Military Self-Inflating Sleep Pad

There was a recent discussion about this type of pad and it’s R values here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/s/AcsRlx09DN I use those olive green military surplus Thermarest ultralite pads for car camping with achesp closed cell foam pad underneath for my kids. I usually use something beefier for me. The pads can be found online and budget prices (~$15 new old stock), but shipping $ will get you. It’s a good budget combo For backpacking, I prefer the lighter weight closed cell foam pads in conjunction with a newer version of inflatable pad like the Xtherm or in summer the Neo air Uber light.

I've used them, was not impressed. Holds moisture, stows poorly, is uncomfortable.

I have that one, at least the model from 30 years ago when I got it. It’s narrow, long and kind of thin. Been just fine for me.

it's fine for summer use, but will leave you feeling cold in the winter. I would avoid sleeping on snow with it if you can help it. I used it in everything from hot humid summers to sub zero winters. it's similar to all the other heavier self inflating pads you'll find on the market. The self-inflating feature might not work anymore and you may have to blow them up (easy). They don't provide a lot of cushion but it's a lot better than the ground. If you want something smaller and lighter, the market has many options when you're ready. TIL: I used a therm a rest product 20 years ago in the army. Recently, I went camping with a friend who had a therm a rest self inflating, and I was surprised at how similar it was to my old army issue. Now I know why. they don't list R value since it's for a government issued item, but I've seen 3.2-4.8 listed on websites. For reference, an average three/all season pad is around 3-4 and a winter pad is closer to 6-8. Here's the specs: * Shell Material: 100% Nylon * Self-inflating to approximately 1.5" thick * Compact and lightweight (21" x 72" x 3/4" and 1 lb. 14oz) * Genuine US Military Issue * Made in USA * NSN: 8465-01-393-6515

As a jarhead I have intimate knowledge of these, isomats suck. Look at gear trade.com, you should be able to find inexpensive second hand inflating sleeping pads. Look at Facebook marketplace and Craigslist.

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.

So…I went from an inflatable mattress…no insulation, to a cot, with a thermarest self inflating mattress. Better, but I found the cot to be so confining. Ditching the cot and using the thermarest on the ground was 100% better.

Literally 5+ years on foam mats from Kmart. 2-3 years on a thermarest self inflating and finally in a “normal” bed after buying the firmest possible mattress.

The Thermarest self inflating is rubbish. Just some thin foam that helps to expand and suck air into the pad. But you still need to inflate it further. My exped mat is filled in a minute with the pump sack.

We use fold up carton type mats as our base. Then in our tent we have Sea to Summit self-inflating bed rolls. Our kids have the same base and use Therm-o-rest self-inflating ground mats. We find as long as we stay on the self-inflating mats, we’re pretty comfortable. The ther-o-rests are almost 20 years old and still in great shape. We upgraded to Sea to Summit because they fold up so small for backpacking