lightweight sleeping pads

[Daryl]

I've slept in a space blanket before without a ground pad. They work surprisingly well at keeping you warm. Wearing a t-shirt and pants I was warm all night when it was in the mid to low 60s.

Anyone ever use those $1.99 inflateable pool toy things as a camp bed? It packs lighter and smaller then anything mentioned here (a little bigger then a rain poncho) and as is very comfy (3 inches of cushion). Downfalls are they are unreliable and take forever to inflate/deflate. I thought about it, but it's a lot of work to fill one of those when you don't have a pump handy...

I use the thermarest 3/4 ultra light because I don't like the bulky rolls.
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[phrankster]

I have used the inflatable "pool toy" as a camp bed before, Yes they do take a while to inflate, but somehow mysteriously the air escaped during the night and I found myself back on the hard ground That was the first nite of a 2 niter backpack trip.

[J&S]

We've been using a Thermarest since March 1980. They honor their guarantee. They are great. On those rare times these days when we are backpacking, we take just the Thermarest. When we are car camping, we put a blue foam pad under the thermarest. We've used river runner "jacks pads" (aka paco pads) but they aren't worth it unless you are trying to duplicate a suburban bedroom in the sticks.
We were driving back on I-40 from WIlliams last week and a tell-tale color caught my eye alongside the road. I veered to a stop and said to Susun, go back and get THAT! She said, What's THAT?" I said, you will know it when you see it. She dutifully piled out of the SUzuki and headed back on the road and you could see her pace quicken when she realized her "quarry:" a nice new 3/4 length Thermarest that had blown off somebody's rig. Hadn't been run over--great shape. My kinda road kill!

j

[maryphyl]

We own a mess of thermarests mostly because eventually you get a leak you can not find and fix. I know they have a lifetime warranty--has anyone ever sent an old one in to be fixed?
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Shikekeh hozhoogo naasha.
I walk in beauty.

[k9hiker]

Hey was that T-rest you found red? if so it's mine! Just kidding!
Good find, those puppies are spensive.

I'm looking into the Big Agnes sleep system now since I've started hammocking instead of tenting. The BA is a sleeping bag with a sleeve built in for the pad so you can't slip off it. They are fairly pricey too, but it might be worth it. Anyone have experience with this?
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Jamie
Canine Hiking Club of AZ
www.mydog8az.com