My cheap foam sleeping pad popped on a cold night in the White Mountains

I bought a basic foam pad for $25 last year, thinking it would be fine for a few weekend trips. On a hike near Mount Washington, the temperature dropped to 28 degrees overnight. I woke up freezing because the pad had lost all its insulation where I was lying. Turns out the thin foam just couldn't handle the cold ground, even with my sleeping bag. Has anyone else had a pad fail like that in the cold? What do you use for a reliable backup?

3 comments

3 Comments

holly70928d ago

Honestly, that's just the foam getting brittle. Cold makes it crack, not just lose loft. You need something with actual air inside to block the ground chill.

torres.blair28d ago

You're right about the air gap, but moisture is the real killer. Wet foam loses all its warmth fast.

stella_black3328d ago

Torres.blair nailed it, moisture ruins everything.