On top?
Strapped to the back?
Unrolled in your pack?

What size are you carrying?
If IN you pack, which Pack?

Tips and Tricks?

Thinking of giving up on the air matts, but don't know how to handle the bulk of the RR.

Thanks.

If you are flexible in your choice, I use a Z-Lite short with a self made pack. I fold it with 3 panels on each side. It really is a good frame. I like it a lot.

Edited by mpd1690 on 08/30/2011 17:22:19 MDT.

20 x 72 = rolled and tied to my pack - usually on the top

20 x 48 = folded in thirds and inserted into the pad pocket of my SMD Traveler pack where it serves as a virtual frame.

Greg, I used to carry a Prolite 3 inside my Granite Gear Virga. I let it unfurl to fill the perimeter of the bag and then loaded my gear in after. Many people use the same technique with closed cell pads like the RidgeRest. After I got a Neo Air I had to make some adjustments. So I purchased a Z-Rest and cut off 4 sections which I now place against the back of the back on the inside and then load up the gear. It seams to work about as good as the original.

Haven't measured it, but it's basically cut in trapezoidal shape, wider at shoulder and narrower at hip, to fit my torso. The pack is a burn pack and the pad, cut to size, fits with room to spare. I've done this with a standard ridgerest as well.

Edited by Ike on 08/30/2011 17:28:51 MDT.

Most of the time, I hike using a Granite Gear Vapor Trail and strap my 20" x 48" Ridge Rest to the outside of the pack. Like so:



Works great.

When I hike solo, I use a Granite Gear Virga and use the same pad to create a burrito-style virtual frame. Also, works great.

Edited by Ramapo on 08/30/2011 17:45:33 MDT.

I use a 72x20 Ridgerest unrolled in my pack and pack inside it burrito style. I normally use a '10 SMD Swift and everything fits great!

While on the trail doing some maintenance, saw a PCT thru hiker with a Ridge Rest strapped to their pack like Dave's. They had their bear cannister sitting on top of the pad upside down without the lid on. Thought it was a clever way to hold a cannister.

Greg,

I also carry my 3/4 RR pad burrito style in my MYOG pack.



The main body of the pack works out to a volume of approximately 1660 cubic inches or 27 liters. As near as I can figure the pockets add up to 761 cubic inches or 12 liters. So my total volume adds up to 2421 cubic inches or 39 liters.

My pad isn't visible in the picture but the pack is filled with my gear that I carry for one week. That includes food, fuel, clothes, quilt, pad and cook kit which are all inside the main pack compartment.

The pad is rolled and inserted first. Then my pack liner of a 2 mil trash compactor bag goes in next. I then pack in all of the gear listed above.

Party On,

Newton

Thanks all for the input.

FYI, I'm usually out for 8 to 10 days, with a potential for hours of rain or snow, and low temps around 25°. My pack is a ULA Ohm, with a starting weight around 27-28 pounds. Right now everything fits inside, with little room to spare. Burrito style appeals to me, but I don't have an extra 500 cubic inches for a full length pad.

Which is why I'm leaning to strapping a RR to the outside.

Edited by greg23 on 08/30/2011 19:23:59 MDT.

With the ULA Ohm and a Ridge Rest cut to approximately 3/4 length (although I think it'd work with a full length), when I don't put it inside the pack, I strap it to the outside using the two straps that came with the pack and are originally intended as handloops. Since I hike with trekking poles and thus have no use for handloops, I repurposed them for holding my pad.

Greg,

My hiking buddy "Lazarus" also uses a ULA Ohm pack. I added some sewable accessory strap lashing tabs to the bottom of his pack. He now carries his pad tightly rolled and secured to the pack via these lashing tabs and some nylon accessory straps.

If you use this method be sure to either thread the straps through the ice axe loop or a small carabiner hooked to the ice axe loop. Doing this holds the pad away from your body and keeps it from patting you on the bottom with every step. ;-)

Party On,

Newton

I love my setup with my full length pad rolled and strapped on the top of my pack (and both my packs have a buckled strap that goes front to back over the top of the pack bag, making it very easy).

I modifidy my ULA pack to carry a pad on the bottom portion of the pack. I like it much better than carrying on the top.

Unrolled inside GoLite Pinnacle. 3/4 length.

When you put your pad in burrito style, and then insert the trash liner, do you find it hard to get the bag in and out or to move it around. I find trash liners stick to a ccf pad like glue. Its just annoyance I guess.

100cm RidgeRest inserted into my HMG Stuff pack
Perfect to use it as a frame.

Ben,

"I find trash liners stick to a ccf pad like glue."

I use a 3/4 RidgeRest inside of an Xpac MYOG pack lined with a WalMart 2 mil white trash compactor bag as a liner. I have not noticed my "pack liner" sticking to my sleeping pad as you describe.

What kind of pack liner and sleeping pad are you using?

Party On,

Newton

I use the GG thinlight(?)pad and regular trash bag. I might try the compactor bag. Its more of a nuisance than anything. It can just be hard to get things down in there right when the bag sticks to the pad.

The GG pads are generic magnets. The stick to Everything. (not kidding)