Sleeping Pad

Most people want to bring a sleeping pad with them when backpacking. It serves a couple of purposes. First, it makes the ground a little more comfortable (though there is a limit to how well it does that, it does not replace my queen size pillow top mattress). It also provides some insulation from the cold ground.

Sleeping pads generally come in two types, the closed cell pad and the self inflating pad. Close cell pads are cheaper, but self inflating pads are more comfortable.