Comfort of home is irreplaceable. Yet we still craving new adventures and activities in the nature. What we can do to maximize the comfort ? Forget the old habits of tramps such as sleeping on a grass or straw. Choose a sleeping pad. Sleeping pad is simply a pad for sleeping, that delivers comfort needed for sleep in the nature. Do we know the types of sleeping pads and differences between them ? Let´s find out.
Don´t say no until you try it
Do we know where the name sleeping pad comes from ? In 1966, the UK company Karrimor came up with groundbreaking solution for sleeping outdoors. They invented pad for sleeping, which is comfortable and multi-use. The Czech name "karimatka" is then called after "Karrimor". At first, the Czech tramps and outdoorsmen refused to use sleeping pads. They were quite ok with the conditions as they were, but as soon as they tried it, everything has changed.
Cold ground, warm sleeping pad
What interests us the most on sleeping pads is the comfort they offer. With their construction, some of them can even copy our body shapes, which is great especially for our backs and we feel rested. Proper rest is highly important during outdoor activities. The ground is usually moist and full of stones etc. There is a high chance of damaging our sleeping bag without proper pad. And the sleeping pad seems to be our best choice. With its material/fabric it works as a perfect protection for our sleeping bag and at the same it insulates from the cold ground. There are many advantages, let´s reveal little bit more about the types of sleeping pads.
Foam or air
The first sleeping mats were made from memory foam so they would always come back to their original shape. This material lasted for years until it was replaced by so-called inflatable pads. These pads are more comfortable than their predecessors. They can be packed small and when we need it, we just open the valve and inflate. These were soon replaced by self-inflating pads. Self-inflating ? How does that work ? There is a vent on one corner when we open it, the compressed structure of the pad begins to take the air in. After self-inflating we would use our mouth to make it ideal for our sleep. There are some differences, but the purpose is the same. Which one is better then ? Let´s think about the pros and cons of individual categories.
Conclusion
This category has been created to help you choose the right sleeping pad. We should therefore reveal the criteria for choosing the right one. When it comes to comfort, the inflatable pads are your best choice. We just need to choose between inflating and self-inflating. There is not that much of a difference, it is more about personal preference. Foam sleeping pads may offer different uses (can be used as a splint for example), but they are more difficult to store. So the criteria should be the way of distibution, packed and unpacked(inflated) dimensions, but also insulating properties. The thicker pads usually insulates better, but the most important think is to stay dry and warm.