Gossamer Gear - Torso Foam Pad - 3/8"

I put a few holes in the one I had which I repaired with seamgrip mostly. It's held? But durability is a huuuuuge compromise to the weight of it. If you want essentially the lightest pad available, there it is. The holes happened in a pretty terrible site selection -- RIGHT on( not IN a tent) sharp granite/gravely crap, on very hard ground. That's dumb for *any* pad. (part of my job is to do dumb things, I guess) Sleeping on it on your usual go-enough site selection below treeline in the type of forest we have in CO, worked fine. I'd consider it on an entire 500 mile Colorado Trail trip, I would not consider it on some of the above treeline spirit quests I do. I think the Elite is comfy enough. If you're not tied to an inflatable, some cut down CCF pads are lighter. I did a lot of nights last summer going fast and real light with just the 3/8" GG Torso pad. Maybe the secret is using a pack that has removable padding of some sort. I think the Elite would be just fine with something down near the shoulders/torso (Thinlight).

I just went through this over the past few months. Switchback is great to sleep on but I found it a little pokey against my back when in the pack, so moved to a Gossamer Gear torso pad (3/8”). It’s not as warm, but I love it for its packability and make up for that with clothes.

Gossamer Gear torso pad is the perfect sleeping pad for me. If you’re not ready to go torso, Nemo switchback (more compact than zlite), or thermarest zlite (more comfy imo than switchback)

Last summer I slept on a Gossamer Gear nightlight pad with a thinlight pad folded in half for my lower body. I put small velcro dots on each so that I could get them to stay together at night. The nightlight pad is quite hard compared to other pads. It's also very large in dimensions (the panels are wider than the accordion folded pads) when folded which can be annoying. It's nice that it is very stiff because it makes a good structure for your pack if you have the room to put it inside.

Sleeping pad combo of A Gossamer Gear closed cell foam ‘pad’ and a Thermarest Neoair Xtherm inflatable are light and compact and will be very comfortable and warm combined with whatever down sleeping bag you choose. Not cheap though.

I bring my GG pad in addition to an inflatable. I have successfully taken naps on the GG pad before. But in places like a shelter floor or soft pine needle covered ground. It’s possible to sleep with, especially if you have exceptionally smooth ground. But I would not want to for a whole night. It’s not a lot of padding and as you suggested, you’re going to feel every bump and lump. As someone else suggested, take it outside and lay on it and you can decide for yourself.