A Lighter Sleeping Pad
In my old age I just have to have an inflatable sleeping pad on which I can turn side to side, and my hips and shoulders don't bottom out. Therm-a-Rest was a game changer when their self inflating pad came out in 1972. Things took a huge leap when Therm-a-Rest made the Neoaire, and soon Big Agnes, Nemo, and Exped and others were making light weight sleeping pads.
I did the JMT in 2016 using the Exped Synmat Hyperlite MW, which weighs 16.25 oz, and worked fine. I was going to use it on the 2017 hike, but it went flat the night we car camped before the start of the trip. I decided to buy a replacement rather than patching it, and got a Therm-a-Rest XLite, which has rounded corners, which weighed 12.25 oz. OK, 4 oz is not that big of a deal, but its 4 oz, so fine. Below on the left: the Neoaire XLite. On the right, the Exped. The Thermo Xlite os $160, and Exped HL is $140.
This was #2 in my six ways I saved 5 pounds in 2017 over my 2016 pack weight. None of them are huge, but the ounces add up.
#2 Lighter Sleeping Pad
#6: Enlightened Equipment 20 Quilt:
From the pictures below you can tell the two mats are about the same size, and thickness. Both are just fine for sleeping. The Exped has a cloth-like surface, so its less like sleeping on plastic. The Neoaire XLite is less crinkly than the original Neoaire, but its a little crinkly when turning.
