Posted at 08:48h in Sleeping Pads	by	C. Mott 0 Comments
Buying a sleeping pad for camping or backpacking is a part of the planning stage. Getting good sleep before a day full of adventures is what any hiker or camper would want the most. Sleep is required to energize your body, and falling asleep isn’t the easiest task for many people. Resting after a day of tiring activities will need a comfy mattress to slump into. But you cannot always carry heavy items with you when you go backpacking all by yourself. Choosing a sleeping pad for backpacking shouldn’t be a hasty process with getting one for the sake of it. You know how important sleep is during those days of continuous activities. With several options available, you could be quite confused about what to buy. Let us look at a list of the different types of sleeping pads and the criteria to follow to select the right one.
The air pads, as the name implies, are air-filled cushy mattresses. Since they are lightweight, compact, and comfortable, most backpackers prefer the air pads. It could take you a couple of minutes to blow air into the pads; having a pump can make the job easier. Insulation features are also provided in the air pads to increase warmth. But since all these come with a delicate touch, the air pads are likely to get punctured. Since it is lightweight and compact, the cost is also slightly higher.
Foam pads are filled with dense foam that contains tiny closed air cells. When you don’t want to face the issue of getting punctured, the foam pad is an excellent choice since it is lightweight, cheaper, and durable. The downsides of foam pads are that they are less comfortable and are bulky.
Self-inflating pads will get inflated automatically by opening up the valve. These pads offer comfort and good insulation, but they can get punctured like the air pads. Also, they cost more than foam pads and are heavier than air pads.