After my last inflatable sleeping pad sprung multiple leaks, I decided to go all old fashioned and get this basic sleeping pad. There’s really not too much to say about it. At 15 bucks, it’s cheap and does the job fine. You unroll it, it keeps a little distance between the ground and you, and you don’t have to worry about it breaking down on you

It is pretty light at only half the weight my old inflatable sleeping pad was. However, it is much larger at more than twice the packing volume. I personally don’t mind carrying a bit of weight, and I prefer having a smaller backpack if possible. Therefore, I tend to opt for smaller items even if they are heavier, but the pad proved to be an exception for me.

Compared to my old inflatable sleeping pad on the right

This sleeping pad, and any sleeping pad of similar style, takes up so much space that it annoys me. If I were to put it in my backpack, it would occupy half the usable area. Instead, I just strap this near the top of my backpack after everything else is packed away. That wouldn’t really be a problem, but the rain guard I have for my backpack isn’t quite made to accommodate such a wide load, and a bit of my backpack gets exposed to the elements if I leave it so. So, if it starts raining, I need to pull my pad off and strap it to the side. I suppose I could always pack it like that, but I just don’t want to. Why? I dunno. Because it’s asymmetrical and looks weird and I need to be on my fashion game while hiking, I guess?

Regardless, despite its flaw of being half the size of everything else I take with me, it works fine and I will be using this one for many years to come.

Pros:

Cheap

Light

Won’t break down

Cons:

Big and unwieldy to pack