I don't know where to start. Any comments/suggestions/information > would be greatly appreciated. Recently I was also looking for sleeping pads. I was tired of blowing up those air mattresses. I ended up ordering a 'kamp pad' from Don Gleason's catalog but when it arrived I found it didn't give enough support. In fact I have yet to find a foam pad that does give enough support. All that I have seen use the soft foam. So I went against my original decision of not spending alot of money and bought a 'camp rest' by Therm-a-rest. If you are not familiar with Therm-a-rest they are foam pad covered with an air tight nylon cover and has a valve. When you unroll it the foam expands an sucks the air in. Then you close the valve an you have an air mattress that has foam for insulation. Only one problem, the 'camp rest' is expensive, like about $63. It is their newest one and is 72" x 27". They have other sizes that are smaller and are good for backpackers. Am I glad I spent the money, you bet. It was the best sleep I had ever had since I have been camping. Let me know if you find anything that works for you. Jerry Ruhno epsilon!mb2c!gbr
stroyan@hpfcla.UUCP (08/30/85)
I own a Therm-A-Rest pad from Cascade Designs. The pad is a foam/air hybrid. It has an air valve which allows the air to be squeezed out for packing. When unpacking it, the valve is opened and the foam expands to refill the pad with air. (There is no pumpimg or blowing to inflate.) It's great for protection from both rough ground and cold ground. You should find such pads in most sporting goods stores, probably from several manufactures by now. Mike Stroyan, hpfcla!stroyan
kcm@cybvax0.UUCP (Keith C. MacKinnon) (08/30/85)
> I am looking for information on foam pads for use in camping > (under sleeping bags). Both my wife and I love camping, but > our bones need more protection than they used to. I have > heard that there have been new innovations in pad design, but > I don't know where to start. Any comments/suggestions/information > would be greatly appreciated. > -- > Tom Butler > ..!ihnp4!ihuxn!ttb I am not a camper but I have two of these foam pads that I have been using for a few years now. We basically use them when someone sleeps over. I have never used them outdoors yet, they are also about 6 years old and are of 1/4 foam with heavy plastic covering. The two that I have are really called exercise pads. I have seen them at stores that basically sell camping and outdoor supplies.
wjr@x.UUCP (Bill Richard) (09/01/85)
I am STella Calvert, a guest on wjr's account at decvax!frog. I get mail via his account, and flames via /dev/blackhole. In article <526@ihu1e.UUCP> ttb@ihu1e.UUCP (Thomas T. Butler) writes: >I am looking for information on foam pads for use in camping >(under sleeping bags). Both my wife and I love camping, but >our bones need more protection than they used to. I have >heard that there have been new innovations in pad design, but >I don't know where to start. Any comments/suggestions/information >would be greatly appreciated. Find a copy of _The Complete Walker_ (third edition preferred) by Colin Fletcher for a lot more info than I am willing to enter tonight. But here are a few ideas, from my experience and his book. Air mattresses are very comfortable until they develop leaks -- then they are very useless. The worst kind of leaking air mattress is the one with a slow leak that lets you get 90% asleep before you bottom out on the sharpest thing within ten miles of your campsite. Open cell foam pads are almost as comfortable as waterbeds, but intractably bulky. You can squeeze the air out (for about two seconds) but as soon as you let go, it unfolds and sucks the air back in. (Put that on your frame and schlep it! Pfui!) If they get soggy, they can take a couple days to dry, and meanwhile weigh more than twice their dry weight. But when I was living in a lean-to, the open-cell pad was great insulation and fairly comfortable. Even damp they provide reasonable insulation, but oh, that soggy weight! Closed cell foam pads are water resistant, durable, and usually not really thick enough to protect you from a lumpy campsite. But I used one for several thousand miles of hitchhiking, and was reasonably happy after the second night on any trip. And you'll never be comfortable your first night away from home -- or at least I never am. These are products I've used, but Fletcher mentions one I intend to try because it sounds fantastic. Cascade Designs of Seattle has taken an open-cell foam pad and enclosed it in a water resistant shell with an inflation valve. When it rains, the pad stays dry (and therefore light). When you brute-force the air out and shut the valve, the pad stays empty and can be easily stuffed. That's my choice the next time, especially since, now that I'm a car-camper, the extra weight isn't as important. But try to find the book, and read it -- even the parts you don't need will be fascinating. I have bought the last two editions, and recommend it heartily. Try your library if you don't want to buy till you've sampled (but I betcha a tent peg you go out and buy it afterwards.) STella Calvert (guest on ...!decvax!frog!wjr) Every man and every woman is a star.
marke@sun.uucp (Marke Clinger) (09/01/85)
Closed foam is very important feature of pads for sleeping. Most stores that carry camping supplies have these foam pads that are usually blue. The closed foam keeps the pad from absorbing water (from the ground, air, body). I have used these pads for about 10 years and they work great. They are very thin (1/4" to 1/2"), dense and lightweight. They absorbe the shocks of rocks to the point it is hard to tell they are there. The pad also works good for insulation. It keeps the cold from the ground away from your back. I have used them when sleeping directly on a snow drift and have stayed very warm (even in my summer sleeping bag). The pads are very cheap also. If you would like alittle more confort you might want to get a term-a-rest pad( backpackers air mattress). It has an open cell foam core that is covered by an air tight nylon. It does not absorbe water. It is self inflatable, just open the valve and air poors in. You can adjust the firmness by adding air through the valve. It weighs 24 ounces and comes in two sizes, 3/4 length and full body length(about six feet). It rolls up into a cylinder about 4 inches in diameter(smaller than the pads talked about above). I have used this on rocky ground and snow. I would recommend it over the closed foam pads. It is slightly more expensive, but worth every penny. Marke Clinger Sun Microsystems sun!mclinger
smh@rduxb.UUCP (henning) (09/03/85)
> Closed foam is very important feature of pads for sleeping. Most > stores that carry camping supplies have these foam pads that are > usually blue ... > > If you would like alittle more confort you might want to get a > term-a-rest pad( backpackers air mattress). It has an open cell foam > core that is covered by an air tight nylon. It does not absorbe > water. It is self inflatable, just open the valve and air poors in. My new REI catalog (REI, POBox C88125, Seattle, WA 98188) has a new pad: The EQUALIZER Mattress self-inflating, nylon covered mattress is anatomically designed to fill the contours of your body. The Therm-a-rest is a flat pad while the new one is sculptured to fit. It costs $35 for short and $45 for long. The short backpackers model weighs 2 pounds, 2 ounces.
drv@kitc.UUCP (Dennis Vogel) (09/03/85)
I'll add my vote to the Therma-Rest pad for backpacking. I've had one for several years and I use it regularly. I find it very comfortable and I've used it on bare rock at times. I have to disagree with a previous poster and say that if it gets a hole in it the foam by itself isn't very soft. Especially if you're lying on something hard underneath. Fortunately, a patch kit is available and it works. (I tried some other glues with no success. Just when I was about to give up I found a kit sold by Therma-Rest that was a life saver!) Therma-Rest pads aren't cheap. My 3/4 length pad cost me around $40 5-or-so years ago. You can bet they are more than that now. But for the comfort and convenience (they squish down to a nice small size for packing) I don't think they can be beat. I'd but another if the need ever arises. Dennis Vogel AT&T Information Systems S. Plainfield, NJ
gbr@mb2c.UUCP (Jerry Ruhno) (09/03/85)
Concerning all this discussion on sleeping pads is there such a thing as a thick closed foam pad, like 1" or thicker. The ones I have seen are just not thick enough for me. Jerry Ruhno epsilon!mb2c!gbr