Why does nobody talk about sleeping pad R-value vs how thick it feels in the store?
I had to pick between a thin pad with a high R-value and a fat cushy one that felt amazing when I flopped on it at the store in Boise last month, and I went with the cushy one because my hips liked it. Big mistake. First night out in the Sawtooths it hit 29 degrees and I could feel the cold coming up through that thing like I was lying on a picnic table, because all that loft was just air and not much insulation. My buddy had the thin one and slept fine in a t-shirt while I was in a puffy with the hood up at 2am. I get that thickness and warmth are two different things now, but standing in a store pressing your hand into a pad tells you nothing about either. Next time I buy I want to see the R-value number right on the tag, not buried in a spec sheet online. Anyone got a pad that's actually both warm and soft, or is that just a myth?