Assuming you are a side sleeper:

Sleeping on a 7mm (1/4") CCF sleeping pad may not be the top of the confort, but I've found this simple trick to sleep over it with confort similar to sleeping on a 2-3cm (1") pad:

While side-sleeping, I KEEP AN INFLATABLE PILLOW UNDER MY CHEST (longitudinally): it helps the spine to stay straight and uniformly discharges an important part of body weight over the pillow, so the weight graving over my hip and my shoulder is greatly reduced!

An inflatable pillow has little weight (30-60 gr - 1-2 Oz) and can greatly increase sleeping confort, only be sure to find the right inflating level for you: it is often a lot lower than you would think at first glance (for me, it is 1/3 of max capacity).

You obviously need some other thing for using as a pillow to support the head

I'd like someone else to try it and give me her impression.

That sounds interesting... thanks! One of my hiking buddies dug a "hip hole", basically a depression in the ground for sleeping on his side. He said it helped a lot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHXDKJcUGdo

I can see how that would help. What kind of pillow are you using?

I do the same using my foam float coat instead of an inflatable pad and I find that it does help.

I also raise my feet by placing them on top of my boots (which are inside grocery bags because they are dirty).

@Justin Baker: the concept is similar... but IMHO the pillow if A LOT more confortable... try it!

@Ben Crocker: the pillow I use is something like this: http://pillowsreviews.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/inflatable-pillow-01.jpg
...but a lot less inflated

There does come a time in life that none of these options work! Throughout the years, my sleeping pads kept getting thinner and thinner until my hip bones rebelled and I spent the nights in pain. At least that's what it felt like--of course it was me, not the pad! Here's the progression:

Childhood and teen years--no pad at all

20's and 30's--cheap blue foam pad

40's and 50's--one of the original Thermarests

60's--2" thick, heavy Thermarest LE

70's--started with a POE Insulmat Max Thermo (2.5"), now have a 3.5" thick insulated air pad from the late lamented Kooka Bay. The last is actually the lightest pad I've had since the blue foam days, only 13 oz.

Edited by hikinggranny on 05/10/2012 13:32:36 MDT.

Thank you Mary!
I'm 46 and I have 'jumped' your age/comfort ratio a bit, I have proudly arrived at the use of my Kooka Bay downmat last year. As with many, I swung to ridiculous minimal weight and then swung back to 'acceptable low, low weight' for superior comfort. It's darn well worth it to me to get a great nights sleep, I can play 'Lucan the Wolf Boy' with my cook set.......;) (obscure 70's reference there.....,)
On this theme I am building a roomy cuben tunnel tent to further identify with Roger(shhhhh, top secret)..... Thank you both for your wisdom, it's hard to come by in today's world.

DT

I find that if I sleep on my back, legs flat, my lower back starts to hurt. This is on any pad, even my bed at home.

So I've tried putting an inflatable pillow under my lower back. No more discomfort. I've been using the inflatable pillow from Jacks R Better, http://www.jacksrbetter.com/Pillow.htm (only $1.75 right now) I inflate it ever so slightly.

I'm hoping this may allow me to use a closed cell foam pad, instead of an air pad. More testing to do!

Steve

The old fashioned boy scout way was to scoop out a hollow under your hips and shoulders. This works well with a light foam pad until you get a little older.

Paiolo, do you mean that you simply hug a pillow against your chest? I'm trying to imagine putting a pillow "under" my chest while sleeping on my side and i cant see how you would do that. I sleep on foam most of my short trips, so tips are a good thing.

Putting a pillow under the lower back i get. Maybe i should start carrying a second pillow for tricks like this.

Also, dig a small depression for the hips, works well for me. However the most important part for me is the head pillow, if my head is not elevated enough i get neck pain, shoulder pain and cant sleep. So I usually put either my shoes or a flat rock under pillow to elevate enough.

each body type and sleeper is different.

For me I have two trail sleep positions for sleeping on my back:

1)backpack near my head, I lean my head, neck and shoulders on it, like a recliner lounge chain. then I need something to keep me from sliding, either my shoes at the bottom, or a sweater under my knees.


2) my head and back flat, but the knees and feet raised over my backpack
Example: @__/--'


a few more adjustments if campsite is not a perfect level.

Edited by RogerDodger on 05/16/2012 14:24:13 MDT.

Get off the trail and camp on rough ground. Every bump finds a hollow. Besides, you'll be too tired to care. ;-)

I'm happy to see all that nice comments here!

@geokite: thank for the link to that cheap and light inflatable pillow

@Lopez: as I'm sleeping on my side, the pillow goes under the side of the chest, just to keep it a little (VERY little) elevated over shoulder and hips: instead of digging a hole under hips and shoulder, I'm elevating the chest: the concept is the same

Obviously head require a bigger support: I usually use my shoes or another (more inflated) pillow for it


(PS: I'm new of this forum...is there a way to get notificated by email when there is a new post on this thread?)

> (PS: I'm new of this forum...is there a way to get notificated by email when there is > a new post on this thread?)

If you used a valid email address when you registered, you are half way there.
The next step is clicking on "Watch this thread" in the upper right corner on the page.

Welcome to this forum. :)

Edited by RogerDodger on 05/24/2012 09:18:53 MDT.