Thought a $15 sleeping pad would be fine... it wasn't

I bought this super cheap foam pad off Amazon for a weekend trip to Shenandoah. First night I woke up every two hours feeling the rocks right through it. By morning my back was shot. I borrowed a friend's inflatable pad the next night and actually slept. Never skimping on ground gear again - anyone else learn this the hard way?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane_hayes1mo ago

Eh I kinda disagree. A cheap foam pad works fine if you pair it with a good campsite or use it on softer ground. Not everyone needs a fancy inflatable.

nguyen.blake1mo ago

Last summer I slept on a cheap blue foam pad from Walmart for a whole week in the Sierras and honestly woke up feeling fine each morning. @shane_hayes is totally right, if you pick a flat spot with some pine needles or soft dirt underneath, that basic pad does the job just as well as the expensive ones. Plus you never have to worry about it springing a leak in the middle of the night.

viola_lopez301mo ago

Oh man, I feel your pain! I had almost the same thing happen with a bargain pad in the Great Smokies and it was a rough night. What finally worked for me was stacking two of those cheap foam pads together, it doubled the cushion without costing much more. @nguyen.blake is right that site selection matters a ton, but even soft ground can't fix a pad that's basically just a sheet of paper. Now I always bring at least a little extra thickness, it's worth it for not waking up feeling like a pretzel.