Camping foo

[BigV]

I'm in deep FAWET right now preparing for my next camping trip. This trip will involve plenty of hiking, but we'll be staying in the chalet when we're not hiking hut to hut, so on this trip, no sleeping pad is required.

What I've learned from sleeping on the ground, usually in a tent, is that a big, fluffy air mattress is not nearly as warm as a smaller, thinner inflatable pad, mostly because that's a LOT of air to heat up, and I tend to roll off of them since they can't be inflated enough to make them firm near the edges. I'd stay away from air mattresses.

Face it, you only want to be off the ground (you really do want to be off the ground, the ground is going to be colder than you and stay colder than you, all night long), but the difference in being a fraction of an inch off the ground and being a couple inches off the ground matters not at all to your pressure points (I'm generally a side sleeper and my hip and shoulder are the most likely to bottom out). sexobon's suggestion for two pads, one closed cell pad on the bottom where it's most likely to be abraded and a second inflatable pad on top for comfort/insulation is deluxe. I usually only use my Therm-a-rest. I have a three-quarter length pad, about an inch thick. I use such a small pad because I only need to keep my core off the floor, my feet are usually ok, or I rest them on a bag of stuff/clothes. The main reason for the smaller pad is that I like the lighter weight for backpacking. If I'm car camping, a larger pad, or even a pair as above is luxury.

I usually inflate my pad as full as I can blow it up, then lie on it with the screw valve near my head. I lie on the pad in my sleeping position and bleed out a tiny amount of air until I can feel the pad sag a little in the middle under my hip. Too much air in the pad makes it too firm and I feel like I'm gonna roll off of it. Too little air and I bottom out, then I need to get off the pad and blow it up some more and start over. Just right for me feels like a little bit of depression under my hip, enough that it feels like I have to roll uphill a little to move around. Natually, your "sleep number" may vary.

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by BigV

... sexobon's suggestion for two pads, one closed cell pad on the bottom where it's most likely to be abraded and a second inflatable pad on top for comfort/insulation is deluxe. ..

Oh, most certainly. For what I was doing one wants the most effective weapon, chow, and sleep accoutrements one can carry. There are priorities of work even during down time: weapons maintenance, chow, and sleep - in that order. When there's only a few hours each day to accomplish it all, for days on end, quality of sleep becomes a health concern of which comfort is a component. The aforementioned combination has worked for me on icy mountain and desert sand. For Pam, that translates into 4 season effectiveness which when carried in milder weather accommodates unforeseen changes.

A person can certainly make do with less for just camping over a long weekend. During woodland survival training where all I had was my uniform, I made a lean to out of fallen branches, brush, and slept on a pine needle mattress. What is 3/4 length pad I don't even.

A couple of other considerations:

Some backpackers, especially those going off the beaten path, are adopting the current military modular backpack approach using a main pack with a quick-detachable patrol pack. The military uses it to increase speed and maneuverability as needed. Civilians use it for storing emergency essentials to quickly lighten the load of someone who's become acutely ill or injured; but, still has to hike out or be carried out. For dual ground insulation carry, the closed cell foam pad is attached to the main pack and the air mattress is attached to the patrol pack.

As people age, they look for comfort measures to accommodate their physiological changes and enhance their quality of outdoor life. Loss of musculature and subcutaneous tissue can increase discomfort over bony prominences, joints can be painful at the end of the day even when static, and people aren't as psychologically inclined to tough out situations so much anymore if they don't have to just to get close to nature. The two pad carry that worked well for me in my past profession still works well for me in my present recreation. What a deal, money well spent.

BTW, for those who slide off their air mattresses, there are thin textured non-slip polymer sheets on the market that are tacky on both sides. They're used to keep bed linen in hospitals and nursing homes from sliding so mobility impaired patients don't accidently slide with the linen off the edges of their beds and fall. Two or three 1 sq. ft. polymer sheets should keep a sleeping bag on an air mattress.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by sexobon

BTW, for those who slide off their air mattresses, there are thin textured non-slip polymer sheets on the market that are tacky on both sides.

Good tip! All this talk has me trying to figure out a good three day in the ADKs for when the girls are at school.