Therm-a-Rest - RidgeRest SOLite

Second this. Ridgerest or zlite closed cell foam pads are great for kids and actually pretty comfortable and sturdy. 

Under 100 means you're getting foam. If you don't need to backpack it, get a nice thick Ridgerest.

I use a couple of RidgeRest for car camping and I really like them. I'd use one for backpacking if they weren't so bulky. Well I put my legs down, the reflective side works so well that it feels like the mat is emitting heat.

I'm getting back into backpacking after many years and am hoping for a recommendation on a sleeping pad. I'm 5'8", 140# and am sort of an omni-sleeper. I can sleep in more or less any position (and I tend to switch throughout the night) and on any mattress from firm to soft (which, admittedly, makes my question here a little baffling). Back in the day, I used a Ridgerest cut down to 36". I slept great on that in my 20's, but now in my 40's I find my hips want more cushion (or maybe the new ones aren't as soft?). Double stacking the pad is better, but the weight and bulk of carrying the full pad is a bit much. My wife has a older NeoAir XLite Women's pad which I've tried and could barely sleep at all. Constantly felt like I was falling into space, super unstable. I have no issue if an arm or leg is off of the Ridgerest, so I assume it's the extra height that is causing the issue. Also the crinkling would wake me up anytime I switched positions. The level of cushion was great though. I'm trying to avoid spending a grand looking for a sleeping pad I can sleep on comfortably, so hoping for some suggestions. I figure an inflatable pad is going to be the way to go here. Based on my experience with the NeoAir, I'm thinking I probably want to go with a wide pad to feel more stable. Pretty big weight penalty to carry a full length wide pad though, and short wide pads don't seem to be a thing, so perhaps a pad that I can shorten and re-seal? Based on everything I've read that leaves me with a NeoAir or Nemo Tensor. Are either of these better than the older NeoAir with regard to noise? Anything else I should consider? Thanks for any help!

Get a cot. Seriously, I have several types. The Roll a cot we used in hotel rooms when we needed an extra bed. It also allows adjustment for firmness For summer camping in very hot weather and,/or humidity I use a Thermostat ultralight cot. Which allows air to circulate around me with or without a sleeping bag or my coolmax liner. To this for varying degrees of comfort I can add my CCF Ridgerest pad, or my new sea to summit comfort light pad. These 3 things cot CCF pad Air mattress Mix and match will allow you to adjust not just for physical comfort but comfort for temperature as well. Just add appropriate sleeping bag for temperature. Needless to say I don't use the cot when the temperature drops.

Don't pick on my Ridge Rest. Tried and true. But I'm the guy growing up who would fall asleep on an indoor outdoor rug on a wood floor. Oh, so no wonder I like the ridge rest. Seriously though, when it's cold and you don't want air underneath you or an air pad that deflates mysteriously (I swear it didn't do that at home when I tested it ;). ) A CCF pad can be your base sleeping pad and safety net if your air pad fails. On top of a cot it's like a little mattress. A bonus is if you are in the cold the R rating is additive to the pad you put on top of it. Also I'm a side sleeper, so doing this allows me not to wake up with hip pain either in the middle of the night or morning.

I've not tried a thinlite over an inflatable, but I have used it as a dog sit pad. I found the material deceptively delicate. My 10 month pup stretched out and pulled her paws back, ripping a section (it's grippy and spongy). Personally, if I was going down this route I'd find something thinner but more durable to rips/tears from dog paws. I use a Thermarest Ridgecrest for her now. Like your dog, she prefers to sleep alongside me on an inflatable, but it was too much hassle and risk. She's now learning to stay on the ccf... it is easier to train a pup though.

I exclusively sleep on CCF mats. the best budget, packable and easily available option is the Decathlon MT500. The warmest is the Thermarest Ridgerest but it's bulky. The epxed flexmat, Thermarest Z lite and Nemo Switchback are all good but a bit more pricey. Don't get hung up on R values like you would with an inflatable pad. for some reason CCF mats always feel warmer, i think due to the density of the material. I've slept on ice in the alps with CCF mats. As always though it will depend on the person and you'd need to exercise caution with a young en.

I have the featherstone el cordion and it is every bit comparable in insulation and "padding" to a z-lite sol to me. however, I find the Nemo switchback slightly more comfortable than both. that said, the thermarest ridgerest, as obnoxious to carry as it is, wins in comfort for me (barely)

I used a Thermarest Ridgerest for years as my only sleeping mat. I used the Z-Lite some too, but the Ridgerest was both more comfortable and warmer. The biggest issue with it was the bulk, but at the time I used a large frameless pack and packed "burrito" style rolling the Ridgerest loosely and packing everything in the middle of it.

Closed Cell Foam pads like the Ridgerest are actually quite lightweight and super durable compared to air mats - I think my full length Ridgerest was 12.7oz (listed at 14oz). I used a Ridgerest from \~2005 to 2015 and then switched to a Neo Air X-Therm as I was getting older. I'm not saying I'd go back, but I do miss the durability and simplicity of the Ridgerest. Durability will not be a concern over an inflatable mat at all.

Not all CCF is created equal. I always found the Ridgerest to be warmer and more comfortable than the Z-Lite. You could score it where it would fold up too, though not as compact as the Z-Lite. I just can't sleep on CCF pads anymore.

One classic trick is to have two Ridgerests (it has been the best R-value CCF, not sure am I up to date) and fold one of them in half. Your torso gets a triple layer, something like R 7,5 which is quite adequate. Also, it is a widely reported phenomenon that CCF pads feel warmer than their R rating would suggest when compared with inflatables.

You'll need something insulated for sure. Pad insulation is measured by "R-value" and I would suggest at least an R-value of 4 for those temps. 2 closed cell foam mats like the Thermarest Ridgerest would get you close.