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.