15
Why nobody talks about how sleeping pads lose insulation over time
I used to just buy any cheap foam pad and call it good for 10 years. Last winter up near Flagstaff I woke up freezing at 3am with a pad that felt like a cardboard sheet. Turns out the R-value on those foam pads drops after a few seasons of compression from storage. I finally switched to an inflatable with a proper R-rating and now I check the specs every year. Has anyone else had an old pad suddenly feel useless in cold weather?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
drew79129d ago
Did you have the pad stored rolled tight or just folded loose? Compression over months can smash the closed-cell foam flat so it never bounces back right and the R-value takes a nosedive from there. Wondering if the way you packed it away between trips made the difference.
5
leo6031mo ago
Maybe your foam pad just got tired of carrying all that weight and quit on you. Should've given it a pep talk before the trip or at least tucked it in with a blanket during storage.
2