We use an Agnes XL and love the Agnes mats. Super comfy. We also put a foam pad under it and use a sheet to keep it all together. The sheets are king sized and wrap around and under. We also do the matching sleeping bags and sometimes connect them together and other times we do not. My wife has a cot but anymore she leaves it at home and sleeps on the pads with me.
Also....it helped us a lot when we got a bigger tent. I know you are talking one night and all ...but getting a bigger tent we could stand in and have a little floor space with rugs to walk on makes things much more cozy for us. Takes a little longer for setup and takedown ...but worth it for us.
Welcome 41 year old father of 4, I'm 44 year old father of 4 😁
The right pad will depend on a number of factors such as what position you sleep in, how cold it is, how thick you want a pad etc. I'm a side sleeper and use a Big Agnes Divide XL insulated pad. It took me a few nights to acclimatise to and I had to learn how firm I like it but now I sleep great on it.
The other thing that helps is being bloody knackered when you go to sleep. Believe me at the end of the day on trail you will sleep like your batteries have been removed...it is *glorious*.
I've been using a Big Agnes ultralight pad for a few years and love it. The one downside is that it is very crinkly. I'm conscious of the fact that when I roll over it makes a fair amount of noise. I don't sleep in the shelters but often sleep nearby. Because of the noise. I do try to camp on the edge of the group area.
I’m at the age where I wouldn’t go if it meant voluntarily sleeping without a pad. My big Agnes airpad got a hole while backpacking maybe from my dog in the middle of the night & couldn’t locate the hole to repair and it was legit bone chillingly miserable. I’d at least bring an old comforter or something if you are just going to a campground.
What isn’t comfortable? At home I’m a back sleeper, in the wild my 20” Big Agnes inflatable is a bit narrow so my arms drop to the ground. That means I’ll turn sideways a couple times each night. I also have a Outdoor Vitals long inflatable which is wider at the top although a slight weight and space penalty. The OV also has slightly oversized side rails to help keep centered on top. I still move the same, turns out I don’t sleep quite as well away from home.
Top Sleeping Pads on Reddit
1
Exped
MegaMat Series
92% positive of 454 users
Car camping comfort champ, but some side sleepers find it thin.
lawofkato
