Sleeping Pads

In this post I will be reviewing two separate sleeping pads. First off:

REI Trekker Pad (1.25)

I have used this pad for the past few months and absolutely love it. It is great for backpacking and actual trekking. It rolls up and is pretty light. It is not the most comfortable pad I own but it is the one I use for any camping that is not out of the car.

It is very durable and I have had zero problems with it, the self inflating works perfectly and when I wake up in the morning it is still inflated. This is the biggest thing for me. I have borrowed friends pads in the past where I wake up and am sleeping on a pad that is no longer holding air. With this pad it is not a problem.

My only complaint really isn't a complaint at all. It's just that if I am going to car camp I would prefer sleeping with a thicker pad.

Even if you think that you are too good for a sleeping pad I suggest one not only for comfort but also because of the insulation you get from the cold ground. A pad of any sort can help keep you warm.

The cost to comfort ratio is great. It was relatively cheap and offers great comfort for backpacking. I suggest getting the straps to tether your sleeping bag to the pad or you may end up sleeping next to your pad by the morning. But this is the case with all pads.

The only problem I have heard of with this pad is that its difficult to roll up or deflate. I will cover my secret to these at the end of the post.

Backpacking Overall: 4/5
Car Camping: 3/5

On to the second pad review:

Alps Mountaineering Lightweight Sleeping Pad (2 inch, long)

This is my most recent purchase and I got it at the REI outlet for only $40

I absolutely love this pad. I sleep as well on this pad as I do on my bed at home. I got the long version and it is plenty long for me and my dog sleeps with his head on the end of the pad that my feet don't reach.

It inflates wonderfully, it does take a little while, but thats because it is a 2 inch pad so it takes a bit. Once again when I wake up the pad is still fully inflated. A nice thing that I really enjoyed about this pad is that it comes with a repair kit. The kit only consists of some super glue and a patch but I am sure it will be plenty if I ever have a problem with the durability of the pad.

This pad is perfect for car camping however, (kind of like the inverse of the REI Trekker) if I am going to backpack I won't take this pad. It is just too heavy for serious backpacking. I am sure you could get a thinner or a 3/4 length one and cut down on the weight and bulkiness of the item but I got the 2 incher strictly for comfort of car camping.

I also wish that this pad came with compression straps. The straps that come with it are elastic and don't do a very good job of tightening the roll.

Like with the REI trekker I suggest getting the straps to tether your bag to the pad.

Car Camping Overall: 5/5
Backpacking Overall: 3/5

As promised my process to deflating sleeping pads to ensure they are empty the first time:

First open up the valve and fold the pad in half lengthwise (hotdog) next fold it up from bottom (hamburger fold) sit on the pad and let the air out after you feel that most the air is out close the valve. Next unfold the pad and fold it up 3/4 of the way (Hamburger) and then take the bottom of that fold and fold it up to the top (Hamburger again) open up the valve and sit on it. By now pretty much all of the air should be out so close the valve. Now you should be able to roll up the pad to a small roll.

REI Half Dome 2 Plus W/Footprint

Today we will be reviewing REI’s Half Dome 2 Plus Tent. (with additional footprint)

When we are looking for a new tent we look for a few different qualities: durability, ease to set up/take down, size and weight I will begin with durability. We have primarily used this for car camping and have once broken it down to its ultra-light setting and taken it on a trekking trip into the backcountry. *Note REI also makes a Half Dome 2 that is a bit smaller, we opted for the plus because of camping with our dog.

Cost: $200 (tent) + $25 (footprint)

Durability 5/5: So far we have had 0 problems with this tent. We have used it on trips in Colorado, Texas, Wyoming, Montana, Missouri, and various places in Washington. Our dog also stays in the tent with us at nights. It has performed above and beyond what I was expecting for a tent that is made out of pretty thin material. We have not had a rip or a failure in waterproofing yet. The tent also comes with a pole repair kit which consists of a piece of aluminum pole you can slide over the dented tent pole.

Ease of Set Up/Take Down 4/5: This tent is incredibly easy to take down. The only issue comes while setting up the tent. It can be difficult with only one person because the tent does not offer any seems for the poles to go through to help with stabilization while trying to secure the poles in each of the corners. Instead of inseams REI opted for hooks that clasp on from the tent material to the poles with a pole-less fly to go over it. It is because of these hooks that make it so quick to pack up. I also love the pole less fly because there is no way you can mix up where the poles go. The tent, fly, and footprint also have color coordinated tabs on each corner that correspond to the bottom color of the pole so you know how to set it up ensuring that the fly door matches where the tent doors are. I would just recommend practicing setting it up before you take it on your trip, especially if you are arriving at night (but this could be said with every tent). 

Size 4.5/5: First off I am 6’ 2” and use a long bag and pad. My wife and I and our 30 pound dog all fit in the tent with our sleeping bags, pads, and two backpacks with some room to spare. In addition to the cabin portion of the tent there is room between the fly and the tent itself for you to put additional bags, coolers, or shoes outside and keep them zipped up under the fly but remaining outside where they won’t track mud in. This might be one of our favorite aspects of the tent. Its nice to know you can leave your shoes outside without running the risk of them getting wet, drug off by an animal, or have a spider climb inside of them.

Weight 4.5/5 and 5/5: The reason this gets two ratings is because of the ultra-light setting. First off for car camping it works well. The tent folds up into a self-contained sack and weighs only about 5 ½ lbs. In this setting it is usable for backpacking as well. If you feel like saving a little extra room so you can carry a heavier pad or backpack you can go with the ultra-light that uses only the poles, fly, and footprint (this is why you should purchase it) Here the weight goes down to just a touch over 4 lbs.

Overall 5/5: The tent exceeds expectations and the quality you get for the price is unbeatable. I almost forgot to mention another great part about this tent is it has two doors and two vestibules which allows for either person to get out of the tent with having to do the climb over one another dance, and helps eliminate the awkwardness if you are just sharing a tent with a friend. I would most certainly recommend this to a friend. Kudos to you REI on a great product.

Welcome

Hello there,

I am in my early 20's and recently married. My wife and I are currently living in the Pacific Northwest. We enjoy a lot of different outdoor activities including hiking, skiing, & camping and are almost always accompanied by our dog. My plan in creating this blog is to give my honest opinion over the many different obstacles we encounter while enjoying all the outdoors has to offer.

The reviews will include a wide array of things such as: equipment, hikes, campsites, and even books over the outdoors. I will always include my opinion and when possible get my wife's as well, especially on items geared towards females.

I felt like having a central location for reviews will fit much better than going to various sites and reviewing each product individually. By creating a main hub you will be able to see the way in which I review things and come to understand and trust my suggestions.

If you have any suggestions on things we should review please do not hesitate to comment below. Or if you have some reviews of your own let us know. It would be great to get a conglomeration of thoughts.

My initial reviews will begin soon. Until then stay tuned and thanks for reading.