Hey adventurers! Today’s post is not exactly a review of backpacking sleeping pads, but more of a guide to choosing the correct type so you can have the best possible time on your excursions (because, yes, normal people can have adventures!).
Sleep is crucial, and life isn’t fully lived without adequate sleep. So of course sleep matters when backpacking and camping. But which is better? A standard, affordable Z-Pad, or a luxurious Air Mattress? (Both options are made by many companies. This isn’t a close look at any particular brand).
I thought I’d share my family’s experiences with both to help you make the best decision for your own adventures. Rather than paragraphs of text (one of my love languages!), I decided to make two charts for quick referencing (but definitely not a spreadsheet, because spreadsheets are the opposite of my love language).
Standard, Affordable Z-Pads
| Pros | Cons |
| Reliability (I’ve never known someone who has woken up with a deflated Z-pad) | Packability (Hikers can see your sleep system from a mile away hanging off your backpack) |
| Cost | Comfort (While dependable, you’re not sleeping on a cloud) |
| Easy-to-use (if you can fold and unfold accordion-style, you’re set) |
Crazy Expensive Air Mattresses
| Pros | Cons |
| Comfort (Sleep like kings and queens on trail!…until…………..) | Unreliability (has any air mattress stayed fully inflated for more than a season? A trip? A night?) |
| Packability (how can a whole bed actually be smaller than a Nalgene?!) | Cost (the reason it costs as much as a real bed in a house is because it’s as comfortable as the bed in your house…until the moment when you wake up on the hard ground wondering if you got hit by a bus) |
| Easy-to-use (no matter how tired you are, a few lungfuls of air have you sleeping on a cloud) | |
| Top notch customer service (at least when purchased through a credible company like Big Agnes, so that when the air mattress inevitably deflates, despite multiple patching attempts, there’s a good chance they’ll send you a replacement) |
Because of the pros and cons for both, I don’t have a clear cut, one-size-fits-all recommendation. On our most recent trip, I stacked an air mattress on top of 2 Z-Pads (I know this sounds excessive, but when camping, my hips remind me that I’ve given birth three times, and I knew I needed to be well-rested to help my husband lead the rock climbing program that we were there for). That way when I woke up on a partially-inflated air mattress, I still had cushion between the ground and me.
Your turn, readers. What is your backpacking sleeping experience, and which pros outweigh the cons for you?
Great post and great question!
I generally stack an inflatable on top of a Z-pad; I am a side sleeper and I don’t want to feel my hips all night, so an inflatable is non-negotiable. My system for years was a cheap Klymit Static V, because the darn thing is so close to indestructible it more than made up for its shortcomings. And I generally put my Nemo Switchback “shorty” underneath for some extra warmth, protection, and cushioning.
This system is generally great, although when you flip around at night like I do, things tend to slide around like an overstuffed club sandwich. When tarping, I once woke up with my Klymit about ten feet away, out in the woods (aided by the steady overnight breeze, no doubt). A one-person tent tends to contain things better.
I recently switched my inflatable to the ubiquitous yellow Thermarest NeoAir XLite NXT (“wide” version) because 1) I had a ton of Amazon credit to spend, 2) it was on sale, and 3) it seems like everyone and their mother has one and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. It’s a great pad, although I kind of miss the “side rails” on the Klymit. But it’s warmer, it saves a few ounces, and now I’m “in the club” haha.
I don’t think I’ll give up the Klymit, though. If I know I’m sleeping somewhere that’s a bit more sketchy, that thing survived a sharp stick poking up through both my ground sheet and a piece of Reflectix insulation (again this was while tarping; might have been the same trip!).