Sleeping Pad FAQs

Yes, the Big Agnes sleeping pads really are different. The perforated I-beam construction makes for very consistent air distribution in, and therefore a very stable ride on, the pads. They are super comfortable - way more comfortable than any "self inflating" pad. At rallies, most of our sleeping pad sales are to people who are camping next to someone with a Big Agnes pad! They aren't just "air mattresses" - these are well-insulated, durable, high-tech sleeping pads.

The NeoAir by Therm-a-Rest is also an extraordinary pad. It has a patent-pending reflective barrier that returns warmth to your body and reduces heat loss to the ground, keeping you three times warmer than any other uninsulated air mattress. That's right, the NeoAir is considered "uninsulated" because it has no insulative fill, but it reflects your body heat by a special patent-pending feat of engineering.

To tell you the truth, I find it hard to understand. I thought those temperature ratings had to do with ground temperature, but I'm told that they actually are an indication of the lowest air temperature the pad is good to. I'm willing enough to believe it, but I just can't figure out how that works.

The main thing to understand is this: if you're in a sleeping bag on the ground without a pad, far more body heat is lost to the ground beneath you than to the air above you. In other words, a well-insulated sleeping pad is more important than a well-insulated sleeping bag! You need an effective thermal barrier between yourself and the ground to prevent heat from radiating groundward - otherwise, it's as if you're trying to heat the planet!

The Insulated Air Core pads are supposedly good to 15 degrees ambient temperature - frozen air - but are not adequate on frozen ground. On frozen ground you'd want an additional closed-cell foam pad, even something as thin as an Exped Multi-Mat.

The Dual Core is rated to 0 degrees and, because of its foam/Primaloft fill, can be used on frozen ground (but folks in the industry still advise use of an additional closed cell foam pad with your inflatable on frozen ground). Of course, frozen ground is rare in motorcycle camping.

The Air Core, Insulated Air Core, Dual Core and NeoAir pads are inflated by mouth or pump. We recommend used of the Exped Pillow/Pump, though mastering them takes some patience and effort.

Hinman pads are "semi self-inflating." Open the valve, spread out the pad, let its foam core inhale for 15-20 minutes, and then top it off with 5-10 breaths to fully inflate.

This is important. You've gotta get a complete deflation in order to be able to pack away the pad with maximum efficiency.

We received this great suggestion from our good friend, Robert Wilmoth: Before you get up on the morning you're going to break camp, open the valve on your pad and let it deflate under your body weight. It gets the process started, expels a lot of air and, once you make contact with the hard ground, forces you to get up and get going.

Hinman: Open the valve and let the pad exhale on its own for a minute. If you're in a hurry, fold the pad in quarters and sit on it to speed deflation. Press and squeeze it to get as much air out as possible (or, as suggested above, lie on it as it deflates). After initial deflation, close the valve, spread the pad flat and roll it as tight as possible starting from the foot end. Use your hands to roll the pad and a knee to keep the rolled portion as tight as possible. When the unrolled portion is taut and bloated from the air trapped inside (because the valve is closed), open the valve, complete the rolling process and then close the valve. Slip the compression straps around the rolled Hinman and cinch tight, or stow the Dual Core in its storage sack.

Air Core, Insulated Air Core, Dual Core, SynMat and NeoAir deflation: Open the valve(s) and let the pad deflate on its own for a few minutes (most efficiently done if you're still lying on the pad). After initial deflation, fold it over or bunch it up and squeeze to force out the remaining air. Some people suck the last remaining air out or connect the valve to the intake port of a pump to maximize deflation.

With the pad fully deflated, fold it in thirds, lengthwise (the long way), and then roll tightly starting at the foot end. To wind up with the smallest package possible, the first few "rolls" should be tiny folds. Don't start actually rolling until it's the diameter of your bike's handgrips. By the way, with Dual Core pads, the lengthwise fold might need to be in half rather than third - just try to duplicate the stuff sack's length.

As you roll, the length of unrolled pad in front of you might try to fan out from its tri-fold position. Maintain the 8"-10" width of the roll by adjusting the lengthwise fold as necessary.

Yes, you'll be able to do it as long as you deflate the pad thoroughly. With the air out of the pad, just fold it in thirds lengthwise and roll it up tight starting at the foot end. The first several turns of the roll should be tiny folds using your fingertips like you're rolling a tight cigar. You might have to practice a couple times, but really, you'll get it back into the stuff sack.

First, get a pad with a temperature rating the same as or, better yet, lower than the temperature rating of your sleeping bag. We highly recommend the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core, Dual Core and the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir. The temperature ratings of all sleeping bags, industry wide, are based on using a zero-degree pad (because the underside insulation of a sleeping bag is known to be useless), so you've got to use a well-insulated pad to get anywhere near your sleeping bag's temperature rating. As odd as it may seem, your warmth in a sleeping bag is more dependent on your sleeping pad than on the sleeping bag itself.

Second, get a pad that corresponds to the size of your Big Agnes sleeping bag. That is, if you get a Regular Big Agnes sleeping bag, you'll need a 72" x 20" sleeping pad; if you have a Large Big Agnes sleeping bag, you'll need a 78" x 20" sleeping pad; and if you have a "Park Series" Big Agnes sleeping bag, you'll need a 78" x 25" sleeping pad. If you have a Big Agnes mummy bag, you'll need a mummy-shaped pad (FTC doesn't stock the mummy bags or pads, but if you find a mummy you want on the Big Agnes website, let us know; we'll get it for you).

If you don't have a Big Agnes sleeping bag, get the widest pad you can so your sleeping bag will stay on the pad longer. Your sleeping bag will stay on a wide pad a bit longer than it will stay on a narrow pad (but it'll slide off eventually). We highly recommend that you ditch the old bag and sleep with Big Agnes.

Inflate the pad and lay it on the ground, logo side up.

With sleeping bag in hand, kneel right about in the middle of the pad, facing the foot end (your back to the valve).

Open the Velcro flap at the head end of the sleeping bag's underside sleeve, opening the sleeve to form a big mouth.

Work that big mouth around the foot of the pad (put your foot in your mouth!) and pull the bag over the pad like you're pulling a pillow case onto a pillow, sliding yourself backwards on the pad as you do so.

When the foot of the pad is all the way to the foot of the sleeve, tuck the head end of the pad into the top portion of the sleeve, pull the valve through the opening at the top corner of the pad sleeve (so you can adjust pad firmness easily later on), and close the Velcro flap.

Practice this sequence a few times and you'll be doing it like a pro. Doing it in the confines of a small tent isn't as easy as doing it in your living room, so you might want to practice in your tent a few times to get the hang of it.

No, the stuff sacks are just for transport. You want to store your pad hung, laid out flat or folded loosely in a dry place and with valve open. The looseness of the pad will allow the insulation to loft during storage, and it will spring back to its full loft more readily on your next camping trip. If you store the pad rolled tight, the insulation will "memorize" a diminished loft point and might retain it throughout your next camping trip. Storing the pad with valve open will allow moisture to escape and should prevent mildew.

Yes, sleeping pads can be stuffed along with the sleeping bag, but it might be more trouble than it's worth. The key is to let all the air out of the pad and then to stuff the bag and pad into the stuff sack foot end first so as to prevent trapping any remaining air in the pad. The bag and pad will probably not fit together in the sleeping bag's original stuff sack, so you will need a larger stuff sack. This might result in a bigger package than you really want, so a compression sack (rather than a mere stuff sack) might be a better bet. The Exped Dry Compression Bag (Large) should do the trick.

Though sleeping bag and pad can be stuffed together, I prefer to separate pad and bag and pack them separately. Each has its own stuff sack and are easier to pack separately than together. I also figure the insulation in the pad is better served by folding and rolling than by stuffing.

If you figure a way that works for you to keep bag and pad together in transit, just make sure that you separate them and store them both properly when you get home.

In a perfect world, all pads would fully self-inflate on command, but that's not how it works in the world we've got.

"Self-inflating" means "semi self-inflating", and in cold temperatures semi might mean barely.

"Inflatable" means "this is going to require some huffing, puffing and dizziness" and "heavy smokers need to use a pump." Also, the industry is now starting to designate them as "non self-inflating" to clarify that you'll have to do the work yourself.

We've got no complaints about Big Agnes and Therm-a-Rest inflatable sleeping pads, but we wouldn't mind living in a perfect world.

We do not presently carry Exped sleeping mats, but we are big fans and will probably carry them again in the future. The following has to do with the old style Exped mats (we carried the old style but not the new ones with the flat ports).

Exped gives you two valves for faster deflation. Also, if you inflate the pad by mouth and are concerned about moisture in the insulation, at home you can open both valves, connect one valve to a hair dryer and let low heat circulate through the bad for a few minutes - should dry up any moisture.

No, the pads don't have two chambers. That is, if you are inflating the pad, the valve that isn't in use needs to be closed! If it's open, your inflation time will be greatly (infinitely) increased!

We don't carry Exped pads presently, but we are big fans and will probably carry them in the future. The following has to do with the old style Exped valves (not the new flat valves).

Since the problem is inconsistent, it isn't a leak. Leaks tend to be consistent; they don't come and go. So the problem has to be a valve, and leaking valves is a very common problem with Exped owners! Yes, owners rather than mats.

The Exped valves need to be pushed in, turned shut and then locked into closed position with a last little bit of a turn. You should feel the valve lock/set. If you fail to lock it in its closed position, air pressure in the pad will open the valve when you're lying on it.

Oh, and you need to make sure BOTH valves are closed - not just the one you used to inflate the pad.

With the Insulated Air Core pads by Big Agnes (our top pad recommendation), the insulation is affixed to the interior of the top deck. That's the side you want nearest your body if you're trying to retain heat in your sleep environment. But in some situations, you might actually want heat to escape. In that case, flip over your Insulated Air Core pad so that its insulated deck is facing the ground. The non-insulated deck is now closest to your body. Body heat can radiate into the pad and dissipate out the sides and ends.

The folks at Big Agnes might tell you that there is no upside and downside to the pads, but I'd urge you to conduct this simple test: on successive nights in cold weather, sleep the first night on the non-insulated side and the next night on the insulated side. You'll notice a big difference.