My new sleeping pad popped on its first trip to the Gila National Forest

Bought a fancy inflatable pad, the kind that packs down super small. Set it up on a clear spot, no rocks or sticks. Heard a tiny hiss after about two hours. Woke up on the cold ground. Learned that 'lightweight' sometimes just means 'thin and fragile'. Anyone know a durable pad that doesn't weigh a ton?

3 comments

3 Comments

jenny_hall1mo agoProlific Poster

I used to think expensive gear was worth it but that Gila trip totally changed my mind.

patricia5581mo ago

Oh man, that's just how it goes with anything "lightweight" these days. I bought a pair of hiking boots last year that were supposed to be super breathable and the soles started peeling off after two weeks. Same thing with a supposedly portable camp stove that couldn't boil a cup of water in ten minutes. It's like companies think "lightweight" is just marketing code for "we used the cheapest materials we could find." The Gila is no joke either, I've camped out there and the ground doesn't care if your pad is fancy.

ellis.susan1mo ago

Ngl, you hit the nail on the head there. I bought a "lightweight" camp chair last summer and the frame buckled the third time I sat in it, just totally useless. Tbh it's like they figure hikers won't complain because we're too tired to return stuff. Honestly the Gila ground is brutal, I've had a top-rated pad pop on a sharp rock out there and it was a long cold night.