F
10

Lost $140 on a self-inflating pad that died after 3 trips

Bought one of those fancy self-inflating sleeping pads for $140 and by the third night out it wouldn't hold air past midnight. Woke up on the ground in 45 degree weather. Anyone else swear off those things and just stick with foam pads?
3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
3 Comments
samreed
samreed11d agoProlific Poster
Return it and get a Therm-a-Rest. Foam never fails.
4
henry150
henry15011d ago
Hear me out Sam, foam pads are tough but they're not for everyone. I had a Therm-a-Rest foam pad early on and it worked fine for car camping, but it was miserable on colder nights because it doesn't insulate as well as an air pad with a decent R-value. Foam also takes up a ton of space strapped to the outside of a pack, which gets annoying on longer trips. A good inflatable like the one you're returning can be far more comfortable if you just avoid the super cheap ones that leak. I've been using a Big Agnes air pad for years without a single puncture because I take care of it and use a groundsheet. Foam has its place, but it's not automatically better for everyone.
1
skyler_kelly69
Stick with foam pads man, they never quit.
1