[pct-l] Sleeping gear recommendations

Sun Apr 17 14:16:12 CDT 2011

Good afternoon, Moccasin,

I’ve never had one of the duct tape hinges fail.  Always the foam has ripped
or become compressed before the tape failed.

My first two foam pads were purchased in the ‘60s when they became popular
and readily available.  They were made of a product called Ensolite which
was great insulation, and it didn’t seem to compress, but it was rather soft
and became damaged easily.  One of them I wore completely out -- meaning to
a rag -- while the other stayed in the gear locker.  That second one was
eventually converted with duct tape hinges, and that exact pad is shown as
the light-green item, center right in the TrailJournal photo.

The light-blue pad at lower-right was the next step.  It also is closed cell
foam but since it has seen quite a few trail nights it has become
semi-retired.  The dark-blue pads shown are what I’ve been using
recently.  They
are a different kind of foam, with much larger entrained-air cells.  The
cells are much more like micro-bubble wrap than fine-grain foam.  It works
fine, but it seems to compress after about 100 nights.  I’ll probably
replace that style of foam if I can find something better.

A leading retailer in my area has some foam pads which I may try, but I’m
leery.  Instead of being thickness-formed during manufacture leaving a
smooth top and bottom surface, these pads have been sliced from a large
block of foam with a knife or saw.  The result is the top and bottom surface
of each pad is rather fuzzy from the cutting.  It looks as if it would be
difficult to wipe dry should it become wet – which can happen – and it may
be more difficult to get the duct tape to stick to such a surface.

One tip for hinge-making:  Before applying the duct tape, top and bottom,
space the sections apart by about two pad-thicknesses.  That will allow the
resulting hinge to bend either way without crushing the foam or
over-stressing the tape during a fold.

Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09

On Sun, Apr 17, 2011 at 9:11 AM, Brandon McGinnity <bmcginnity at gmail.com>wrote:

> Steel Eye, that is a great idea, to convert the foam pad to an accordian
> style pad. How well does it work? Does the tape hold up well?
>
> By the way, I have the same sleeping bag, as yet untested. Good to know
> others are using it out there :)
>
> On Sun, Apr 17, 2011 at 11:02 AM, CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net>wrote:
>
>> Good morning, all,
>>
>> For me, the change from sleeping on a thin, closed-cell foam pad to
>> sleeping
>> on one of the air mattress cousins would be costly and would add weight --
>> all to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.  That’s my opinion – obviously
>> your experience, needs, results, and wallet will vary.
>>
>> I expect the air mattress items would be fine to sleep upon, but I sleep
>> very well on the trail and I wouldn’t compromise much to make a small
>> improvement – and I certainly wouldn’t trade-off my ration of Peanut M&Ms
>> in
>> the process.
>>
>> The cost increase isn’t my biggest concern:  I usually get – or probably
>> already have – whatever gear I think I would like to use, or at least try
>> to
>> use.
>>
>> I’m not tough, I’m lazy.  The tough people are easy to spot – they keep
>> their socks up with thumbtacks.  Being lazy I’m most concerned about
>> weight:
>> My cheap-o foam pads, modified to accordion-fold,
>> http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=264203  provide some padding
>> and
>> structure to my little 13-ounce pack.  A rolled up air mattress wouldn’t
>> perform that function, so I would likely have use a different pack – one
>> with some padding and/or structure -- adding a pound or so to the base
>> weight in the process.  I could pack differently to spread my sleeping bag
>> against my back instead of the pad, but without the pad’s modest structure
>> everything in the pack will shift around on while I hike.  Also, the pad
>> keeps the sweat of my back from soaking the sleeping bag better than can
>> be
>> done with the slick, shifty ground cloth.
>>
>> I also like to simplify the process of hiking/camping on the long trails.
>>  With
>> my foam pad I don’t have to scrutinize a prospective bed-site for small
>> sharps; I only inspect for things that might make me uncomfortable –
>> something I would also have to do with an air mattress.  Neither do I
>> worry
>> about being let-down on the cold ground in the middle of the night, or
>> finding and patching the probable leak(s).
>>
>> Steel-Eye
>>
>> Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
>>
>> http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
>>
>> http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Apr 17, 2011 at 7:58 AM, Scott Williams <baidarker at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Just a plug for the neo.  I carried one all last year, and just took it
>> > into
>> > a very chaparral covered area for a 3 day backpack trip this past week.
>>  I
>> > cowboy camped on a chunk of tyvek for most of last year's thru hike, so
>> no
>> > double layer, and still have not had it get punctured or loose any air.
>>  I
>> > think they're reasonably tough.  Cactus thorns will puncture them, so I
>> was
>> > careful in the deserts, but slept many nights on prickly pine needles,
>> > rocks
>> > and twigs, and didn't have it get a puncture, and have never slept on a
>> > more
>> > comfortable mat.  I met many folks using them on trail last year, and
>> > punctures were not what they talked about, the great sleep they got was.
>> >  For some of the younger folks I traveled with, who were on little foam
>> > mats, I used to tease them by offering them 10 minutes on my neo for a
>> bite
>> > of their snickers.  No one ever killed me for it, but after they took a
>> lay
>> > down on it, pretty much everyone of them swore they'd have one next
>> hike.
>> >
>> > For young folks, you can all pretty much sleep on rocks and be just
>> fine,
>> > but for the elders on trail, those of us not as absolutely trail tough
>> as
>> > Steel-Eye or Switchback and a few others, I highly recommend the neo.
>>  It
>> > works well on a crowded motel floor too.
>> >
>> > Shroomer
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>
>
>
> --
> ~ Moccasin
>
>