EISPIRATEN

Okay, I was up in the sierra this weekend (did mt. dade) hiked in and camped. I used a thermarest pro lite, didn't like it and it took too long to deflate and pack up. I am going up to do Mt. Rainier July 29th and need some advice.
I have a therma rest ridge that i need as my bottom layer in the snow. now i need to look for something light weight (big thing with me) and comfortable along with something i can pack up quickly to start moving again. I was thinking of either of these, not sure:
http://www.rei.com/product/781094

http://www.rei.com/product/802502

Some people say these wouldn't be good due to puncturing it with a crampon. i understand that but my main concern is weight and comfort...any advice is much appreciated.
thank you.

Moved to gear forum.

Don't wear yer crampons on it!

Wish I could help you more, but I don't usually use sleeping pads.

cool, thanks taco.

Hi, Tina,

I've got a Neoair (the second link in your post). They're great, but they're for warm weather use only. They really don't have much insulative value even if you put a Ridgerest underneath them. I'm assuming it's going to be cold on your climb and that you might even camp on snow, yes? Neoair = no good.

The NEMO Cosmo weighs four pounds compared to a pound and a half for the Prolite Plus regular.

Dunno, but maybe the Prolite Plus isn't so bad.

HJ

Thanks Jim, that makes good sense. Yes, might sleep on the snow, won't know til we are on the mountain.
thanks agian.

tinaballina wrote:Thanks Jim, that makes good sense. Yes, might sleep on the snow, won't know til we are on the mountain.
thanks agian.

You could try this: http://www.rei.com/product/763914, this: http://www.rei.com/product/775892, or this: http://www.rei.com/product/780362, but I haven't ever used any of those products and can't comment on them. The Dual Air Core and the Exped DownMat 7 have very high R values (warmth rating), although who knows if you can compare across brands.

This close to show time, I might not want to make any gear changes. On the mountain is not the time to try to figure out new gear. Just a thought.

HJ

Thanks Jim, you are the best....

tinaballina wrote:Thanks Jim, you are the best....

Aw, shucks, ma'am, t'weren't nothin'.

HJ

How is that beautiful baby girl????

tinaballina wrote:How is that beautiful baby girl????

She's doing great. She's so sweet and fun. Big daddy grin:

She can roll over on her own, and she can kinda sorta crawl. She can sit up on her own (on a level surface). She's saying "da da" and "mm mm" which we interpret as "mama". She can clap her hands now. She's a sweetie.

I need to upload some more photos. Here's a fairly recent video. Sorry that it's a little dark. (just ignore the daddy making a fool of himself).

HJ

she is getting so big-thanks for sharing the video, its adorable.

Hi Tina!
I used the Prolite plus with a z-lite this spring in the Sierra. I cannot sleep cold and i do not like having to blow up a big mattress in the snow when setting up camp quickly is important, especially if it's cold. I wish the Prolite was as thick as the Neoair you purchased since i would love more cush, but the Neo needs to be blown up and the con's i read are that it's noisy and at only 5'6" you are up a couple inches off the ground and it creates a ledge that can be uncomfortable when your arms and legs come off the pad. In a review, it said the length is uninflated, so when inflated it is actually shorter which means your legs must stay bent to be on it. Just make sure on Rainier you have a z-lite under it for warmth as the Neo is not insulated. The nice thing about having a z-lite along on snow camps is that you can sit down on it when cooking and hanging out and you don't have to worry about puncturing it. I'm curious to hear how you like it. Let us know.

btw... Last summer i used a Big Agnes and got tired of blowing the dang thing up so i traded it in for the Prolite. I dunno, i might bend and buy another thicker mattress for summer backpacking since i do like the cush. I also have not had a problem deflating the Prolite as i would open the nozzle and after a few minutes fold and roll it to fit in a stuff sack.

HJ, Hikin' Joyce is a doll! Glad you are lovin' being a dad!

Will let you know for sure. I guess there are pros and cons to all of them, thank goodness for rei. for now i will try out everything until i get a good sleep system....i suck without a good nights rest.

norma r wrote:... but the Neo needs to be blown up and the con's i read are that it's noisy and at only 5'6" you are up a couple inches off the ground and it creates a ledge that can be uncomfortable when your arms and legs come off the pad.

I bought a NeoAir a couple of months ago and used it for my most recent backpack in early June. I really like it. It's light, super compact, and it's pretty easy to get back in it's stuff sack. I found it to be fairly comfortable even though I didn't buy a full length pad. It is thick, but unless you blow it up super firm, there isn't a hard edged ledge that you're drooping off of. By the way, I'm 6'0", so yes I hang way off of it. It is a little crinkly, but I frankly didn't find it to be a big deal. It's much quieter than say a plastic bag or something like that. As usual, YMMV. Kathy W has one; you might ask her for her thoughts.

norma r wrote:Just make sure on Rainier you have a z-lite under it for warmth as the Neo is not insulated.

I'd be really cautious about using a NeoAir in snow country even with another pad under it. (Note: I'm a little conservative about such things) A NeoAir just has air inside. It doesn't have down or foam in it like other pads. It does have a "reflective thermal barrier" (like space blanket material), but it's really intended for warm weather use.

By the way, MountainGear has them on sale right now with free shipping. This sale is a better deal than at REI with a 20% coupon + free shipping (at least for the size I bought).

norma r wrote:HJ, Hikin' Joyce is a doll! Glad you are lovin' being a dad!

Oh, but she's a sweetie. I keep hoping they'll be some type of get together like there was last summer, but no such luck thus far. Let me know if you're down toward Glendale/Pasadena/Burbank some time on a Saturday or afternoon on Sunday.

HJ

Hikin_Jim wrote:Oh, but she's a sweetie. I keep hoping they'll be some type of get together like there was last summer, but no such luck thus far. Let me know if you're down toward Glendale/Pasadena/Burbank some time on a Saturday or afternoon on Sunday.

Hmm?... hey Taco, any chance you'd want to organize or announce plans for a SGMDF lunch at the Baldy Lodge or somewhere close by after a hike/climb and me, Jim, Hikin' Joyce and anyone interested could come hang out for a bit? or how about a park BBQ when the weather gets out of the triple digits??? just a thought... and a suggestion.

it could make a good venue to hand out STICKERS!

Yeah sure. You guys name the date, on a Saturday or Sunday.