Sleeping Pads for Ultralight Backpackers
You can make four-ounce sleeping pads – then sometimes carry two of them. Start with the plain blue closed-cell foam pads available from any backpacking supplier. These are made larger than necessary, usually 24 by 72 inches. You can just cut them down to a four-ounce size.
It’s important that it reaches from your shoulders to your hips, so cut it to that length. Cut the width a little at a time, testing for comfort as you go. You want the pad as small as you can make it, while still big enough to insulate your torso from the ground. Your head can be on a pillow of spare clothes, and your legs on your empty pack to insulate them.
Sleeping Pads For Ultralight Fanatics
If you want it really light, cut pieces out of the pad. Half-inch holes in the pad don’t seem to make it less comfortable. Cut out a hundred little pieces of foam and you get to save an ounce and join the ranks of the fanatical ultralight backpackers.
To be comfortable with a thin pad, or none at all, try sleeping where the ground is soft. You can also pile up leaves or dry grass to sleep on. Please do this only where it won’t harm the environment, and scatter the leaves in the morning so they won’t kill the vegetation they’re on. With fifteen minutes of work each night collecting materials, you can leave the sleeping pad home and be more comfortable. A thick pile of dried grass – now that’s a nice camping mattress.
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Posted by Denz
on Jul 10 2010. Filed under best outdoor, outdoor accessories, outdoor info.
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