Unpopular opinion: those cheap foam sleeping pads are fine for weekend trips

I spent years thinking I needed a $150 inflatable pad for any camping trip. Then last summer I did three nights in the Smokies on a $12 Walmart foam pad I bought on a whim. Honestly? I slept fine. My buddy was over there pumping air into his fancy pad every night while I just rolled mine out and crashed. I'm not saying it works for winter or rocky ground, but for car camping in mild weather, I think we overhype the expensive stuff. Has anyone else found gear that's way cheaper but works good enough for most situations?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscarwright13d ago

But did you test it on any slightly uneven ground... I found the cheap foam pads don't hide rocks as well as the thick inflatable ones. A little dip in the dirt can mess up your whole night if you're a side sleeper like me. Just curious how much that mattered for your trip.

ryan6537d ago

Oh man @oscarwright you're calling me out because I'm a side sleeper too and yeah that foam pad tricked me with a hidden root one night and my hip was screaming by 3am. But honestly for the price difference I'll take one bad night in ten and just sleep on my stomach if I have to.