My daughter wanted a new sleeping pad for her birthday. No problem, I thought, we’ll hit the outdoor stores, pick one up and maybe have time to check out the sale rack too! Boy was I in for a surprise – the choices are endless.

Let's start with the basics. There are backpackers who consider sleeping pads unnecessary. I’m not one of them. Sleeping pads provide a little comfort but, more importantly, they provide a layer of insulation between the backpacking body and the ground. If you're cold, you don't sleep well.

There are several basic types of sleeping pads: air mattresses, foam pads and self-inflating pads. Air mattresses are comfortable and relatively cheap, but they are also bulky, have a tendency to puncture easily and because of the large pockets of air, don’t insulate well. Save them for summertime car camping.

Foam pads come in two forms – open cell and closed cell. You might know open cell pads better as “foamies” – cushy, soft and easily torn. They are also quite bulky and will soak up water should your tent floor get damp in the night. Closed cell pads are made of dense foam. They’re cheap, insulate well and are durable, but they don’t provide a lot in the way of cushioning.

Self-inflating pads were introduced by Cascade Designs many years ago and the “Therm-a-rest” is still one of the top products on the market. These pads are made of an open cell foam wrapped in a nylon shell. As you roll the pad, the air squeezes out, condensing the bulk. A valve can be closed or opened to let air in or out. Self-inflating pads are comfortable, provide excellent insulation, but the downside is that they can puncture and cost more than the previous options.

As if these choices aren’t enough to sift through, let’s look at self-inflating pads a little more closely. There are standard pads, ultra-lite pads, extra-thick pads, short lengths, extra-long lengths and (should it matter to you) colour choices to boggle the mind. Not to mention the new “down-filled” pads – ahhhh!

Getting back to my daughter, we knew we’d buy a Therm-a-rest brand self-inflating pad (good experiences in the past and within our price range). We opted for the “fast & lite” series (versus “trek & travel” or “camp & comfort”) because of size and weight. They also offer women’s series (shaped to better fit a woman’s body), but it only comes in pink and, while bright pink camping gear works for some, it doesn’t for my girl. The next choice was four-season or three and since winter camping is always an option, our choice was made.

Whew!

When Buying a Sleeping Pad Consider:
Cost – how much are you willing to spend?
Weight – does it matter to you?
Length – if weight and/or bulk matters, but you’d like a thick pad, go short (and use a pack to raise your feet off the ground).