I've been looking for sleeping pads for camping. It seems they have 3 grades; upper end, medium grade and low end. I don't understand why they charge so much for a "Pad" even the cheap/low end egg crate like foam is over 20 bucks and a good 2"+ thickness or better is over 100 bucks, just for a simple pad??? We're not talking exotic/rare materials or tons of labor/machines to make these, why are they so expensive? Any comments or thoughts?

I think the sleeping pad deal is a racket. It's akin to the great shaver debacle. Why the heck do replacement blades to shave cost so much money? I digress. My dad has a Thermarest ProLite 4 which is supposed to self inflate, it does not. All in all, I guess I am not that impressed with the the uber high end matresses. I used a ProLite 3 for a while a year or two ago and I just did not see any major advantage other than bulk over the cheaper pads.

Thermarest is apparently coming out with a newer line of "self inflators" in January or so I have heard. Maybe something in their new line will sway me. Since I don't hang out on glaciers and would rather spend my money on knives and other quality gear, I have gone back to the Z-Rest foam pad (the orange and gray ones).

thanks for the info Jeeps, got a link for them Z-rests? (I think those are the egg crate ones we saw)

and I sooooo agree with them razor cartridges, rip-off!

Sure bro here is a link on REI's site http://www.rei.com/product/708517 although you could find them cheaper.

can you double up on them z-rests? one on the other?

I have had and used one of these Ridge Rests for years and it's still going strong.
I don't for one minute imagine it's as comfy as an inflating matress type but it does the job,is much better than sleeping straight on the ground, insulates fairly well and unlike a thermarest will not puncture.
I imagine that as I get older my bones and joints will cry out for a little more padding so we will see !!!!

http://www.rei.com/product/708520

I have a couple of ridge rests, they're great. right now, though, I'm using a mountain hardwear pad. it's not self-inflating, but it's pretty comfy. has a nylon cover over the foam to keep the foam from getting torn up, and quick lock buckles that keep it rolled up and let you clip two of them together. it was more than a ridge rest, I think I paid about forty bucks for mine on sale five or six years ago, but it's really lasted. I did have a therma-rest, but after a little while of use it stopped inflating itself, and wasn't that much more comfortable than closed cell pads.

Take a look at Big Agness. I've got a thermarest standard. I've had it for about 10 years now. However, the stuff that Big Agness is putting it looks pretty good and it has gotten great reviews.

I have used the Thermarest and ended up happy as heck that I bought it from REI as they have a GREAT return policy. 1 use on a tarp and it was leaking! Ended up getting a Thermarest Ridgerest. Not as compfy but it doesn't deflate <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Also for car camping I bought a foam pad from Fred Meyer that is 3in thick. Not compact but as close to a real mattress as I have ever slept on the ground on. Being closed cell foam it too will not deflate <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

yeah I'm a little leary about inflatables.

Pine branches, can't beat em!

lol gets pine branches and beats terry with em!