Sleeping Bag and Pad

[5thGenTexan]

I need to do something different.

I am in a Pack, so no backpacking.  The Troop is not heavy backpacking either if ever so what I do now will work for awhile.

I am wanting to cut down on what I have to carry to the campsite.  I would like to get everything in one trip.

 

1) I live in Texas.

2) I don't want a mummy bag

3) I am considering making up and old fashioned bed roll with just a blanket or two

4) I have and tried a cot, but its a PITA to get to the campsite, so trying to figure out a good pad.

 

Like I said, not backpacking but I may get a pack to carry all my stuff and if it doesnt fit it doesnt go

 

 

[MattR]

Ahhh, a scouty question

There are quite comfortable backpacking pads. Get an insulated one. That and a down quilt and you should be quite comfortable with little weight. And, when you finally get your troop backpacking, you'll have the right gear.

[MikeS72]

We do a lot of backpacking with our troop.  I have 2 sleeping bags, one that is very small and lightweight that I use most of the year (Florida), and one that I break out once in awhile at this time of year when it may get what we consider cold at night.  For a sleeping pad, I carry a klymet static v; easy to inflate quickly, rolls up small and light (18 oz), and has a decent enough R value for this part of the country. 

[DuctTape]

Is a hammock a possibility for you?

[5thGenTexan]

5 minutes ago, DuctTape said:

Is a hammock a possibility for you?

Honestly I dont know much about it.  Past few campouts we have had there was a A LOT of dew.  Everything soaked.  How do you not get wet sleeping in a hammock?

[DuctTape]

9 minutes ago, 5thGenTexan said:

Honestly I dont know much about it.  Past few campouts we have had there was a A LOT of dew.  Everything soaked.  How do you not get wet sleeping in a hammock?

I have never had an issue. No different than sleeping under a tarp on the ground. There is condensation on the underside of the tarp. This is true in tents as well. Sometimes moreso due to lack of airflow. I wonder if the texas climate plays a role. I will check with some fellow hammockers in TX.

[MikeS72]

All of our scouts (mine included) who use hammocks have a fly that goes with it to protect them from both heavy Florida dew and frequent Florida rain.

[TAHAWK]

Hammocks require the right trees in the right places.   Some models come with top, bottom and sides for dew and rain.  You must like sleeping in a hammock.

Aluminum cots and foam pads come in under 4 pounds for those designed to be light.  Some, however, are junk - the cheap ones/ all the ones at Walmart.  I have one that holds 250 pounds,  weighs just under 4 pounds, and has lasted twenty years, including 19 summer camps.

Self-inflating foam-filled air mattresses are comfortable and insulate well.  They are a proven technology - over forty years old.  Originally by Thermorest, but many other makers once patents expired.  Open the valve and they inflate, roll and sit on to deflate, then close valve to keep deflated.  Many sizes.  The one I have used the most - "deluxe" model  (4 lbs 6 oz on my scale; R 6.8)  fits in a large roll tote with my 3-season sleeping bag.

[5thGenTexan]

3 minutes ago, DuctTape said:

I have never had an issue. No different than sleeping under a tarp on the ground. There is condensation on the underside of the tarp. This is true in tents as well. Sometimes moreso due to lack of airflow. I wonder if the texas climate plays a role. I will check with some fellow hammockers in TX.

Not an airflow problem  Just dripping water on everything.  Tents covered. Tables, coolers, stoves, everything under the main cover wet with dew, ground, etc.  This camp is located on a lake, so I am not sure if that factors in.

 

[Buggie]

Not what you're looking for, but I picked up a full size yoga mat with one of those straps you can carry it with. I recognize this isn't the greatest of sleeping pads, but I liked the carrying strap for it. It's fairly comfortable. I've not had a chance to camp with it yet, but already I get very tired when I'm on it. 😀

But seriously, it's not a terrible cheap one and I'm going to get a double use out of it. 

[69RoadRunner]

What's your budget?  Can you sleep on a closed cell foam pad or want inflatable? What temperature conditions?

There are backpacking quilts if you don't like mummy bags.  As with most things, you get what you pay for.  A nice down bag/quilt will last longer than a cheap synthetic.  Down will compress much more than synthetic for travel, too.

Backpacking inflatable pads are more comfortable than CCF, compress more but are more expensive.

You can fit a down bag/quilt and an inflatable pad in a plastic grocery bag with room to spare.

[mashmaster]

Fellow Texan here.  A lot of our campsites don't allow hammocks.

for pads, I recommend the Kylmit inflatable pads.  They are small and comfortable.  When uninflated, they are the size of a nalgene.  Cost is from $40 - 80 depending on size.

for cots, if budget is no object, I recommend helinox cot one cots.  THey are amazing, small, light, and great support.  Also $230+tax when on sale, normally $300.

For sleeping bag, lots of options.  I have one from REI outlet that is a combination of down and synthetic.  It comes in a compression bag so it packs down small and is light.  the compression bag is a great thing to have for a sleeping bag.

[69RoadRunner]

Low price, light, compact inflatable pad:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FP4Z3RZ?pf_rd_p=ab873d20-a0ca-439b-ac45-cd78f07a84d8&pf_rd_r=RGJVVEYHF6N48XK114H6

Lightweight, compact non-mummy down sleeping bags:

https://smile.amazon.com/Naturehike-Sleeping-Lightweight-Camping-Backpacking/dp/B076DW86W3/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=backpacking+quilt&qid=1582290323&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzN0M1VFBGWkxSSkxPJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzQyNTg3RkZGWUNIQ0ZXSlpFJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5NTkzNDkzM0xQS1dTQ01aTENNJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

https://smile.amazon.com/AEGISMAX-Sleeping-Rectangular-Envelope-Backpacking/dp/B074M6DB12/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp?cv_ct_cx=backpacking+quilt&keywords=backpacking+quilt&pd_rd_i=B074M6DB12&pd_rd_r=e5bd4c2a-2e02-4d53-808f-10b716c5cd48&pd_rd_w=tTUlP&pd_rd_wg=mXYxS&pf_rd_p=a6d018ad-f20b-46c9-8920-433972c7d9b7&pf_rd_r=5CP1Z40KZZ6W03HCF1NV&psc=1&qid=1582290539&s=sporting-goods

 

Lightweight, compact tent:

https://smile.amazon.com/Naturehike-VIK-Person-Tent-White/dp/B07PNB28V3?ref_=ast_bbp_dp

I have no experience with these.  If you follow Homemade Wanderlust on YouTube, Dixie is going to try some of these items on her next thru-hike.

 

[mrkstvns]

Hmmm.  Hammocks again.  

Just a reminder to folks that hammocks might be a good solution for some folks, some of the time, but do take the time to think about how you camp and where you camp, because they are definitely not a good solution for everyone.

As others have mentioned, the hammock can be less comfortable than sleeping on a cot, or even flat out on the ground. Do you like being bent into a taco shape at night?

We also need to be aware that hammocks damage the environment in many areas. There are places where their use is so short-lived or where the trees see little hammock use and the impact is so little as to be irrelevant. But there are also places (like "front country" state parks) where sites are heavily trafficked and a few good size trees constantly get picked as "perfect hammock trees". Because so many of those trees have been killed by constant stresses of large numbers of hammock campers, you see camps and parks that now have "no hammock" rules. Some state parks have recognized that there are people who enjoy hammocks, but rather than fight them with rules and restrictions, they will provide permanent steel hammock stands. If you find these in a park near you, use them rather than the trees. 

In scouting, we have an "Outdoor Code" and we promote use of "Leave No Trace" as an outdoor ethics program.  Outdoor ethics is about understanding the places we hike and camp. We observe the conditions and we do things in a way that doesn't damage the resource and that preserves it for the enjoyment of others.  LNT does not have any "rules". It has some guidelines that help us know what to look for and what to consider when we're outdoors so we can apply the "authority of the resource" to guide us.

That means that if we are in real backcountry in an area with healthy, hearty trees, then the hammock is a great choice for us.  If we are in an area with delicate ground cover, then likewise, the hammock might be an ideal solution to help us protect the resource.  However, if we're in an area where trees are smaller or fragile, or where conditions like drought and wild fire have left them struggling for survival....then any hammock usage at all will damage the environment far more than a tent on the ground.  There are also many areas where tents matting down the ground really aren't an "impact". For example, any camping on a beach, on the snow, or even on a layer of pine needles in a southern forest, will have zero to near-zero impact on "the resource".

Scouters who love their hammocks but still want to be responsible outdoorsmen can educate themselves about how the potential pitfalls of hammock use occur and can become aware of what natural factors affect the decision of whether or where to use a hammock.

Here's a good source of basic info that really helps understand just why hammocks can be a problem.
https://hammockinformation.com/do-hammocks-hurt-trees/

I'm not saying hammocks are always a problem....they're not. But sometimes they are.  Good outdoor ethics training helps us understand when, where, and how using a hammock is "good". 

 

 

[Jameson76]

As an interim step, and to begin the process, what about a backpack and a duffel bag?

The backpack can get your personal gear, food, small stove, tent, etc easily to and from the vehicle.  Then your large duffel can have chair, sleeping bag, pad, etc.  You have two bags and easy to transport and handle

As you migrate and advance to more backpacking you go from say a normal camp chair to a backpacking chair; move to a more compressed sleeping bag, more of a backpack sleeping pad.  Then suddenly everything fits in the backpack