I used to think expensive sleeping pads were a waste until I spent a night on a rock pile in Moab

After 3 hours of tossing around on my $40 foam pad in the La Sals last fall, I borrowed a friend's insulated inflatable and woke up actually rested. Now I'm wondering if there's a midrange option that's not $150 but still keeps you off the cold ground?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_holly8d ago

Wait, isn't a self-inflating pad different from an insulated inflatable though? I thought the self-inflating ones are basically just foam with a valve, not the same as a full air pad with insulation.

tessaperry9d ago

Check the discount or closeout sections of bigger outdoor gear sites. I've snagged last year's model of a solid self-inflating pad for like $60 before, just had to dig around a bit. Your mileage may vary, but it beats full retail.

davis.olivia9d ago

Oh man, "dig around a bit" is the perfect way to put it. I did the same thing last fall and found an insulated pad that was normally like $130 for $45 because the packaging was beat up. It's honestly become my go-to hack for almost anything gear related now. Why pay full price when last year's model is basically the same thing, you know? I've even started checking those sections before I look at anything else on a site.