Hello all. My boyfriend and I will be backpacking for eight months through the continent, starting March 11. We have been looking into sleeping pads (which are quite expensive!) and are wondering if anyone has suggestions. Therm-a-rest certainly seems like the way to go, but I wonder whether to get the fold-up, non-inflating (and bulkier) sort or the inflating, very compact, much more expensive kind.
Thanks for your thoughts!
For real back-packing you want the compact, compressible, roll-up types, ThermaRest is a good brand, or was 20 years ago when I did any backpacking. The inflatable type can be rolled and compressed. Some backpackers get the 3/4 length, instead of the full body length, to get more compactness.Let's also talk about your 8 months on the continent? The entry regulations for the EU are now (and have been for some time) a maximum stay of 3 months in the 6 months after first entry. And you cannot (legally) reset the 3 months clock by taking a quick trip to the UK--some have thought that's a way around the regulations--not true.So are you EU citizens, or have been able to get a resident visa, or what?
I bought a compact, inflating sleeping pad for camping at Sierratradingpost.com, because they have some GREAT deals (I believe mine was about $20, maybe $30).
Regardless of price, though, I'd say that the inflatable/more compact models would be a better idea for travelling. Have fun!
Jenny,
As Kent mentioned, you'll need to be very clear on the terms of the Schengen Agreement! As I understand the rules, once you've reached the three month limit, you must go to a non-Schengen area for a minimum period of time before returning (perhaps 90 days, but I'm not sure).
If you're caught breaking the rules you could face serious penalties, including being deported and banned from returning for a specific period of time.
Good luck!
The thermarest is by far the most popular and common sleeping pad--it's comfortable and rip-resistant. Foam pads like ridgerests (the Z shaped pads) don't provide much cusioning. There is tons of variety in Thermarest now so you can choose from very light and compact pads to quite cushy but heavier ones. I used to use the lightest 3/4 length but these don't provide as much warmth as the regular size pads, if you're sleeping on cold ground.
Thank you for all of the suggestions. Yes, we will be staying in Schengen countries for three months, non-Schengen countries for another three, and then will return to France for the remainder of our trip. And we'll probably do it with one of those inflatable mattresses, despite the price.
The roll-up, inflatable sleeping pads are not very durable, and the compact varieties aren't particularly comfortable either. I doubt it would last for your entire trip. My personal favorite are the Coleman inflatable mattresses, but these are probably too heavy for backpacking. Go with the non-inflating sleeping pad.
I do lots of backpacking and camping and I have had my thermarest inflatable matress for 15 years now. I would highly suggest a 3/4 length mattress and spend the extra dollars on the pro-lite series. They are much more lighter and more compact then the regular pads. You could also buy a patch kit in case it leaks, but again in 15 years I have never needed one. Duct tape would work as well. Check out REI an you can compare the sizes and weights of the different brands/types.
Don't let price be a determining factor, remember you'll be sleeping on this thing every night and the one thing I think we can all agree on is being uncomfortable when trying to go to sleep on sleeping impacts our life tremendously. And if you do buy a cheaper brand you'll probably throw it away because it's uncomfortable so in other words you're throwing your money away.
