Tried using a sit pad inside my sleeping bag last winter in Colorado and it kept me 10 degrees warmer than the sleeping pad underneath

The debate is whether that extra layer of insulation is worth the bulk or if I just got lucky with the cold snap, has anyone else tested this or do you think the sleeping pad alone is enough?

3 comments

3 Comments

umar5918d ago

Oh man, I feel this so much! I've been in that same situation where you're shivering and just hoping your pad is doing enough but it never seems to be on those real cold nights. Honestly I think you're onto something with the sit pad trick, I've done something similar with a foam sleep pad I cut down and it made a huge difference for me in the backcountry. The bulk is annoying for sure but waking up warm versus tossing and turning all night is kind of a no brainer if you ask me. I've tested my regular pad alone on like 20 degree nights and it just doesn't cut it, something about that extra layer traps the heat way better. I think you got a legit setup going there, don't let anyone tell you it was just luck.

skylerrobinson18d ago

yeah @umar59 basically summed it up, I read some testing from a gear blog that said doubling up on foam pads gave way better R-values than just relying on one thick inflatable.

oscarc5317d ago

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is how different foam densities effect the heat retention. I've got a cheap blue foam pad and a nicer closed cell one from Therm-a-Rest, and stacking them feels way warmer than two of the same cheap ones. The softer foam seems to compress more under my hips so that's where I'd get cold spots before. Your mileage may vary but the combo of different materials might matter as much as just having two layers.