A old timer at a REI parking lot told me to ditch my inflatable pad for a closed cell foam one

I spent three nights shivering on a CCF pad at 9,000 feet in Colorado before I admitted he was right and got a thicker inflatable one with an R-value over 4, anyone else get gear advice from a stranger that actually worked out?

2 comments

2 Comments

river_hart181d ago

Oh man, do I have a story for you? I ran into this crusty old guy at a campground in the Sierras who swore by his blue foam pad from the 80s. Told me to ditch my big puffy one because "nothing beats foam." I gave it a shot one night at like 8,500 feet and woke up every two hours freezing my butt off, had to sleep in all my clothes and my puffy jacket. Next day I went straight back to my inflatable and never looked back.

sean_murray1d ago

I read somewhere that the R-value of closed cell foam drops significantly if there's any moisture underneath it, which probably explains why that old timer's advice works for him in dry desert conditions but fails for everyone else. That Colorado trip sounds miserable, I've had similar nights where you just accept you're not sleeping and stare at the tent ceiling.