Why do these foam abominations still exist? The cheap ones are

>>643605
ccf mats are absolutely reliable and will survive the death of the operator with zero maintenance.

they are also adequate insulation, which is the most important use for ground pad

Their main job is to insulate you from the earth, not to provide comfort. It will keep you warmer than those self inflating mats

>>643605
>accidentally put inflatable mat on glass shard/pointy rock/...
>your mat is now a very small groundsheet

Losing insulation while youre /out/ and about is no joke.

What's the best mat for camping then?

>>643617
>It will keep you warmer than those self inflating mats
Generally false. Most air mats have higher R-value than foam. There are a few cases where this isn't true of course.

I use both depending on the situation - foam is always going to be reliable and is the perfect choice where the level of insulation is sufficient (generally anything above freezing).

Usually if I am using air it is because it is below freezing and then I am putting it on top of my foam mat to stack the insulation and provide protection to the air mat.

>>643605
Because in the winter the air in inflatable mats still gets cold (especially on snow) so the foam insulates you from the cold air while still keeping you above the snow. On one trip I got by on a ski traverse with only a z-lite and a roll of cheap foam. Chilly, but manageable.

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>>643639
>Because in the winter the air in inflatable mats still gets cold (especially on snow) so the foam insulates you from the cold air while still keeping you above the snow

A ThermaRest type self inflating foam mattress has a foam core that provides the insulation and are as warm or warmer then a foam pad, whereas a conventional "hollow" air mattress will shut the heat out of your body in cold conditions, leaving you colder then if you had just slept on the ground.

>>643695
>shut the heat out of your body in cold conditions

shunt the heat out

>>643637
Depends what you are looking for. I think the Thermorest NeoAir X light women's edition is the best on the market right now. Best R-Value for a 12oz inflatable. If you're looking for a 4 season pad then idk, I don't camp in the snow. Foam pads are the shit OP its about ground instillation not comfort. Camping is not about comfort.

>>643701
Are the air filled ones strong enough or do you get punctures?

>>643702
Inflatables can get punctured no doubt, but If you know how and where to set up your gear you'll be fine. People hike thousands of miles and camp night after night for months with inflatable pads that never pop. I'm one of those people.

>>643702
I sleep with my thermarest directly on the ground all the time (no tarp or tent floor in between the pad and the ground. I've slept on dirt terrain, sand, and rock with that thing for upwards of five years of consistent use (a weekend outing every other weekend). I've never had a puncture. However, I do carry a patch kit with me in my med kit, because I'm sure it will happen at some point.

>>643605
Aside from preventing the grojnd feom sapping heat, they have buoyancy and can be used to drag wounded as well.

>>643605
Buy a foldable one and place it between your back and the rucksack on long marches

The advantage is that they're $10 and provide insulation.

They work better than inflatables for hammocks.

They can't be punctured and work even if there are holes in them.

>>643702
i've had the same self filling inflatable for years. pretty sure its just an REI brand middle of the road one too. never had a problem/puncture.


i assume if it did get punctured ripstop and duct tape (and im not one of those-- "duct tape for everything!" guys) would fix it pretty quick.

>>643605
Those cheep rollaway pads are bulkier'n horsedicks but they do work. Even with just an R-value of 1 or 2 they're great value. Shit costs like $10 at wallywürld and weighs nothing. It's the perfect item for some people, and has value.

>>643605
wow i'm so glad i came across this thread. ty OP, don't see any downsides to the mats am interested to hear about any. f*ck i love /out/

>>643889
>bulkier'n horsedicks
l-lewd

One of these pieces of shit has been my sole backpacking mattress for six years. There's zero comfort but I never gave a damn about comfort, else I would stay at home. Apart from that it does its insulation job very well, is easier to insert into my hammock when I want it, and is feather fucking light! Anything else is like luxury to me (in both a good and bad way.)

>>643907
well it's good thing I chose to say "weighs nothing" rather than my orignal verson 'it's lighter'n an altarboy's pubes"

>>643638
yeah but i'm not sure if the R-value takes into account the compression from the person on top. The self inflatables definitely compress more than the ccf pads at your heavy spots, especially if you sleep sideways you lose a lot of heat on hips and shoulders...

>>643915
Who sleeps sideways.. Its like your not even ready for a bear to show up and body slam it...

>>643605
>not sleeping on newspaper and plastic bags

do you even /hobo/ m8?

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>>643701
>Camping is not about comfort.

Then you're doing it wrong.

>>643991
>carrying a Jeep on your back for all of your hike
No, thanks.

>>643991
Nice. Makes me want to fix up my old Trooper II and head for the wilderness.

>>644010
underrated

>>643605
>Why do these foam abominations still exist?
because they are light, dirtcheap, indestructible and work well. Volume is the only negative point, but since everybody straps em to the outside of the pack this is not a big issue.

>>643605
wish i was a back sleeper so i could use these comfortably, they are light, cheap and well insulating. the ones in my pic are even better but a bit more expensive. i use it together with a neoair camper for both optimal relax times in a tent and a way to sit close to the fire without fear of punctures.

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>>644220
forgot pic

>>643701
>Camping is not about comfort.
Maybe not for you but for me it sure as fuck is.
I had two back surgeries, I'm not looking for a third.
That being said how do I into maximum comfy?

>>644295
Car camping.

Literally, make the back half of your car into a little bedroom.

I'm pretty short so I could lay by back chairs down flat and sleep in the back of my estate car. Just put my whole mattress and duvet in the boot.

>>644220
>better but a bit more expensive
Actually the brand tag makes them expensive, it is normal Evazote insualtion foam, you buy em by the ton for constuction work.
Look for Evazote EV30 or EV 50, closed foam, high insulation value.

>>644300
Tent is usually more comfortable than a car imo. Car has no ventilation and they fill up with condensation.

>>643605
My buddies and I call these "puss pads" because you have a pussy if you need to use one

>>644663
and you use what ?

>>644663
I never understood this rugged faggotry.
I bet you raw dog it in each others' buttholes too.

>2015
>Using the inflatable jew

>>644895
>oy vey another "puncture"?
>time to shell out another 100
>good goy

>>643605
>you would be better on the floor

This statement alone would make me never accompany you or allow you to accompany me on a trip out, just because it's old tech doesn't make it useless, I started out using one of these and it was fine for years, the only reason most people have moved on is because the newer options take up less room, I've used a foam mat in conjunction with a space blanket in temps below -20 and it was fine, stop trying to invent problems that don't exist.

>>643605

I actually started with cardboard...though it sounds like crap...it put space between the ground and you, really made a difference. ...though yeah there is a billion things better...not every one can afford it...or camp enough to give a shit..ms foam pads do just good enough. If they did not have their purpose, they would not sell...if they did not sell, they'd not really be around any more. So they got their purpose.

>>643607
this.

they're also very light.

>>644220
What happens if you're a side sleeper? Do they not work?

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These feel so good to rub your feet on when tripping though.

>>645071
same issue as with all mats less uniform pressure distribution. compressed areas isolate less.
i either sleep recovery position style or mummies style both works fine

>>645188
>recovery position style

That's how I sleep, good to know it works fine.

>>645177
Go back to the drug thread you hippie.

>>644010
>being so much of a manlet that you can't do this

>>645029
>putting your thermarest directly on rocks
>not having a repair kit
It's not the Jews' fault when you're absolutely retarded m8

>>645189
Also prevents you from dying an embarrassing death from choking on your own vomit, it's a good idea generally to sleep in recovery position

>>645231
go back to the pioneer thread grandpa

>>645315
lol, I searched the catalog to see if that actually existed.

>>645348
See this thread:
>>645196

>>645351
I know nigga, that's why I internally kek'd
I already posted in it.

>>645352
Did they have any CCF mats in that thread?

>>644672
Nothing lel
>>644672
Fo sho

Don't know about you but I'd rather not sleep on little annoying bits of rock.

>>643695
>>643639
foam doesn't insulate shit it's the air trapped inside that does the insulation foam or no foam.

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>>647747
>foam doesn't insulate shit it's the air trapped inside that does the insulation foam or no foam.

No, it’s the foam that provides the insulation (see: your sleeping bag, winter coat, etc.).

A conventional “empty” air mattress acts as a heat sink and will suck the warmth out of your body and into the ground.

Don’t believe me? Go ahead and spend a late fall / winter night sleeping on a conventional air mattress; you’ll discover that you’d have been better off just throwing the sleeping bag on the floor of the tent, after you wake up at 3:00am freezing your ass off…

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>>647761
I hate to be pedantic but it is a combination of the foam and the air. The air is what provides the insulation, but the foam is what keeps the air from circulating and ensures that heat is trapped, hence why empty air mattresses suck at insulation and inflatable sleeping pads have a foam inside of them. This is also why sleeping bag fibers and polar bear fur are hollow. Pic related, sleeping bag fibers.

>>647772
Neat

Mats are primarily for insulation, comfort is secondary. Harden the fuck up or stay home.

>>643715
>Buy a foldable one and place it between your back and the rucksack on long marches
it would fall on the ground

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3rd worlder here.

It's about $5 around here, we put it inside frameless 60 L rucksack to stiffen the tube. It won't be bearable without it.

>>648037
What about those of us who are handicapped but would still like to go /out/ ?
Should my body "harden the fuck up" so I'm eligible?

I never got the discomfort is manly thing anyway.

>>648129
That's actually pretty genius, I'm gonna start doing that. Normally it just bounces around on my head like a ballsack.

>>644595
Hammock and self mat combo?

>>644672
>2015
You still don't use your enlongated foreskin for rugged insulation

>>645237
You can just use a lighter to melt paracord over the hole.

>>643605
Why the hate? Did somebody fuck your mommy on a foam pad or something?

>>643605

A Thermarest is essential.

>>648263

Yes harden the fuck up retard.

>>643991

/o/ here
XJ's are a meme

they suck shit