Great sleep is important to me and is the only thing that I will not give up to fit my light backpacking needs. I currently use a Thermarest Prolite at 20"x72"x2" which equals 24 ounces. I'm a side sleeper and I LOVE THIS PAD because it is comfy and keeps me warm through all 4 seasons. But I always fear that I will puncture it somehow and either have an uncomfortable summer sleep or a terribly cold winter sleep.

So, my question: Are there any closed cell foam pads that are over 1" thick? The thickest closed cell foam pad that I can find is the Ridgerest at .75". I just want a thick pad that will not deflate if a spark hits it or if a thorn pokes a hole in it (plus I can cut off any excess pad that I don't need).

There is always open cell foam.

Wrap that with a piece of saran wrap and you are ready for weather.

Guaranteed not to deflate.

--B.G.--

It looks like this place sells it.

http://www.foamorder.com/closedcell.html

They have EVA, which is what I would want. The sheets are 80"x40", so you will probably want to cut the width in half and trim the length by a few inches. They price isn't awful either. $60 for the foam plus $10 shipping to my door.

Since the weight would be pretty much the same as your current prolite plus, another possibility would be a short prolite at 11 oz. and a regular z-lite at 14 oz. You'd still get the air pad that you like for your hips but also have the backup of the z-lite in case you spring a leak. Also less bulk. I've used this setup in the winter and with your pack under your legs and feet it is adequate.

The Ridgerest is 15mm thick , 20cm in diameter when stored.
A 1" (25mm) equivalent would be just over 33cm thick , that is about 13"
Franco

> They have EVA, which is what I would want.

I buy 5 mm sheet EVA30 foam like that to make a cover for the end of the tent below our 3/4 length mats. Works fine even on snow. Light too.

cheers

A 72x20x1 EVA pad would weigh about 18 ounces with an R value of 3.6.

Oh no! Now I am even more confused on what I want. Haha. I was considering a combination like this:

>Since the weight would be pretty much the same as your current prolite plus, another possibility would be a short prolite at 11 oz. and a regular z-lite at 14 oz.\

But the thought of dealing with two sleeping pads and the small dip that would be created in the middle from the shorter pad makes me want to rule it out until I am out of other options. The "Foamorder" website is awesome! I know this sounds stupid but i'm considering the 1.5 inch thick EVA! My sleeping pad would probably be bigger than my entire pack when rolled up but holy crud would it be comfortable and warm!

Thanks for all of the replies. Would EVA foam without the cut ridges like the ridgerest or z-lite be a lot colder to sleep on?

Is there any reason you wouldn't want to just stack pads? That's what I do with two Ridgrests. I'm a sidesleeper who bought a short NeoAir, loved it for the comfort but like, you, wanted something fail-proof for trips in colder weather or longer than 1 night.

2 Ridgerest's stacked =1.25" thickness and an R-Value of ~5.2, which covers you into winter. I have a regular length and a short length, both of which I cut to fit and which now have a weight of 5.57oz(short) and 9.28(regular) for 14.85oz total. In winter I'm also experimenting with using a 3/16" thick 60"x38" mat from Oware as a ground sheet for some added insulation vs a spinnaker, tyvek or silnylon ground sheet. At 5.68oz, the weight penalty is only a couple oz, and I get the benefit of .6 R-Value.

This system isn't as cushy as the NeoAir, but it also won't ever leak and leave me on the ground. I'd guess I find it about 65-70% as comfy as the NeoAir, and, having used REI's 1.5" thick version of a Prolite, about 90% as comfortable as that. Plus, with the Ridgerests, I don't get that cold spot where my hip indents the mat. Also, I've been working on back-sleeping when out, and when I do that, it solves any comfort issues.

Here's a picture of my system.



The short mat is 38" long and 19." wide at the widest. The longer mat is 71" (I'm 5'10") long and 19.5" at its widest. The leg portion is 15" at its widest.

If you like the Prolite (I love mine) why not just take a repair kit with you to fix it if you get a hole? Tear Aid and Patch-N-Go products have literally no cure time and work with numerous materials. The weight for the kits are negligible at best.

If you must have the foam, MEC in Canada carries Evazote pads in varying thicknesses.

I've taken my prolite out about 70 nights with no leaks. Guidelite before that for 100s of nights with no leak. Another Thermarest developed a slow leak - maybe I'de have to top it off half way through the night, but still provided some warmth and comfort.

Don't worry about leaks.

Don't get sucked into "the vortex of fear"

Does the R-Value scale linearly with the thickness of the EVA foam?

R-value for common materials do but some of the numbers thrown around for sleeping pads seems suspect to me.

I concur that there is no need for a patch kit for a standard ThermaRest. I've used them just thrown on the ground for months on end and never had a puncture. If your life depends on it carry an additional closed cell foam for safety.

BPL'er Richard Nisley has some response's in a post here about r-value for general closed cell pads, as well has some tested(by himself)values for other popular pads vs the manufacturer's claim.

R value vary with thickness AND density of the evazote pad, its not linear for density though, some are more efficient, but then it also depends on how it reacts to the weight of the sleeper,

have a look at :

http://zotefoams.thomasnet.com/item/all-categories/eva/va25?&seo=110

Jim Mac thanks for the pictures. I like your idea and I am going use it. Like you, I am also trying to learn how to sleep on my back when backpacking but it just feels weird.

And as for the "vortex of fear" comment, I'm already sucked into it! But this is not the only reason why I want a closed foam pad. In the summer I can just unbuckle the pad and throw it on some rocks, twigs, or draped over a log for a comfy seat (I don't want to bring a seat that is only used as a seat) and in the winter I can sit on it next to the fire with now worries. My old ridgerest has holes right through it and about 7 hot coal burns and it still works great!