Non-insulated sleeping pad into an insulated one

[UTpowder]

Have a couple Big Agnes air core sleeping pads I picked up on SAC last fall. Would really like to be able to use these when its colder. Is there anyway of insulating these myself? Could I just pick up some down at the craft store and blow in to the pad? Or should I just suck it up, pull out the CC and go get some exped pads? As always I would prefer the cheaper option but only if it works.

[hemas]

All sleepíng pads are insulated... that is why we have 'em and don't sleep on the ground.

[RedWolf]

All sleepíng pads are insulated... that is why we have 'em and don't sleep on the ground.

Ding ding ding!

If you're that concerned, add a bag liner, double them up or stack it with a cheap foam sleeping pad, or dish out for the Exped.

[UTpowder]

All sleepíng pads are insulated... that is why we have 'em and don't sleep on the ground.

Very true, but some are more insulated then others. Just trying to increase the r value of what I already have.

[BakerBoy]

Very true, but some are more insulated then others. Just trying to increase the r value of what I already have.

Duh.

[UTpowder]

I could even cut that shit to length. Probably won;t stop itching for a year, but it would be cheap.

Any other options?

[davep]

just buy a cheap blue foamie and put it underneath if you're looking for cheap + warm + comfortable.

I really doubt you'll be able to get insulation into the core through the little valve without seriously messing it up.

[pechelman]

i thought those air pads have insulation on the outside and not the inside
like a very thin layer of down\primaloft\whatever bonded between the bladder and the external fabric

id say to just get a regular foamie or find a pack with a removable foam backpad and put it between your sleeping bag and the pad

ive had a couple nights where i could feel the heat being sucked out against my inflatable pad

[UTpowder]

I'll look into getting a couple foamies. My 12 year old daughter is going with me on her first overnight ski trip this weekend. We will almost certainly be camping on snow. I want to make sure she has a good time. Looks like the air temp won't be bad but I'm concerned about losing heat through the pad. She is as excited as hell. She has done quite a few day tours but never an overnight. Plus I just bought her a new pair of touring boots. She has just been using her alpine boots up until know.

[Yeti]

Get a separate closed-cell foam pad. The blue ones are the cheapest and perfectly adequate IMO, especially if you're part of the the duct-tape set.

e.g. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___41312

With a separate pad, you can use both for one person like you want -- but you can also split them up and cover twice as much ground, or use it as a seat for lunch breaks and safety checks, or use it to pad your roof rack in a pinch, or float on it in an alpine lake, or use it as part of a splint for a leg, or...

[skiingsamurai]

dont the big agnes air core bags have twice the R value of most other bags? I just got one last week and feel that it will be fine for most instances. Though it doesnt seem to have much in the way of insulation besides the air cores.

if you want more insulation, go with a cheapo foam one underneath the air core

[pechelman]

We will almost certainly be camping on snow. I want to make sure she has a good time. Looks like the air temp won't be bad but I'm concerned about losing heat through the pad.

having slept on snow on my lightweight inflatable insulmat, i highly reccomend you also bring a good full length foam pad for your young daughter.

i definitely felt a lot of heat being lost through my pad that night..
air temp at night was ~20-25?F

i would also say to be sure you have either a closed bottom tent to limit the amount of moisture that can condense on the inside of the tent or to bring a dropsheet for a floorless tent

[GeezerSteve]

pechelman has it right. Put the closed cell foam pad on top of the Big Agnes/insulmat, i.e., between the air pad and the sleeping bag. When camping on snow, cold penetrates the sides of the air mat (whether or not it has flap insulation), and a closed cell foam pad under the air pad does nothing to help that situation. I learned this from direct experience, freezing my ass off on the Walrus Glacier with the system flipped (as davep and skiingsamurai suggest); put closed cell foam pad on top the following night and I was cozy. (OTOH, a closed cell foam pad underneath the air pad is protection for >freezing temps on rocky ground).

BTW, the insulated Big Agnes/Insulmats have limited insulation comprised of flaps of thing polarguard-esque stuff hanging down from the top (label facing skyward is "up").

UTpowder's suggestion of two closed cell foam pads is sound. That's what we old timers did before the Thermarest was invented. These days, a sandwiched closed cell foam and Thermarest is better. ExPed Downmat is best for snow, but expensive and a leak renders one padless. Thus I use a closed cell pad + Thermarest for snow camping.

[hutash]

Thus I use a closed cell pad + Thermarest for snow camping.

Best combo for comfort and warmth I have ever found.

edit...don't be cheap, get your daughter a warm bag and pad, it will make the difference of a good time verses a terrible time, which will affect her opinion of snow camping forever.

[UTpowder]

She has a nice brand new 15 degree down bag. Not really trying to be cheap, just trying to get the most out of what I already have. Last weekend turned out good. We had a great time. Stayed warm. Used the closed cell pad on the aircore pad. No problems. It was actually quite warm however. So much so that it will probably be our last day skiing until the snow falls again.

[10% Groomed]

Just squirt some of this stuff in there.



http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...05_20000_21001