Tried a cheap foam sleeping pad from a gas station on a quick overnight trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Woke up at 2 AM shivering on the cold ground because the R-value was basically zero, so I learned the hard way that a good sleeping pad is non-negotiable for insulation, not just comfort.

2 comments

2 Comments

tessa_hart188d ago

Gas station foam pads are basically just a yoga mat. I can't believe you tried to sleep on that in the Blue Ridge. That's a brutal way to learn about R-value.

karen_nelson408d ago

Oh man, that's the worst. It's like people buying those cheap fleece blankets thinking they'll work in a real cold snap. You see it everywhere, folks just grabbing whatever's cheap and handy without knowing what it's actually for. Learned that lesson myself with a crappy sleeping bag that was basically a cloth tube.