NeoAir Venture Sleeping Pad

I loved my neoair venture on the PCT. It has a pretty terrible R value (wasn't a problem for me), but its light, conpact abd damn near bullet proof. And so comfortable. 

My last pad was a Neoair Venture, and that kinda has horizontal baffles but is fairly smooth overall. I wanted vertical baffles, because those work on a hammock. I don't think the baffle orientation matters much. At least I can't feel much of a difference. A much bigger comfort difference comes from the thickness and that's where the Versa wins big. Also a side sleeper.

With everyone recommending an Xped or Thermarest, I think you should check into renting one. Personally, I use a 2” thick Thermarest and can confirm it’s comfortable and very insulating. It has also lasted us 15+ years so far. As for sleeping bags versus blankets — hands down, I think a bag is warmer than blankets. Women’s bags are shaped to have lower volumes and more insulation where it’s needed. You can get polyester fill or down, with the latter being a longer term investment when stored properly between uses. My wife and I have 40F bags that zip together, and can be supplemented with a fleece liner when temps require it. We also have 20F mummy bags for when it’s cooler. At night, change into sleep specific wear. My wife and I use our Smartwool base layers used for skiing for this. A fresh layer of clothes have no moisture in them from daytime activities and will keep everyone warmer. Finally, the larger the tent, the more air that needs to be warmed. While we enjoy the space of our 6P tent, we also have smaller tents (one of my vices is buying tents) and one 4-season tent we use in the spring and fall cooler temps. Have fun. Bring layers. Plan for hats/gloves in the early morning while enjoying a hot cup of coffee.

I have functioning thermarests that date back to the mid 80s. Later ones are still good.

Therm-a-Rest neo-air. Bought it on a whim ten years ago before a three week long trip and probably done around 180 nights on it since then. Hasn’t missed a beat, no problems and it’s so much warmer and comfier than my previous self inflating mat. Might be a wee bit crinkly but I’m normally spark out. 😉

6ft 230, slde sleeper, Budget Sleeping pads I've tried: Trekology UL80 - less than $50, 19oz so fairly heavy. Very comfortable. Not sure about durability, I've only used it 6 or 7 days in summer/fall Klymit Static V2 about $50, comfortable, durable and fairly light at 16oz. I've got about 30 nights on this. I would recommend this to anyone on a budget not looking for ultra-lite. Neither of these has much insulation, but I haven't slept cold in either. I use a sleeping bag so I'm insulated I've owned many much more expensive and lighter sleeping pads, and each and everyone has leaked after a couple of weeks. Best was a Therm-a-rest Neo-Air that lasted two months before developing a slow leak.