Modern-day insulated inflatable hiking pads are 3 to 4" thick and the comfiest are miles better than anything I've seen any military force use. Reliable brands include Thermarest, Exped and Sea to Summit, with the latter having an "air sprung cell" structure I find the comfiest of them all. Model names include Neoair for Thermarest, Versa for Exped, and Etherlight and Aircell for Sea to Summit.
Add an inflatable pillow and you're set for an actual night of sleep instead of just waiting for time to pass.
Some bag manufacturers make wide or extra wide models. I'm not as well updated on bags.
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!).
Insulated inflatable sleeping pad. Yes, an air mattress. But the ones with high R value will insulate you. Exped, Nemo, Thermarest, Sea to Summit, others. There are lightweight ones for backpacking and imaginably so they're going to tend to be more expensive. There are other ones that may be more comfort focused that aren't as light if you're just doing car camping.
Get one from a company that does ASTM rating. This does kind of sound like "big sleeping pad" or a cartel. And it kind of is. But prior to them using that standard, it was the wild west. Sleeping pad manufacturers would just put any number on there that didn't mean anything. So a bunch of companies got together and decided to use this standard. It just gives you that relative comparison across brands.
If you're not going below 32 f, then consider a pad that is R value 4 to 5. If you're going to be going below freezing but not necessarily below zero f, consider R value 6 or better. If you're going to be going below zero f then, you want to get up into the ones that are rated at R value 7.5+.
You can stack an inflatable on top of ccf pads to increase your insulation. You can put an insulated sleeping pad on top of a cot if that's what you want to do. If you're using an inflatable, obviously you want to make sure it won't pop on the cot.
About using a cot. Just getting you off the ground isn't going to make your warm. You'll still need insulation. The cot is irrelevant to heat transfer to the ground. You'd just end up with cold air under you instead of cold ground.
One to look out for is the upcoming Nemo Eclipse which is supposed to be due out in march. It's going to be 4 in thick so probably comfortable. With an R value of 6.2 it should be pretty comfortable down to about zero f. No one really has information on this yet. So if you're looking to buy right now, you're going to look at other stuff. Check out the websites. If you see ones you're interested in, watch YouTube reviews. They're usually pretty good videos on most every product that's out there.
I wanted to add, R value on sleeping pads and ground insulation is equally important to understanding top insulation. If using a sleeping bag or backpacking quilt, it's important to understand the EN or ISO rating. And really to look at the comfort rating. Understand also that those standards are assuming you're sleeping on a sleeping pad with an R value about 5 plus wearing base layer or thermal underwear, wool socks, and a warm hat.
No one in ultralight group odd going to recommend extra weight for a little comfort.
I use a switchback and exped inflatable and think it’s great for all the reasons you list. Added r value, backup pad for some comfort incase exped gets leak, foam pad protects pad, etc. is better comfort, but not ultralight.
I've used sleeping pads from Exped, Sea to Summit, Thermarest, Klymit, and a bunch of random off brands like outdoorsman lab and ampex. In my experience all brands will hold air all night and are roughly equally reliable out of the box, the difference is the higher end brands have better support if you get a defective product.
That being said, Exped makes my personal favorite inflatable sleeping pads and if you mostly camp in warm weather you can currently get their 1R from their website for $50
https://www.expedusa.com/products/ultra-1r-mummy
If you go out in colder weather, add a 1/8" EVA foam pad like this one:
https://www.gossamergear.com/products/thinlight-foam-pad
Combine those and you get a sleeping pad that can get you down to just about freezing (in my experience) for a total weight of ~1lb and a cost of ~$80
To get this right so that you will feel like you are sleeping at home every night, you will most likely have to move your sleep system gear more to the LW side on one or two pieces. I have already recommended ZenBivy.
Aim for a pad (ideally insulated) that inflates to a 4 inch max or better. Inflate the pad 3/4 — never fully. When you roll over, your shoulder bones should not feel the ground. But when you sit up in the pad, your seat bones will probably feel the ground. The ideally inflated pad is designed to sleep on, not to sit on.
You mention pillows. By far the most reliable system for me has been the Nemo Fillo series in combination with a down-stuffed pillow “base” that lies under the head of my insulated pad.
To create this “base” I take my UL INSULATION (MontBell down pants) and zip it inside an UL container/sack that measures roughly the width of my pad and works to slightly elevate the head area of the pad, before adding a pillow under my head.
I add very little air to the bladder. All air bladders give a stiff feel.
Any other discomfort is usually fixed by adding a bolster pillow as needed beneath or between my legs. This is created from my clothes.
Hope this helps.
I want to comment on this as a greybeard who is still out 40 nights a year, year after year for decades now.
Guys, the CCF sleeping literally ends in a wreck the minute you turn 35. As muscle mass begins to slowly decline, you no longer will have enough muscle to make the CCF nights comfortable. Almost every guide and long term backcountry user I know started making a hard and past pivot to INSULATED inflatable pads around 35-40. If you anticipate that, do yourself a favor and start now. Invest in the best Exped insulated pad you can afford. You’ll thank me!
Just reminding folks here that based on broad experience, star sleepers and people who regularly sleep back-side-stomach will never be able to adjust to hammock sleeping.
Guys read my comments but let me tell you the problem is usually age related. After 35, usually a good idea to start shifting your sleep system weight a bit toward LW from UL to get the sleep you need. Good sleep translates into more energy during travel.
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.
Masseyrati80
