FlexMat 3R

I have the FlexMat 3R long/wide pad and spent a couple nights on it. For me it's not suitable for backpacking because it's too bulky to want to strap to my pack. I can't imagine the smaller size one would be enjoyable for a side sleeper as the smaller one is only 20 inches wide. I did sleep well enough on it compared to other CCF pads (my go to is the Featherstone El Cordon as it's 22 inches wide). I was hoping it would be the holy grail CCF pad but it didn't turn out to be the case for me.

Site selection, sleep position, and body limberness matter a lot. The foam can get packed down. I haven’t been using them long enough to know how long exactly. But given the price and availability of ccf pads, I’m not too concerned. Here’s a set up I’ve been using. Flexmat 3r cut into 2 sections. One 4 panel section and one 2 panel section. I overlap them slightly to create a torso pad. The overlapped section is raised and placed near my waist. It acts like a contoured lumbar support. I think this is what the GG donut does. Beneath the flexmat I have a gg 1/8 thin lite. Definitely not as ultralight as other options. I’ve recently switched from inflatable pads to ccf so I’m transitioning slowly to something more minimal. Ccf is so cheap and has many uses (sit pad, car camping, dog bed, winter backup) . Definitely worth a try!

both are solid options but if you want the extra width for side sleeping, you might lean towards the Exped 3r. it’s got better insulation too which can be nice if temps drop at night. good luck on your trip!

After trying pretty much everything, I tried the thermarest prolite XS for fun. For some very strange reasons I sleep very well on such a minimalist pad. And that’s the thinner discontinued version not the prolite plus. I only sleep on my side. Other pad that I really like is an exped 3r size S. The rectangular one. 

I hated it like hated hated it.