This is my thinking too. Rab may be pricey, but it’s good.
I just can’t find much reliable info,tests or reviews on the Rab sleeping pads.
Was hoping to find it here.
Since some miserable hikes with leaking Thermarests back in the day I switched back to a thick ccf foam winter mat.
But that obviously was a step back in sleeping comfort.
So since then I combined it with a self inflatable. That’s why a R5 will do for me.
I have the Dura 5r and love it. It's a big bulky but I'm a big guy and move around a lot so it was worth it to me. I hear the big agnes Rapide gets great reviews as well as the REI Helix. If prices are too high look at Paria Outdoor's pads, they are good budget items
Yea it's slightly bulky but not too bad and I'm a big guy that side sleeps and tosses and turns. I wanted something a little stronger and I'm very happy with it
People recommending self inflating pads like the MegaMat are off their rocker. Incredibly comfortable, yes. Packs small? Absolutely not. Plus they should be stored unrolled.
I find my Exped Dura 5R to be comfortable and it packs very small for a double sized pad (it comes in a single that's even smaller). I have a Big Agnes Boundary Deluxe that's fairly comfortable but doesn't pack as small.
If you can go to REI or another camping store they usually have a whole bunch of pads out for you to try for comfort. Keep in mind re-packed size will be ~10% larger than boxed for air pads and ~25%+ larger for self inflating.
Exped Dura is solid as a rock and makes some very warm options at 5R and 8R.
It is a bit heavier but also a much thicker denier of fabric.
The Ultra series is a lighter version with thinner, more standard denier of material.
That bag will not hold up, it’s a rectangular and won’t seal well and temps are below what it’s rated for. Even with layers and extra blankets it’ll be an uncomfortable at best night. The pads are also borderline and I’d recommend a couple more Rs to get to a better insulation value. You can either upgrade one of the pads (maybe a 5R Exped) or add another pad to your setup. I don’t like stacking too many pads as they tend to slide and you lose insulation. Tie wrapping them together can help.
Exped is good, several models depending on what kind of camping. For reference I’m 6’ 330lbs.
MegaMat/DeepSleep used for car camping.
Dura used for backpacking.
You may also be able to use furniture foam which would be cheaper and can be cut to different sizes.
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