That guy at REI who told me to ditch my inflatable pad

Met this older dude at the REI in Denver. He swore my Therm-a-Rest was junk for cold weather. Said get a closed foam pad. I laughed it off. Night one in Moab at 28 degrees I was shivering all night. Switched to a Z Lite pad the next trip. Slept fine. Anyone else had a foam pad save their sleep?

2 comments

2 Comments

grace_allen15d ago

Wait, you really had that bad of a night with your Therm-a-Rest? I totally get it though. I had a similar wake up call on a trip in the Great Smoky Mountains. My inflatable pad just couldn't keep the cold out and I was miserable all night. Switched to a foam pad the next trip and it was a game changer. There's something about that closed cell foam that just blocks the ground cold so much better. It's not the most comfortable thing but I'll take a good night's sleep over a plush pad any day.

simonh7415d ago

I actually read somewhere that closed cell foam works by trapping tiny air pockets in the foam itself, which is why it's better at blocking ground cold than inflatable pads - something about how the air in inflatables can just move around and let the cold seep through. That totally matches what you're saying, @grace_allen, about your Smoky Mountains experience. I had a buddy who used a Therm-a-Rest on a winter trip in the Adirondacks and he said the same thing, woke up shivering after the air inside the pad basically turned into a cold slab. The foam pads are definitely not as cushy, but honestly after a long day of hiking I'll take warmth over a little extra softness every time. Plus, you never have to worry about a puncture in the middle of the night, which is a big bonus for me.