Can we talk about why everyone swears by inflatable pads when foam is clearly the better choice?

I used an inflatable pad for 2 seasons on the AT until it got a pinhole leak on day 3 of a 10 day trip. Switched to a closed cell foam pad and even though it's bulkier, I've never slept better on gravel or woken up freezing from ground cold. Has anyone else gone back to foam after dealing with inflatable failures?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyatt_shah851mo ago

Used to be all about inflatables (thought I was too cool for the foam life) but @blake_black47, your pinhole leak story is basically my exact experience. That thing failed on me in the Smokies and I had to sleep on a pile of leaves, zero regrets switching to foam after that.

blake_black471mo ago

Pinhole leak on day 3" is exactly why I ditched inflatables too. How many times have you had to patch mid-trip before you finally gave up and switched?