3season tent; sea to summit traveller down sleeping bag, el cheapo down quilt & sea to summit insulated inflatable mattress. The sea to summit sleeping bag is rectangular & has a full zip so u can use it as a doona. This combo works in a large range of temperatures.The down sleeping bag & quilt pack down very small.
A quality sleeping pad. For family camping or long term camping, we've got an exped MegaMat duo. And for solo camping I've got a sea to summit insulated inflatable camp pad. The key thing I've learned is I need to keep them a little under full inflation. That provides the best night's sleep. This has made a huge difference and isn't as bulky as the cot. MegaMat is probably close tho. But all of the pads also work for winter camping, something I do annually.
camp pad is unbelievably important. Nothing impacts my camping experience as much as a quality camp pad.
I've been fine with an R2 CCF down to 20f limit. A 3mm ccf added makes it significantly warmer and more comfortable. A short accordeon and full length 3mm is a great combo. For an air pad, the Sts Insulated with an R3.2 is a limit for me. XLite around 4.5 is cosier and more than enough imo. I prefer the STS for comfort
Check out the StS pads with that 'dotted' welding pattern. IMHO cracks showing up in the fatigued welds are more likely to be an issue rather than some punctures (unless you are really unlucky in some thron country).
Sea to Summit has a structure they call "air sprung cell". I personally own an old NeoAir but have tested a Sea to summit pad with that structure and I must say, it was much comfier. I've been trying to justify chucking in the money for a new pad, but am not there yet.
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.
parataxis
