El Cordion Ultralight Closed Cell Foam Sleeping Pad

I saw a dad recently post about his kids getting cold while backyard camping.   This past weekend, while camping my 5 year old grandson, we experienced the same. We were at Alexander Springs in Ocala FL.  The second night was definitely colder and my thermometer read 29⁰ at sunrise. We were using FeatherStone sleeping pads with a reported R value of 2.1 and a Paria double wide Recharge with an R value of 4.7. The cold was definitely coming from under us.  We were doubled up with 2 old school sleeping bags but could feel the cold air beneath us. We certainly aren't  buying the most expensive gear, but with a combined R value of 6.8 I expected more. We both had on two layers of clothing, thermal underwear, with pants and a sweatshirt. I'm not sure if it's gear quality, lack of warm clothing or I was expecting too much. Any input would be appreciated

In my opinion you will need a foam mat and an inflatable sleeping pad. An accordion style foam mat like a Featherstone can fold up into a suitcase. If you are on a budget, get a Klymit Static V as your inflatable (or ThermaRest brand if not on budget) I would get the EE Revelation 0Deg quilt (20 ozs)

The Featherstone El Cordion is 22 inches wide but otherwise similar to the Z Lite. 2.1 R value, 16 oz

The Featherstone El Cordion is 22 inches wide but otherwise similar to the Z Lite. 2.1 R value, 16 oz

My hiking buddy has the Thermarest Z Lite, and I have the Featherstone El Cordion. I can't tell the difference in material but mine was $20 cheaper and 2 inches wider. I also have a closed cell sit pad generic Amazon that is noticeably thinner material. So, there probably is a difference if you go super cheap but the middle of the road ones up to the Thermarest are probably very similar.

Above 50°F overnight I use a Featherstone El Cordon CCF pad, 2.1 R value. At 22 inches wide, it's a little wider than the competitors and I prefer that. Overnight 30°-50° F I've been using a Windquester Elevate X, 7.5 R value. I'm fundamentally opposed to a $200 air pad and this one at $119 has been durable and works very well for me. Overnight below 30° F, I double up the two pads I mentioned above. I've had that down to 8°F and the pads were not the weak link in my winter system. I wouldn't say that I ever sleep well in the backcountry. I generally toss and turn and wake up more frequently than I prefer. But overall it's usually sufficient.

Featherstone closed cell foam pad. Thermarest z fold clone

Your combined R-value should theoretically work for 29F, so something's off. A few possibilities: Ground temps drop 10-20F below air temp at night, so you were dealing with potentially 10-20F ground temp. The 2.1 R-value pad is pretty low. those budget FeatherStone pads often don't perform to their rated spec. Same with the Paria, decent but not consistent. My guess: you had a thermal bridge happening where the low-R pad was letting cold through in spots. Pads also lose R-value as they compress over time. For future trips, look at the NEMO Tensor (R-4.2) or Therm-a-Rest NeoAir (R-4.8) in the $100 range. Better yet, get one solid R-5+ pad instead of combining lower-rated ones.