Therm-a-Rest - Z Lite Sol

Important to know from the start: I have scoliosis as well as a lingering low back/hip injury, and at home I sleep on a probably-too-soft mattress. But I don't have any of the problems I mention below even when I sleep in a different bed with a different firmness, such as while traveling for work or family. My setup as of last year's season is a Therm-A-Rest Z Lite Sol underneath the Big Agnes Rapide SL inflatable pad (standard length, wide width). In other words, I'm not laying flat on the ground by any means - there's plenty of cushion from uneven or firm ground, and I haven't had any temperature issues (I pair these two pads with a now-discontinued Sea to Summit down bag that's plenty cozy). The Big Agnes pad was new last year, after multiple seasons attempting and failing to make a thin Therm-A-Rest Trail Scout work with the Z-Lite (I would anti-recommend the Trail Scout for this and other reasons). But this current setup isn't working very well, either. On some nights I found myself waking up with a leg or two numb on some nights because of some position that had me cutting off circulation. (This happens at home occasionally when I'm sitting flat on the floor, but rarely when I'm sleeping or lying flat.) Even though I played around with the inflation level of the Big Agnes pad, as I was worried it was maybe too firm at full inflation, that didn't seem to help much. I also prefer to sleep on my stomach, and I haven't figured out a backcountry pillow option that's flat enough to keep my neck at a comfortable angle without being non-existent, as sleeping directly on my arms puts them numb too. Out of desperation, I tried bringing my flat-yet-not-paper pillow from home for a trip last year, which feels embarrassing to write because of the pillow's weight and bulk, lol. If it had worked, I would make adjustments to my kit to bring it every time, but it didn't really fix the setup (which is probably for the best for the rest of my packing list), so I'm back to the drawing board. Given all this, I'm feeling nervous about this season's upcoming trips, as I'm not someone who functions well on a lack of sleep. I'd prefer to try and adapt my current setup before I buy new stuff, too, as these are otherwise high-quality products that I think will last a while, if I can make them work for me. For folks who have finicky backs, or sleep in ways at home that are harder to comfortably do out on trail, how do you adjust your sleep setup for overnighters? What might I change here that will help me sleep better while on trail and thus have a better trip overall? I'm considering the Nemo Fillo Elite - can any stomach sleepers attest to this or other semi-inflatable pillows as being worth the buy?

I'd get some soapy water and check the inflatable pad for a hole. To answer your question, yes, you can use a foam pad under your inflatable, and people do fairly often. I have a Therm-a-Rest Z-lite Sol sleeping pad that I like very much. It has a reflective side that I find helpful. I also like how it folds instead of rolls for storage.

If you have the space or option of lashing things to your pack, I'd just get two closed cell foam pads, like the Therm-a-Rest Z-lite Sol or Ridgecrest Classic, and stack them. That would be an R-value of 4. It would be a little bit bulky compared to an inflatable, but it would be cheap, durable, and functional. I'm partial to foam pads, though.

I might be weird, but I really love my Therm-a-Rest Z-lite Sol. It's 0.75" of rippled closed cell foam. It insulates well enough for me in combination with my sleeping bag, and I like how light and portable it is. Depending upon your sleeping bag and use case, it might not be enough, just as a fair warning. It all depends. I like it, though.

I use a Therm-a-Rest Z-lite Sol for winter, and it works for me. I sleep hot, so its R-value has been adequate for me in combination with my sleeping bag (Kelty Cosmic Synthetic 0) in some subfreezing temps.

Keep your zlite and get adapted by sleeping on it at home every night. Im a side sleeper and after a while it is awesome. When it gets too cold for zlite use 2.

My go to is a 3/4 Thermarest Z-lite Sol foam pad. Light, warm and dependable + it is slim enough to not bother you climbing. Just cut it in the desired length and you are good to go. 3/4 works great for me, as I have a my backpack to put my legs or head on. Pair it with a down jacket and/or a light quilt and a bivy bag and you are all good (note: you can get much better sleep with a heavier setup, or worse with something lighter, so make up your own mind about what you are looking for)

I have both the Z Lite and the Nemo Switchback. I don't have tons of experience with Backcountry's house-brand gear and in particular not this pad. But based on the couple of their items I have bought, and others' experiences I've read about, I'm inclined to guess the Stoic will be only marginally inferior to the Thermarest, and that given the price difference in your market it makes sense to just get the Stoic. Certainly not all foam pads are created equal, even if they look similar, and I personally wouldn't grab a pad from a no-name fly-by-night knockoff off Amazon or AliExpress, because durability issues could easily compromise the already-borderline comfort of a CCF pad, and if it degrades or compresses quite a lot on a long trek it could badly compromise your sleep system warmth. But Backcountry certainly doesn't fall into the fly-by-night category, they stand behind their products reasonably well, and what few reviews I can see seem to be positive. I've heard that for at least some of their house-brand gear - notably some tents - Backcountry licenses outdated designs from bigger name companies, so the manufacturer really can pretty much just change colors and logos and keep making the old gear. Wouldn't be shocked if the Stoic is made in the same factory as pads from some bigger name brand.

I've used the Z Lite a fair bit but haven't had as many opportunities to go backpacking since I got the Switchback, so this isn't a highly well-tested opinion. The Switchback is more comfortable - not by much, but enough to be consistently noticeable. They're essentially identical in most other aspects. The small weight difference in the manufacturers' specs doesn't seem to hold up in the real world; my Z Lite and Switchback weigh exactly the same. Online reviewers similarly say any weight difference is dominated by minor manufacturing variability. Reviewers' pictures all show the Switchback's folded size is smaller, but mine are not very different. Some reviewers say the Switchback is a tiny bit more durable as well - they say that it compresses just a little more slowly and Nemo puts some kind of protective film on the thermal reflective surface. Nemo suggests using theirs thermal reflective side down, and that makes the pad less slippery than using the Z Lite in its recommended reflective up state. Overall, I do think the Switchback is the one to get.

I do like using my z lite on backpacking trips even though I have an air mattress. It’s nice to be able to toss it on the ground and sit or lay down on it. If I thru hiked I might carry both. It’s not going to be cold enough to the point your thermarest isn’t warm enough on its own

You can totally buy other brands, but I disagree about it being worse in terms of warmth. There is a certain warmth-to-weight ratio of foam pads and based on r-value, no one deviates too much from it. If anything the z-sol might be on the warmer side with the air in the dimples isolating and the reflective layer on the bottom.

Or breathe on the SOL zlite to wear off the shiny reflective coating...

Ah, thinking of the ones with silver reflective coating that wears off to dull grey after first couple days.

My 7yr old sleeps on a Z lite sol and loves it. Sometimes he even places it on the floor of his bedroom to sleep on. We've camped down to around 40F with no complaints from him.

Fwiw I've owned the zlite and the Walmart knockoff and if you're going to use it heavily I think the extra $15 is probably worth it, also the non-sol is the only pad I know that isn't bright and reflective if that's important to you

Tbh if you arent planning on sleeping on it for a few hundreds of nights there isnt really a difference, but the foam in the thermarest seems to hold up a little better