[pct-l] Sleeping gear recommendations

[Brandon McGinnity]

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