Therm-a-Rest - BaseCamp

Such a good question 😅 when I would camp with my bf, no matter how much I liked snugs & hugs, for me it came down to the best sleep coming from separate pads, bags, and a 4 person tent for just the two of us for space 😂🤣💀 as somewhat of an aside, I’m not partial to air mattresses (in general, but especially for camping) since the air inside gets really cold, & they often lose air! When car camping, I just bring my ~luxury~ thermarest basecamp along with a cheapy yoga mat & cheapo felt blankets for padding & find it quite plush 😁

I second this.. I was having back pain issues as well, I switched to the thermarest Basecamp 2.0 earlier this year and it has been such a blessing. plus it's an R6 which is perfect for cold Washington weather

I usually bring my Therm-a-Rest pad and a light sleeping bag, but half the time I end up just sleeping on top of it in my pajamas with a sheet over me.

I switched to a thick foam sleeping pad (Therm-a-Rest Basecamp) a couple years ago and honestly, it was a game changer. At first I was worried about comfort, but if you get a pad with a high R-value (like 4+), it's way warmer and shockingly comfy once you get used to it. If you want a bit more elevation, a cot can work, especially if you toss a foam pad or even a self-inflating pad on top. Just remember, cots can let cold air underneath, so you’ll want an insulated pad between you and the cot.

A mistake I made was buying Thermarest Basecamp in regular size. Name brand but it’s their bottom offering. The size regular is only 20” wide which everyone including my petite wife complained about. The thickness at only 2” isn’t great either. I now use them on top of some cots which fixed the issue. I would advise pads that are at least 24” wide and 3” thick (unless putting on cots), and also long enough to accommodate you if you’re tall.

car camping only: Thermarest Basecamp

my biggest issue with air mattresses is they have no r value, so the cold ground just seeps in right thru it. I used a thermarest base camp with an REI cot last fall to camp, and it worked perfect for me. My hips and back didn't hurt at all, and I stayed warm.

no definitely the opposite, like I said, zero issues with warmth with my thermarest, either when I had it just on the ground, or when I used it on a cot.

I have a thermarest "Basecamp" model I got from REI probably 30 years ago and its still going strong. Never leaked. Cost me about $85-90 back then so it would probably be 130-150 these days. My philosophy with outdoor gear is "Buy once: cry once"

You need something under your sleeping bag for it to be comfortable, and it needs to be insulated for camping in cold or even cool weather. The $300 ones weigh almost nothing, are tiny when deflated, are durable, and are comfortable. Ish. I've used closed-cell ones many times, which weigh very little, durable, and are comfortable, but don't get tiny, ever. Thermarest Z-cell is one brand. $45ish. For the affordable but not tiny inflatable, which is more comfortable, Thermarest Basecamp, $130ish. You could also just use more blankets and/or cardboard boxes. $0. But neither light nor small.

That's right! 😄 So the R-6 isn't the problem.

Ich werde über der Baumgrenze sein und erwarte -20 ungefähr. Für gute Bodenisulierung ist gesorgt mit einer R-6 Isomatte. Meine Sorgen beziehen sich eigentlich nur ob meine Schlafsackkombination warm genug ist. Hängematte im Winter ist echt verrückt 😄 ich nutze sie bis maximal Oktober mit einem Unterquilt.

You are right its totally overkill! Yesterday i did a test night at -15 degrees outside. Just airmattress R-6, sleepingbag and the sleepingbagliner around all of it. Didn't even use thermo underwear and it was cosy! So i can reduce the weight of my backpack a lot!

I've had great success with Thermarest, REI, and Exped self inflating mattresses. All have good customer support too. I wouldn't ever bother with an all air mattress. Poor insulation, rotten in cold. Get a FlexTail pump.