My stubbornness with sleeping pads ended after a chat with a fellow camper.

I was convinced my old, thick pad was the only way to avoid a sore back. A guy at the next site saw me struggling to pack mine and handed me his slim, inflatable version to test. It felt just as good and stuffed into a bag half the size. Now I tell everyone to skip the bulky gear and go light.

3 comments

3 Comments

rayross1mo ago

I lugged that same heavy foam pad on every trip for seven years, convinced anything lighter would wreck my back. Last summer my buddy Mark forced me to try his fancy inflatable one for just ten minutes. I was so wrong! The comfort was identical but it freed up a huge chunk of my pack. My old pad now lives in the garage and I'm a total convert to going light. That one test completely flipped my thinking on gear.

uma6061mo ago

Omgg, that's totally a thing! My friend Sam refused to ditch her heavy tent for years, thinking lighter meant flimsy. Then she borrowed a friend's on a rainy hike and woke up dry and convinced. Now she's all about saving weight too.

erict911mo ago

My grandma switched to smartphones after one video call.