Hey all! I have been looking for a sleeping pad that fits my needs appropriately.. I have used my Dad's old pad for quite some time now but its just too bulky and beat down nowadays.. I am 6'2" and about 220lbs so I need a nice sized pad and carrying weight really isn't the main factor, ideally I would find something that just packs down to a nice size. What have you guys used that you would recommend to someone of my size?

The pad I used most is a Thermarest NeoAir Xlite that packs to a very small size and weighs little. I'm 6' and have the regular, and I sleep fine on it. I use a bunch of clothes in my tent bag for a cushion, so my head doesn't need to be on the pad. But if you think the regular is too short for you and don't mind the extra weight, you can of course get the large version.

I've also got an Exped Down Mat, which weighs a lot more. I bought it for glacier camping, with temperatures far below freezing. It insulates great and is really comfortable, but because of the much higher weight I only bring it along when I really have to.

what kinda stuff do wanna do with the pad? Hiking? Alpine climbs in the Alps? Winter summits in the Karakoram?

I'm your size and use a Big Agnes inflatable that has insulation added. I use a 48" and then use my pack under my feet.

I'm a big fan of simple Evazotte foam pads. Full length (6') weighs just 9 ounces and is not ridiculously bulky and is indestructible, a quality I need because I often bivy on ledges with sharp rocks not to mention all the pointy crampons, ice tools, etc. laying around.

ExcitableBoy wrote:I'm a big fan of simple Evazotte foam pads. Full length (6') weighs just 9 ounces and is not ridiculously bulky and is indestructible, a quality I need because I often bivy on ledges with sharp rocks not to mention all the pointy crampons, ice tools, etc. laying around.

I'm usually a big fan of my Thermarest Z-Lite as it keeps me warm and comfy...and never fails or loses air If I expect it to get really cold I bring an additional Thermarest Neoair Xlite (short version).

If I am camping and don't have to carry my pad I go for luxury: my Intex airbed...the misses loves it!

Thermarest NeoAir Xlite

I have lived with broken back for 15 years now (the injury healed well, BTW) and one of the by-products of my problem is that I don't sleep well on hard ground. For years I used Evazote pads from Mountain Equipment Co-op in Canada. They had two different thickness, summer and winter and those pads worked and still do very well. In fact, if I didn't have my bad back, that's what I would be using exclusively, even today.

But for overnight hiking trips and for climbing trips that allow me to sleep in a tent, I now use Thermarest NeoAir Xlite. It is more comfortable for me. I only have it because of my physical problem and would not recommend it for alpine climbing or expeditions, it is just way too fragile and impractical and the chances of it deflating in remote places or difficult terrain are very high.

So for backpacking and especially for the times when you can shelter the Thermarest NeoAir Xlite with a ground sheet inside a tent, it works great, weights little and is very comfortable if very, very expensive.

For any kind of alpine climbing and sleeping on a rough ground, the trusted, indestructible Evazote is the only way to go IMO.

+1 for ThermaRest NeoAir, but get the Xtherm version. You can sleep on very cold surfaces (snow, ice) and not be cold