NEMO - Switchback Ultralight Sleeping Pad
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Last updated: Dec 10, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
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"My 1st PCT section hike i brought one of the expedition mats and an inflatable pad. My inflatable pad ended up popping in a manor that was un repairable and I was soo thankful to have the ccf"
"more durable ... One failure is too many for me. There’s no other piece of gear, besides socks and shoes, that fail as often as pads."
"Enjoy a never popping pad."
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"easy to use ... Foam is much faster and easier, you just throw it at the ground and lay down. Packing it up is super fast, none of the squishing the air out and folding it up."
"take no time to setup"
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"The switchback also makes a great sit pad and backrest up against a tree or big rock."
"So I bought the thermarest xlite with R value of 4.5 and a Nemo foldable switchback. Now I am covered all season comfortably with will not need to buy anything else."
"ive got mine in two parts so i can sit on it and then sleep on them together."
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"I slept on a simple switchback in 7°F weather last month on Hagerman Pass in Colorado... It was warm enough."
"This year I’ve taken it down to 35-40 comfortably ~10 nights. ... The only rough night I had to camp near a water source in a heat sink on compact ground, but even then I got 8 hrs sleep. ... Every other night on a nice bed of duff.. *never* going back to inflatable"
"I just tested my system in 7f (-13 C) weather the other night, I layered a Thermarest Xlite NXT with a Nemo Switchback. Put the Ccf pad on top as that's what I've seen recommended due to potential heat loss through the sides of the Inflatable mat. I had a 10f and 20f quilt doubled up and I slept incredibly warm, bordering on sweating and had to take off layers multiple times throughout the night. Woke up still toasty."
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"Reducing the pad length is a lot better for comfort than reducing the pad thickness. ... I chop my Switchback down to only 6 panels, which goes from my shoulders to my thighs. Definitely more comfortable than thinner foam."
"To me it is far more comfy than inflatable: quiet, I don't fall off or feel unbalanced, and despite being a side sleeper I like hard surfaces for sleeping so it's perfect."
"The Nemo is more comfortable than either for me."
Disliked most:
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"it’s freezing cold. ... I live in Australia and have froze my ass off with a switchback in mild conditions."
"the switchback fails once the ground freezes. ... if you have one 20 degree day you're good, but after a few days below 25 you have to switch to inflatable."
"I know when I had first gotten my sulo I took it down to 22F on snow with just a nemo switchback because that's all I owned and could very easily feel the cold from the pad"
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"It was pretty hard on my back"
"As a side sleeper I could not get comfortable."
"I have a CCF Switchback that I only used once without much grass under it. It was hard on my back and pretty much makes side sleeping impossible."
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"It was pretty hard on my back"
"The switchback is marginally more comfortable but slicker than snot so I end up repositioning more."
"Never could get used to sleeping on the hard planks with the switchback"
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"stacking pads takes too much space."
"Currently rocking a NEMO which is heavy (17 oz)"
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"The R-value of the switchback is super low so won't provide much insulation ... Based on the temperatures in your post, you might want to allocate a bit more toward a warmer pad."
"at high R-values where you'll really start to notice the cold, CCF is no longer competitive from a weight perspective. ... But an R 4.5 CCF pad will pretty much always be heavier than an Xlite."
"My inflatable is also lighter than a switchback."
My exact setup atm is a Dura 3R and Nemo Switchback. I feel like a king after coming from a old school thermarest and ground tarp
r/CampingGear • Exped Dura 5r or 6r (microfiber vs dawn)? [Searching for a very durable sleeping pad] ->The nemo switchback is a bit more comfortable than the z-lite because it has a different dimple structure. I think the comfort benefit of a switchback is worth the increased price compared to an Ozark trail or aliexpress ccf sleeping pad. Additional recommendations: Others have mentioned short or torso length pads, but these certainly aren't for everyone. You should get a full length pad, use it for a few nights, then trial run using the pad shortened without actually cutting the pad. You can do this by just leaving the pad partially folded and sleeping on the unfolded part. The most trimming you should do from the start is just removing sections that are longer than your height. For example if you're 5'6" and the pad is 6' you can take off a couple sections and still have a full body pad. Going along with this, if you use a pillow, because ccf pads are so thin you can put the pillow off the edge of the pad to increase its effective length.
r/Ultralight • Are the Z-Lite sleeping pads worth it? Or an Ozark Trail will just do the job? ->Everyone prioritizes things differently. Some people want the perfect piece of gear for every situation. Some people prioritize money, weight, comfort etc. For me, I didn’t want to buy multiple pads for multiple situations. So I bought the thermarest xlite with R value of 4.5 and a Nemo foldable switchback. Now I am covered all season comfortably with will not need to buy anything else. Have you slept on a foldable pad before? As a side sleeper I could not get comfortable. Where I backpack, it can get cold at night even in the summer and I didn’t want to be caught unprepared, so I always use my inflatable pad. You will eventually get a puncture in your inflatable sleeping pad, which is why you bring a small repair kit.
r/CampingandHiking • Best Sleeping Pad Setup for Summer Bivouacking? ->Yep I bring two pads as well. Although my system is a little bit different in that I use an X-therm combined with a 80x40 1/8th pad as my floor and then can fold it down in an emergency. I'm surprised that worked for you. I know when I had first gotten my sulo I took it down to 22F on snow with just a nemo switchback because that's all I owned and could very easily feel the cold from the pad
r/Ultralight • Winter sleeping mat ->When I did Baker I brought a closed cell pad (Nemo switch back) and an inflatable (Sea to summit) for comfort and redundancy. You'll be hard pressed to find a new bag that's also lightweight for $200. You'll probably need to see if you can find something used or I would recommend you see if you can rent one.
r/Mountaineering • Recommendations for Sleeping Pad & Sleeping Bag ->I have the switchback and it’s warm enough for 32F for me but not cushy enough for my hips.
r/CampingandHiking • Best Sleeping Pad Setup for Summer Bivouacking? ->Glad you had success with it! I was super hyped about it from all the accounts of its comfort. Right now my “light” ground sleeping loadout is a klymit insulated paired with Nemo switchback (most comfortable combo I’ve found outside of self inflating) with tarp and bivvy. If I’m going less than 8 miles for an overnight and either the weather is extreme winter or I have a camping partner I haul my stupidly heavy mondo king pad and split the weight of the 3 man tent between us. Been leaning towards just going fully back to my hammmock but I think I’ve determined that I need an open cell/self inflating style pad to prevent hip pain on the ground.
r/Ultralight • UL comfortable sleeping pad for side sleepers? ->I use a switchback with a 38 liter pack.
r/Ultralight • 1/8th inch pad experience? ->Try cutting a Nemo switchback in half and adding it either under or on top of your tensor to give your back a bit more cushion. It doubles as a sit pad.
r/Ultralight • I have back issues where I need some cushion. What component (Pad or Sleeping Bag) will have the greatest impact? ->I have the amazon version of the walmart pad (stansport) and with the buckles/straps cut off and the length trimmed to knee length, it’s 240 grams for $18. I haven’t had one of the ozark trails out of the packaging but I wonder how much of the listed weight is in the straps and extra few feet of length that are unnecessary. You can probably make most of that weight savings for $0 and five minutes with a utility knife. I also have a nemo switchback which, when cut to the same length, weighs 278 grams for about $50. The switchback is marginally more comfortable but slicker than snot so I end up repositioning more. Still have not decided which I prefer.
r/Ultralight • Are the Z-Lite sleeping pads worth it? Or an Ozark Trail will just do the job? ->We recommend a closed cell foam pad, as they are nearly indestructible and take no time to setup. The Nemo switchback is a good option and would last your scouts entire time in the program. We never recommend inflatable sleeping pads for scouts, as they are generally tough on their gear.
r/CampingGear • Sleeping pad for 10 year old ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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