Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Sleeping Pad Warmth

Which sleeping pads are warmer: Thermarest self-inflating or closed-cell foam pads?
Thanks,
Dustin

I have always used one of my 3 regular length thermarest pads, believing they are the best. We have slept up on the snow twice on two different climbs up to Thor's peak in late spring (Early May in a heavy snow year) Both times my 20 degree down bag kept me warm enough. The only thing I remember being cold inside our tent was my face, sticking out through that little hole in my mummy bag.

Hi, I'm really a novice so my opinion may not help any. I use an Army air mattress (not as light weight as some of the others, but I like the comfort) with a fleese cover over it. Along with my 0 degree down mummy I stay way warm enough. Of course I've never done any sleeping in the snow conditions mentioned. The coldest it's been was around 25 F. Anyway, thats my 2 cents worth.

A funny side note. One of our group summiting the North face of Thor's peak (from Lower Boy Scout Lake) had one of those $3 Long's blow up mattresses with him (like the ones that have a picture of a girl floating in a pool). The first night at the portal it stayed full of air. Unfortunately they are prone to leaking. At about 2:00 am it we flat and he said the warmth sucked right out of his 15 degree bag. He spent a long cold night, trying to cuddle on top of his coat. Others didn't even notice. I guess a good pad may be worth the money.

MEC in Canada lists the r-value for many sleeping pads. R-value is a measure of insulation effectiveness. Their web page is www.mec.ca

I was led to believe that most sleeping bags are reated using a thermarest pad so either way your bag rating should be your best determinant. Ultimately it is individual preference like everything else. I have a thermarest pad. I've only used it a couple of times but I like it so far.