I used a cheap foam pad under my sleeping bag and it changed my whole trip

On a trip to the White Mountains last fall, I forgot my usual inflatable sleeping pad. All I had was a basic blue foam pad I bought for like $15 years ago. I figured I'd be cold and sore, but I put it under my bag in my tent anyway. To my surprise, I slept warmer than I have in a long time. I think the foam pad stopped the cold from the ground way better than my fancy air pad ever did. The air pad must have let some cold seep through, but the foam just blocked it all. I was so comfortable I slept in past sunrise. Now I always bring that foam pad as a backup, even with my good gear. Has anyone else found that a simple foam pad works better for them than an expensive air mattress?

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3 Comments

dakota3797mo ago

So much for thinking the expensive gear is always better. I mean, I've definitely been there, dropping a bunch of cash on a fancy air pad only to freeze my butt off. Maybe it's just me, but there's something hilarious about the fifteen dollar piece of foam beating out the high tech option. Makes you wonder what else we're overpaying for out there.

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angelac636mo ago

Honestly makes you question the whole idea of "progress" in outdoor gear. What else is just marketing hype dressed up as innovation? Sometimes the old, simple fix is the right one because it has fewer parts to fail. That foam pad won't ever get a puncture or a busted valve. Feels like we're sold complexity when what we often need is just reliability.

1

oscar_fox7mo ago

Yeah, that "freeze my butt off" part is too real. My fancy pad did the same thing. Foam just works.

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