Realized my sleeping pad was half-inflated for 2 years after a buddy squeezed it

I was out in Shenandoah last month and this guy I met asked why my pad felt so spongy, so I gave it a squeeze and holy crap it was way too soft. Turns out I've been sleeping on basically a half-deflated Therm-a-Rest for like 2 years thinking that was normal. Anyone else ever miss something obvious like that with their gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

sandra9167d ago

Man, I've had that exact same pad for like 4 years now and I actually like it a little soft. Mine loses maybe 10% over a weekend but I just top it off before bed. My buddy runs his rock hard and complains about cold spots all night. To each their own I guess, as long as you're not waking up on the ground it's probably fine.

ryan9526d ago

Wait, have you tried just partially inflating it AND using a thin foam pad underneath? That combo changed the game for me. I used to have the same issue where my pad would lose air overnight and I'd wake up on the ground. But I threw a cheap foam topper under it and now I can keep it softer without worrying about cold spots or waking up on dirt. My buddy runs his inflatable so hard it feels like sleeping on a board and he CONSTANTLY complains about sliding off. For real, the foam took the pressure off the air bladder and my pad barely leaks now.