Dura 3R

I have the Tensor All Season, my brother has the Rapide and I’ve had the Dura 3R in the past so I have a decent idea of what they’re like. For one thing those specs are off, the Nemo packs the smallest and it’s definitely lighter than the Rapide at the same length and width. I use 25in wide pads though. As for comfort, these are all comfortable pads, it’s really going to come down to preference. The Exped and BA have more of a vertical baffle feel while the Nemo is more dimpled. If I had to rank them I’d go BA, Nemo, Exped. But it’s close, they are all good. For durability only the Nemo and Exped list the denier, w Nemo being 20 top, 40 bottom nylon. The Exped is 20d poly which is not only the thinnest but Poly isn’t as strong as Nylon. The BA doesn’t say the material but it seems durable. All of them should sleep true to their R value, so Nemo would be the warmest, and I’ve heard the Rapide has complaints of cold spots but my brother never experienced that, though he hasn’t tested it when it’s been cold enough. I really like that Exped uses synthetic fill rather than reflective film as it will be more comfortable in summer. So maybe go w the Exped if you’ll do a lot of summer camping and either the Nemo or BA depending upon what’s more important, comfort & durability -Rapide or weight & warmth - Nemo. Also look into warranty terms, being in Germany the Warranty won’t be the same buying from either US company.

I have an Exped Dura 3R and it’s very warm and so far, has proven to be durable. I’ve taken it down to 30°f with no extra foam pad beneath and slept warm. Never had any air leak out. I’m not a huge fan of the vertical baffles, but I must say that the edge baffles being slightly thicker does help keep me centered. Exped uses a microfiber insulation on these pads instead of reflective film, and I’m sold on it. I intended to swap the Exped for the new Sea to Summit Etherlite XR that has reflective insulation, but I shivered my way through a 42°f night on it.

Yes, I could feel the cold coming through the XR with the ccf under it. I’d never had that issue with my 3R Exped, in fact, I have taken that down to 32°f with no ccf under it and never felt the cold. They have different insulation types, but I didn’t think that would matter based on the R ratings. The XR is more comfortable though, so I’ll probably keep it for warmer temps.

I’ll second the exped. I had 3 different pads pop on me in 2 years so I decided to go with something a bit tougher. Exped Dura 3R has been solid for me. Comfortable and durable, if a bit heavier than some others

The Dura line works fine for backpacking. My 3R is about 2lbs and doesn’t pack down as small as some ultralight pads but packs to a bit bigger than a Nalgene in size.

I’ve got the dura 3r and it’s worked perfectly fine for me in the sierras usually backpacking between late June to early/mid September. If you’re getting into winter camping though youll probably want something warmer or a foam pad beneath it or something.

I went from a Klymit Static V to an Exped Dura 3R long wide. It’s a big difference. The Exped Dura is a little heavy for backpacking but I sleep well on it. If it’s really cold I put a Nemo Switchback under it.

I have the nemo tensor and exped dura 3r lw. The Nemo to me is more comfortable in terms of the pattern. Only switched as I'm too big (6ft 215lb) for the standard, so in that regard the exped works better for me. The dura is def quieter (tho not sure about ultra) vs the tensor. The Nemo fill sack is waaaaaaaay better, the exped has this sock shaped leg in it that gets all caught up. So I use the Nemo sack with it and works great. Tldr do find out if u like vertical vs horizontal vs grid baffle (and get the right size..). Turns out I do prefer the grid personally, feels more secure everywhere. Not a deal breaker for my use case tho.

Since you mentioned below that you have issues with your arms falling asleep, I'd experiment with some different sleeping pads. Lots of folks complain that horizontal baffles are less supportive at the edges and lead to falling off the pad or their arms going numb. I'd try out some lightweight pads with different baffle styles (dimpled and longitudinal). Maybe the Exped 1R/3R and the S2S Ultralight XR/Ultralight Air. If you have an REI nearby, it would be easy to experiment and return whatever doesn't work out. Are the inflatable pillows uncomfortable due to height issues, or just the feel? Maybe a hybrid approach like this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-QGaNQHMZY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-QGaNQHMZY) I love mine. It's soft, supportive, light, and stays put on the S2S pillow lock patches. Best of luck.

I was using a backpacking style exped inflatable pad and recently replaced it with a self inflating one. Takes up a lot more space but far more comfortable (and quiet!).