Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Is A Thermal Pad Always Needed

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
  • #1

    Is A Thermal Pad Always Needed

    I need some expert in camping needs to settle a score for me.
    I camp sometimes with a group I joined in meetup.com. The leader of the camping group as well as some of its members always tell me that a sleeping bag is not enough to "protect" me from the cold ground when I sleep.


    We camp in 80 and 90 plugs degree weather in Florida and I have always done fine with a 50 degree sleeping bag but they still insist that I am "not getting enough warmth"


    They claim that thermal pads are the rule. I don't use them in warm weather but they always do. Can you please let me know if they are right that I always need a thermal pad?


    thanks.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Is A Thermal Pad Always Needed

    I love how some people will tell YOU what YOU need. Everybody - actually every body - is different. Some people are cold when it's in the 50s, some aren't. If you're comfortable, you're good to go. I can't imagine needing extra insulation in 80 degree weather. I like pads for the cushion comfort in warm weather, not for their R value.
    Last edited by MacGyver; 08-13-2015, 05:35 PM.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Is A Thermal Pad Always Needed

      There is no such thing as a "rule". If you sleep well enough already, then why do you need the stupid pad? I am wondering if these folks read more about camping than they spend actual time outdoors. This is just silly. I like a pad for the comfort (my old bones creak if I lay on bare hard ground). There are all kinds of camping styles and ways to do things. UL hiking came about because somebody (a well-known climber) threw out the old rulebook and wrote his own. Hell, not only are you not required to use a sleeping pad, you aren't required to use a sleeping bag or tent! Next time, bring a hammock and REALLY give them something to talk about! (My son recently started using a hammock for his sleep system and he loves it.) I would be most amused by the shocked expressions on their faces, while they mutter under their breaths: "He can't do that! It's against the rules!"
      2018: Any way the wind blows; doesn't really matter to me....Too Meee....

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Is A Thermal Pad Always Needed

        Originally posted by MacGyver View Post
        I love how some people will tell YOU what YOU need. Everybody - actually every body - is different. Some people are cold when it's in the 50s, some aren't. If you're comfortable, you're good to go. I can't imagine needing extra insulation in 80 degree weather. I like pads for the cushion comfort in warm weather, not for their R value.
        This ^. When in doubt you should always do what is comfortable to you. Everyone is different and conditions will vary.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Is A Thermal Pad Always Needed

          Ahhhhh...a perfect time to use my favorite phrase: "You camp how you like to camp, and I'll camp the way I like to camp".

          If you are comfortable and warm enough without a pad, then so be it. Everyone "sleeps" at a different temperature. Go without and let the members babble on. Be the group rebel!!! lol.

          That said, I use a pad even in the summer months. My bones no longer have an affinity for the hardness of Mother Earth.
          2020: 7 nights 2019: 5 nights 2018: 20 nights 2017: 19 nights 2016: 20 nights
          Spring->Fall: Marmots: Limestone 6P and 4P, Stormlight 3P, Tungsten 3P; SlumberJack Trail Tent 6P, BA Yahmonite 5P
          Fall->Spring: Cabelas Instinct Alaskan Guide 8P, Field & Stream Cloudpeak 4P, Eastern Mountain Products Torrent 3P
          Every season: Kelty Noah's Tarps- 20, 16, 12; REI Camp Tarp 16; BA Three Forks Shelter

          sigpic

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Is A Thermal Pad Always Needed

            Coincidently and by the way, I just ordered this one after some good advice from a65hoosier and others in another thread. It's supposed to arrive today so I will have to update on how well it works after our trip planned for October.


            http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o00_s00


            Here is that thread. I will post a link since it seems related to this one.


            http://www.campingforums.com/forum/s...7-Sleeping-Bag
            Last edited by Force10JC; 08-14-2015, 11:05 AM.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Is A Thermal Pad Always Needed

              Originally posted by Force10JC View Post
              Coincidently and by the way, I just ordered this one after some good advice from a65hoosier and others in another thread. It's supposed to arrive today so I will have to update on how well it works after our trip planned for October.


              http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o00_s00


              Here is that thread. I will post a link since it seems related to this one.


              http://www.campingforums.com/forum/s...7-Sleeping-Bag
              Hey Force10 - I have never heard of Fox Outfitters, but the pad gets high marks and comments from owners...especially considering the price point (I searched online to find the cost). The link you provided to "that company that is named after a South American river" shows it is currently unavailable. Let us know what you think of it and give us a brief review after you get a few nights on it in October.

              Couple of tips:

              1. Try to store a self inflating pad unrolled with the valve open (under a bed, behind a couch, etc). That helps the foam retain the memory of being fully expanded rather than in a compressed state.

              2. You may find that the first time you unroll it after unpacking and allow it to expand that it may take longer or not expand as high as you expected. Give the foam inside some extra time to fully expand...it's been rolled up and compressed for who knows how long sitting in a box in a warehouse.

              3. Even though they say never to blow into the valve (because of introducing moisture into the pad from your breath)...I still do just to top off the pad and give it some extra firmness. I adjust for comfort by opening the valve and releasing a bit of air after I lay down on it. Whether you want to top off or not is up to you.

              4. If you find the material slippery and keep sliding off, there are solutions (there is a recent thread discussing this topic).
              2020: 7 nights 2019: 5 nights 2018: 20 nights 2017: 19 nights 2016: 20 nights
              Spring->Fall: Marmots: Limestone 6P and 4P, Stormlight 3P, Tungsten 3P; SlumberJack Trail Tent 6P, BA Yahmonite 5P
              Fall->Spring: Cabelas Instinct Alaskan Guide 8P, Field & Stream Cloudpeak 4P, Eastern Mountain Products Torrent 3P
              Every season: Kelty Noah's Tarps- 20, 16, 12; REI Camp Tarp 16; BA Three Forks Shelter

              sigpic

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Is A Thermal Pad Always Needed

                Needed? Absolutely NOT. I have NEVER used one, in many years of camping, summer and winter. If you want to use one, fine and dandy.
                Longtime Motorcycle Camper. Getting away from it all on two wheels! :cool:

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Is A Thermal Pad Always Needed

                  Originally posted by a65hoosier View Post
                  Hey Force10 - I have never heard of Fox Outfitters, but the pad gets high marks and comments from owners...especially considering the price point (I searched online to find the cost). The link you provided to "that company that is named after a South American river" shows it is currently unavailable. Let us know what you think of it and give us a brief review after you get a few nights on it in October.

                  Couple of tips:

                  1. Try to store a self inflating pad unrolled with the valve open (under a bed, behind a couch, etc). That helps the foam retain the memory of being fully expanded rather than in a compressed state.

                  2. You may find that the first time you unroll it after unpacking and allow it to expand that it may take longer or not expand as high as you expected. Give the foam inside some extra time to fully expand...it's been rolled up and compressed for who knows how long sitting in a box in a warehouse.

                  3. Even though they say never to blow into the valve (because of introducing moisture into the pad from your breath)...I still do just to top off the pad and give it some extra firmness. I adjust for comfort by opening the valve and releasing a bit of air after I lay down on it. Whether you want to top off or not is up to you.

                  4. If you find the material slippery and keep sliding off, there are solutions (there is a recent thread discussing this topic).
                  The manufactuer is Fox Outfitters. The hammock I posted in the camping photos is also made by them and I love that thing. They are near Dallas, Tx. I purchased the mat for $49.99 with free Amazon Prime shipping. The suggested retail on them is $79.99 and that is close to what they normally sold for on Amazon. If you go to Fox Outfitters website, you can also get it for $49.99 plus if you subscribe with your e-mail address, you can get 20% off your order. http://www.foxoutfitters.com/ They only offer a few items and they seem to be well made items for camping. I don't know anyone or work for them so I hope no one thinks I am trying to get them free advertising (or Amazon for that matter). I just really like one of their products a lot (hopefully 2 products soon) and maybe my experience with them can be beneficial to someone else here.


                  Also, thank you for the tips on care and use of the mat. As always, you are very helpful.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Is A Thermal Pad Always Needed

                    Originally posted by Paul Mora View Post
                    I need some expert in camping needs to settle a score for me.
                    I camp sometimes with a group I joined in meetup.com. The leader of the camping group as well as some of its members always tell me that a sleeping bag is not enough to "protect" me from the cold ground when I sleep.


                    We camp in 80 and 90 plugs degree weather in Florida and I have always done fine with a 50 degree sleeping bag but they still insist that I am "not getting enough warmth"


                    They claim that thermal pads are the rule. I don't use them in warm weather but they always do. Can you please let me know if they are right that I always need a thermal pad?


                    thanks.
                    Paul, these people are living in the Twilight Zone. I own property near the Everglades and visit every summer. Your best bet is sheer sheet-type fast-drying materials and a bed that ideally is either a cot, hammock, or giant hollow-tube air mattress. This is the one climate where you want negative R-values and rapid heat exchange as it is so warm and clammy. I was raised in a sweatbox swamp, so I believe I have a little hands-on camping in a hot sticky climate. The other side of my family are from SE Asia and validate my findings in this hemisphere. Most folks are using pads because we're sleeping in temps below 50 degrees F, and we'd rather sleep soundly than have body heat sucked out of us. Your climate example is the direct opposite, you want thin materials and Big Air! Camp on Bruddah!
                    “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
                    ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Is A Thermal Pad Always Needed

                      Hi, all!

                      I just joined and thought I'd add my voice to the general consensus above that there really is no one-size-fits-all rule for camping. Different strokes for different folks. Here's just an example from my own life.

                      Last weekend I went camping with my son's scout troop. This is (sadly) the first opportunity I have had to go camping in over eight years. I have always preferred tent camping, which is (of course) what we were doing with the scouts. With only the thin material of the tent floor and the thin clothes I was wearing between me and the hard earth, I had the best and most comfortable, restful sleep I have had in a very long time. My wife, on the other hand would not have been able to sleep a wink like that. She prefers a softer mattress than I. If I had a Sleep Number bed, I would probably have it set at maximum!

                      As far as the ground sucking the warmth from your body, that is the conventional wisdom where I am originally from (Idaho) where, even in the summer, the ground can get quite cold at night. However, here in southern Texas, such "wisdom" is laughable except, perhaps, during the short winters we have.

                      So, my suggestion to you would be to voice your opinion on the matter and, if they persist, just politely thank them for their suggestion. Then you can let the subject drift to more pressing matters, such as who is on clean-up duty after breakfast.

                      Comment

                      Previous template Next
                      Working...
                      X