WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM A ONE-LEGGED GUY ABOUT HIKING, BACKPACKING AND GEAR?
Sleeping Pads – History and Options
Just to be clear, I’ve normally slept in a hammock and have only used a tent a few times in the past two years. Nonetheless, this article may be useful to you when selecting the right sleeping pad for your needs. First, let’s look at the history of sleeping pads.
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History: From Found Materials to High Tech
🌲Early Camping: Natural Materials and Improvisation (Pre-1900s–1940s)
Before commercial sleeping pads existed, campers relied on natural materials for ground insulation. Pine boughs, leaves, grass, or animal skins were commonly used by explorers, soldiers, and indigenous peoples. In the early 20th century, as recreational camping became popular, especially with the Boy Scouts (founded in 1910), some campers used horsehair or wool blankets, folded and stacked to add insulation and comfort. During World War II, soldiers used canvas bedrolls and thin mats, but these offered little cushioning and were mostly for portability rather than comfort.
🪵 Foam Emerges: The First Purpose-Built Pads (1950s–1970s)
The introduction of closed-cell foam in the 1950s revolutionized the market. This lightweight, insulating material could be rolled up or folded and was inexpensive to manufacture. While not very plush, it offered significant improvements over natural insulation. Foam pads quickly became a staple for hikers and campers.
In 1972, a major leap forward came with the founding of Therm-a-Rest by two former Boeing engineers, Jim Lea and Neil Anderson, in Seattle. They developed the first self-inflating sleeping pad, which combined open-cell foam with an airtight fabric cover and a valve. This allowed the pad to inflate when the valve was opened, while still being compressible for packing. The first Therm-a-Rest pad launched in 1972, under their company Cascade Designs. It was a game-changer, offering superior comfort, insulation, and ease of use. Therm-a-Rest would remain an industry leader for decades.
⛺ 1980s–1990s: Refinement and Competition
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, sleeping pads saw incremental improvements:
•Lighter and more durable fabrics.
•Better valves and construction techniques.
•Introduction of mummy-shaped pads to save weight for backpackers.
•REI, Big Agnes, and The North Face began offering branded pads as interest in backpacking surged.
Therm-a-Rest continued to dominate, but other companies like Exped (founded in Switzerland in 1983) started pushing innovation. Exped introduced ultralight inflatable air pads with built-in pumps, focusing on compactness and comfort.
🔬 2000s: Air Pads and the Rise of Lightweight Gear
With the explosion of ultralight backpacking in the early 2000s, manufacturers raced to produce pads that were lighter, more compact, and more efficient.
•NeoAir Series (2009): Therm-a-Rest launched the NeoAir, a pad that used internal baffles and reflective materials to create warmth without foam. It was extremely lightweight and compact—perfect for thru-hikers.
•Sea to Summit, an Australian brand, entered the pad market in the 2010s with Air Sprung Cells technology, giving their pads a quilted feel for better comfort and support.
Air pads now began including R-value ratings, measuring thermal resistance, which helped consumers choose the right pad for their environment.
🌌 2010s–2020s: Innovation and Customization
By the 2010s, sleeping pads came in a wide array of options for every user:
•Inflatable, self-inflating, or foam.
•Insulated vs. uninsulated.
•Ultralight, winter-grade, and wide-body models.
New developments included:
•Quiet fabrics (to avoid “crinkly” noises).
•Integrated pumps (foot or bag-style).
•Custom lengths, widths, and shapes.
•Use of recycled or eco-friendly materials.Notable entries:
•NEMO Equipment introduced pads with body-mapped baffling and thermal mirror layers.
•Klymit launched the Static V series, known for a unique V-chamber design and affordability.
•Big Agnes developed sleep systems that integrate pads into sleeping bags.
The Options and My Recommendations
With all the options available today, it’s a little confusing trying to figure out what the best sleeping pad is for your needs and budget.
Here’s how I break them down, along with their price ranges:
Type Price Range Typical Use
Closed-Cell Foam $10 – $60 Budget, ultralight, rugged use
Self-Inflating $30 – $200+ Car camping, all-season backpacking
User-Inflated (Air Pads) $30 – $250+ Ultralight, high-comfort backpacking
🟩 1. Closed-Cell Foam Sleeping Pads
These are the simplest, most durable, and lightweight pads. They offer basic insulation and cushioning. For warmer spring and autumn months, and the summertime, I’ve found these work just fine. In the wintertime time I’ve put a pad made of Reflectix in my hammock and then a Therma-Rest pad on top of that and been warm enough. However, if you like to have a little more comfort, these may disappoint you.
•Low-End: $10–$25 - Basic foam pads (e.g., generic or big-box store brands).
•Mid-Range: $25–$40 - Better quality foam (like the Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest or Z Lite).
•High-End: $40–$60 - Premium design, reflective coating (like the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite SOL).
➡️ Total Price Range: $10 – $60
🟨 2. Self-Inflating Sleeping Pads
These combine open-cell foam with an air valve. They offer more comfort and insulation than closed-cell pads. I don’t recommend the lower-end price options here. They are heavier, the valves often fail on me, and the material is often the crinkly stuff that wakes you up every time you move.
•Low-End: $30–$60 - Entry-level models, often heavier and bulkier.
•Mid-Range: $60–$120 - Lightweight backpacking versions from trusted brands (Therm-a-Rest Trail Lite, REI Stratus).
•High-End: $120–$200+ - Lightweight, compact, insulated models with high R-values (Therm-a-Rest ProLite Apex, Sea to Summit Comfort Light SI).
➡️ Total Price Range: $30 – $200+
🟦 3. User-Inflated (Air) Sleeping Pads
These are the most compact and often the most comfortable, but require manual inflation (usually by breath, built in foot pump or a pump sack). Many include advanced insulation. Again, the low-end options are usually made of crinkly material, in my experience, the valves are prone to failure and I’ve also had two low-price air pads develop leaks at a seam in the middle of the night. ☹ There is also the issue of thickness to consider. A two-inch pad is lighter, but not as cushiony, the four-inch pads weigh a lot more but when inflated to about 80% they are cushiony and comfy.
•Low-End: $30–$70 - Budget air pads, often uninsulated (e.g., Klymit Static V, Amazon basics).
•Mid-Range: $70–$130 - Lightweight insulated pads with decent comfort (NEMO Tensor, Big Agnes Insulated Air Core).
•High-End: $130–$250+ - Ultralight, high R-value, premium construction (Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm, Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated).
➡️ Total Price Range: $30 – $250+
Recommendations
My recommendation is that self-inflating sleeping pads are only good if you plan on car camping and won’t be hiking more than a mile or so to the campsite. For late spring, summer and early fall weather, a closed cell pad in the mid to high price range will work great if you favour lightness over comfort. If you prefer comfort over low weight, the manually inflated sleeping pads are the best option. In either case,
I strongly recommend buying a roll of Reflectix to put under your pad when you camp in late fall, winter, and early spring. The Reflectix will keep the cold air (hammocking) or cold ground (tent) from seeping into your pad and will help reflect your body heat back to you.