Nemo Switchback Foam Sleeping Pad

Product Information

Oh man, you’re going to love the Colorado Trail! And Montana is such a special place, lonely, wild, and beautiful.

Best Thru-Hiking Sleeping Pads of 2023 - The Trek

Our team rated this as one of their best budget sleeping pads because it still provided excellent warmth and protection from the hard ground at a fraction of the price. Ok, so it’s not the most comfortable on the list but for a foam pad, it’s up there with the best. On the plus side, this thing is never going to get puncture or deflate! They also found that they could fold the pad over double in some sections to add a bit of extra padding. She has been writing about adventure racing, mountain biking, trail running, and being a mother for 15 years. Mummy shape: Shaves weight while still providing plenty of cushion to sleep on for a six-foot-tall hiker. Sleeping pads are an essential part of any serious camper or hikers kit. A high-quality sleeping pad will keep you warm, improve your night’s sleep and help your muscles relax after a hard day on the trail.An R-value of 2-4 is suitable for spring, summer, and fall trips in warm to cool environments. Most inflatable pads are in this range. As you see, that's more my personal minimalistic and nomadic lifestyle than a shorter recreational hiking tour. And apart from the fact that I keep my stuff easily portable, I don't really plan to walk really long distances with the heavy version. Dimensions (in.): 72″ x 21.5″ x 2″ (Reg.) / 78″ x 25″ x 2″ (Large) / 66″ x 21.5″ x 2″ (Women’s Reg.)

NEMO Switchback Reinvents The Foam Sleeping Pad

Ortlieb's Medium weight Dry bags are 100% waterproof and highly durable. Ideal for keeping your gear dry and protected. Therm-a-Rest instructs using the Z Lite reflective side-up. NEMO says the metallic film points to the ground. In a lab setting, I bet it doesn’t make a difference, but I think it might in the wild. I think it is definitely possible to complete the AT or a longer thru-hike while only using one of these sleeping pads. The padding is guaranteed to compress, making it less comfortable than a new pad, but there are probably thousands of thru-hikers, hundreds at least, who have made it five months on the same pad. That said, I have seen many cruddy Z Lites in hiker boxes. Did these people get off trail, buy a new Z Lite, or upgrade to an inflatable? Who knows.

Some people don’t care for the dramatic taper of the NeoAir mummy pads, but the rectangular version of the XLite NXT solves that problem. TLDR