Sleeping Pads, Mattresses & Camp Pillows
Your pad matters as much as your bag for a warm night's sleep. Foam pads, inflatable mattresses, and camp pillows insulate you from the ground — without that insulation, the ground steals heat faster than the bag can replace it.
Pad R-value matters
R-value measures how well a pad blocks heat loss to the ground. R-2 works for warm summer, R-3 for shoulder seasons, R-4+ for cold weather, R-5+ for winter and snow. The bag's temperature rating assumes you have a properly insulated pad — pair them honestly.
Inflatable vs. foam
Inflatable pads pack smaller and offer more comfort, but can fail (punctures, valve issues). Closed-cell foam pads are bulletproof — they can't fail, just less comfortable. Many serious backcountry users carry both: foam as backup, inflatable as primary.
Complete the sleep system
A pad is one piece of the system. Pair with Sleeping Bags & Quilts for warmth, Sheets & Covers for liners, and Bedding & Sleeping Gear for the broader category.
Sleep warm. Wake recovered. Hike farther.
