A good sleeping pad is imperative for a good night’s rest. Besides the obvious cushioning, a sleeping pad insulates you from conductive heat loss due to your body weight smashing the sleeping bags insulation.

That said, in the spirit of keeping the lightest boat possible while maintaining a degree of comfort, the sleeping pad has been the most challenging piece of self-support gear for me. Having tried various pads as well as making my own, there seemed to be no such beast that was both light and comfortable yet compact, convenient and warm too...at least in the truest sense of these terms. The less persnickety individuals in the lightweight world have found a degree of content with a simple closed cell foam or self-inflating pad, or, a combination of those. For me, the latter was the best comprimise...until, like a gift from the self-support heavens, the NeoAir air mattress appeared on the scene. More on this later under "air mattresses".

Below are the available "backpacking light" options beginning with the earliest of the modern sleeping pads. Remember though. While there are some general rules when it comes to a pads potential warmth, overall comfort is quite subjective. What may be comfortable for one may be uncomfortable to another.

Closed cell foam
These pads are just that: closed cell foam. They contain no coverings or any other bells and whistles. They are the lightest, most trouble free, and at around $30 or less, the least expensive. They are on the bulky side though and without modifications, can take up a lot of room in your boat. The lightest of these foams don't have the best of memory retention either. In other words, over time, the pad won't fully rebound and you may notice a small loss of cushion and warmth.

For most people, pads with ridges or an egg crate like pattern offer the most comfort. Cascade Designs Z-Lite as well as the Gossamer Gear NightLight fall in to this catagory. Of these, the NightLight has the best ratio between comfort, weight, price and size.

Self-inflating
These pads consist of open cell foam encased in coated nylon. Once you open the valve, they self-inflate. If you desire more firmness, you blow in more air. Not only are these pads adjustable, they are more compact and comfortable than closed cell. They are, however, more than twice the price of closed cell foam pads and are heavier and require more attention. If tossed around willy-nilly like a closed cell foam pad, it might spring a leak leaving you with little cushion or insulation. A patch kit is advisable.

The most recognizable name in the self-inflating market is the Therm-a-Rest by Cascade Designs.

Self-inflating & closed cell foam pad combos
Prior to the NeoAir, the best compromise I had come up with for myself had been a 3/8" thick x 60” long closed cell foam pad over a short torso length self-inflater. The short self-inflating pad provides cushion and insulation where it is needed most and the closed cell pad adds to that while sufficiently comforting the less vulnerable lower body. When cut in half (see "closed cell foam sleeping pad modifications" below), the bulk of the closed cell foam pad becomes manageable and the little self-inflater takes up no more space than a Nalgene bottle.

Additionally, if the self-inflater springs a leak, the closed cell pad will still provide some cushion and insulation. Perhaps best of all is the fact that not only does this system offer more cushion than the popular ¾ length Therm-a-Rest self-inflating pad, it is longer which means more over all comfort and it can be just as light. Combined (see photo above), my old Pacific Outdoor Equipment Über Lite & Coleman Rest Easy Pad (cut to 20"x60") tips the scales at 16oz. However, combining the Rest Easy with the lighter Mont-Bell self inflating torso pad would get the weight down to that of the newest ¾ length Therm-a-Rest ProLite!

Despite not being as simple or compact as the popular 3/4 self-inflator, I find this combo to be superior in every other way. Together, these pads are comparable in cost too...if not slightly less.

Torso sized self-inflating pad:

• Mont-Bell U.L.Comfort System Pad 30: 3.5oz

  Though not self-inflating, the following torso sized air mattresses should also be mentioned here: the 6oz Klymit Inertia X-Lite torso pad and 8oz Cascade Designs Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Small XLite.

Complementary closed cell foam pads:

• Gossamer Gear Thinlight. Available in 1/8", 1/4" and 3/8" thicknesses
• Coleman Rest Easy Pad. 3/8" thickness; readily available; $10; light; optimum cushion and insulation short lived (best performance drops off after first dozen or so uses)

Air mattresses
Due to thier comfort and oft time low cost, it is often thought that air mattresses are the ticket for a good nights rest. However, standard air mats are convective making them suitable only for hot nights. Yes, air insulates, but only when comprised of many small pockets. This is why "insulation" is installed between the studs in a building; to replace a single large air space with many small air pockets. Another trait of air matts that some find issue with is the unstable feeling many have.

There are insulated air mattresses that are both warm and very comfortable but, at twice the weight or more compared to the popular self-inflators, they aren't exactly what one might consider light or compact. There is however the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir that has a good combination of all of the above. Its insulation comes from two sources: a series of internal chambers Therm-a-Rest is calling the "Triangular Core Matrix"; and a reflective thermal barrier. Combined, these two features provide an R value of 3.2 compared to an R 2.2 for Therm-a-Rests most popular self-inflater, the Prolite. This is enough insulation for many to be comfortable down to the low to mid thirties... providing the remainder of their sleep system is good.

The original 20"x72" NeoAir next to a standard 32 oz Nalgene bottle set a new standard in lightweight comfort!

The real beauty of the NeoAir Xlite is its comfort to weight ratio. At 2.5" thick, it offers considerably more cushion than Therm-a-Rests benchmark 1" thick self-inflating Prolite. Considering that and the fact the 72" long NeoAir weighs only 1 ounce more than the 47" long Prolite, the NeoAir Xlite has an unmatched comfort to weight ratio.

As good as it sounds and is, the NeoAir is not without downsides. The first and most foreboding is its price. The "regular" which, is 20" wide by 72" long, costs a whopping $150! The second issue probably isn't a big problem as it is supposedly easy and fast to repair but, if you're not careful and puncture it, you'll have zero padding and almost as little insulation left. It is made from ultra-light weight materials and as such, looks some what vulnerable. With care, it has proven to be reasonably durable though, and Therm-a-Rest, known for their excellent customer service, does offer a "limited lifetime warranty". Lastly, there is more than a monetary price to pay for this much cushion. It is difficult for many to stay on any of the standard 20" wide pads. When a part of the body comes off one that is 2.5" high, it's more noticable than it is on a pad 1" tall. This drop off can be disrupting. This height can also cut in to the already small foot box area of many bivy bags....though by now, most bivy makers are aware of this.

Another company to look at is Klymit. Offering what may be the lightest pads available, this newcomer also makes some of the most unusual looking. Rather than being solid, they have cutouts which, in theory, allow the sleeping bags loft to fall within and insulate. Otherwise, the insulation gets smashed under your body's weight. Though the reviews seem mixed, if your goal is the lightest and most compact, they need to be considered.

General tips

• If your closed cell pad won’t fit in the main drybags, place it anywhere in the boat. Doesn’t matter if it gets wet. They dry quick. And if yours doesn't dry fully, just place it under the shelter so your sleeping bag doesn’t get damp. It'll also double as protection for your shelter floor. To make one of these pads fit in your boat better, see Closed cell foam sleeping pad modifications below.
• Use nature for extra insulation and cushion by placing moss, leaves, grass, tules or rushs' under the shelter. Tules, the material of choice for many prehistoric people, offer the most cushion and insulation but are not often seen in the whitewater environment. Scouring and horsetail rush works well too and is more common than tule. Use what ever is available though. Just remember that the dryer it is, the warmer it'll be. Green = moisture = warmth robber.
• Do not use open cell foam only. Not only will open cell eat up space in your boat, it’ll suck up water like the sponge material it is.
• A neoprene wetsuit or pants can be used in conjunction with your pad for additional cushion/insulation or as a stand alone pad. Again, if damp, simply place under your shelter and cover with nature.
• To save weight and bulk, when I was younger, I'd use a 48" long foam pad and use stuff sacks, extra clothes, or natural materials under my legs (nature goes under the shelter; sacks and clothes inside).

Imagine an insulating mattress that is more comfortable than two Therm-a-Rests together yet weighs less than one and only costs $15. This is it! The bottom is an air mattress (A) comprised of party balloons inside synthetic silk. This serves as the cushion. The upper (the side you sleep on) is a closed cell foam pad (B) which acts as additional cushion as well as the insulation.

B Coleman Rest Easy Pad cut to 20"x59" then in half C dollar store balloon pump D 24 260Q party balloons (2 nights + spares) E syn silk balloon encasement; 10 sleeves; 20"x48" F sil-nylon stuff sack Total weight = 10oz

Modifiying a closed cell pad so that it's easier to pack is simple: cut it in half. Insert each half in to each dry bag then pack the rest of your gear inside. The pad adds protection to your gear whilst being crammed in the stern. If the pad won't fit inside your drybags, put each half anywhere in the boat...unrolled conforming to the shape of your kayak (I have even used them as extra thigh/knee cushion). The bluish colored pad in the left photo is a Coleman Rest Easy Pad used in my experimental mattress above. The gray pad is a Gossamer Gear Nightlight cut down to 19.5"x46". There are two ways of reattaching the two halfs at camp: (A) velcro which is attached to the foam with adhesive or (B) tying/stiching with string. The velcro is by far the more convenient and trouble-free method. However, (B) makes for a faster mod and can be reinforced with duct tape for extra longevity. In the photo on the right, (C) is velcro that attaches the pad to the underside of my bivy floor. Sleeping pad & shelter floor protection in one. Double duty!

What about pillows? There are several things you can do here besides taking the special Winnie the Pooh "camp pillow":

Stuffing grass in a sleeping bag stuff sack for a nature pillow.

• Place your spray skirt or wetsuit inside the sleeping bag stuff sack then under your shelter if they are damp. Your PFD can be used alone or under your shelter as well. Remember though. If these items contain too much moisture, whether under your shelter or in a stuff sack, they'll feel cold and rob heat from your body.
• Build up a mound of leaves, rush, grass and/or moss under the shelter floor or place it inside your sleeping bag stuff sack. The dried grass is quieter than leaves and warmer than some thing that's green. If you don't like the feeling of nylon against your face, place the sack inside extra clothing if it's available.
• Place rock/s of desired shape and size under the head of the sleeping mat. Sounds terrible but I'm finding myself doing it more frequently. Try. You may like it too!