The wife and I...

I sleep spectacularly on the Earth. She does not.

She is a larger woman with wide hips (the way I like 'em). Not tall, and I'm too much a gentleman to mention her weight precisely but it's over 200. When she sleeps on the Earth, be it with a top of the the line therm-a-rest or a couple of yellow foam rolls or both, her hips... ache the next day. She would love to see more wilderness with me, it just hurts her to sleep, and there is no shortage of pain in the morning, and through the next day. The thought of waking up to that pain for a week or two is really what prevents her from joining me on longer trips. I'm hoping somebody with similar difficulties can chime in.

We borrowed a couple of https://www.thermarest.com/ultralite-cot on a glamping trip, and they were fantastic. Quite pricey though, and need quite a bit of time and elbow grease to assemble, but pack down small, weigh 3lbs, and they're sturdy enough that you can have fun on them. She awoke free of those pains.

But, they take a bit of time to ass/disssemble at camp, and I'd like to find something better. And we've tried quite a few thermarests to no avail. Ideally we'd like to find something that would allow us to "cuddle", like joining sleeping bags, but we just want something that's easy to carry, light, and preferably with zero assembly required.

Those cots may be the best option - does anyone with similar challenges have an idea or two?

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If you ate today, thank a farmer.

When you mention top of the line Thermarests, were they the traditional self inflating ones with the foam interior or the Neoair which you have to blow up? I am a bigger person and find my Neoair very comfortable. They are expensive but worth it.

The other option would be to try a good hammock (see http://www.hammockforums.net.

The double sized Klymit pad.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01K5GAQ9I

We have one and it is fantastic. We've got a number of different Klymit pads and they are hands down the most comfortable sleeping pad I've ever used.

If you are also looking for a larger sized sleeping bag look at the Hot Core "Fat Boy" series.

https://www.cabelas.ca/product/35491/ho ... eeping-bag

No experience with this product but how about one of these ?


https://www.kijiji.ca/v-fishing-camping-outdoor/calgary/therm-a-rest-neoair-xl-dream-sleeping-pad/1422983661?utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_ios&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ios_social

When I want a comfortable double, I just buy one of those coleman queen size air mattresses. They are around 60 bucks or so. Nine inches high when inflated. I bring a battery operated pump, it's fairly small, runs on 4 D size batteries. If you roll the mattress up well after use, it will pack down quite small. The extra weight is well worth the sleep. I find it more comfortable than my regular bed, and always look forward to a great night of sleep when we go out. You can usually get them on sale at Crappy Tire. We have used both the double size and the queen. The double is adequate, the queen is decadent, if it will fit in your tent. https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B06ZYX ... 2439361011

I’m 250lbs and use a regular sized NeoAir pad. If you want something absolutely plush, look into the MondoKing by thermorest.

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"It's healthy to be dirty" - Lars Monsen

Megamat 12 lxw makes tent camping almost as comfortable as sleeping at home. Bring along a good feather pillow and sleeping is blissful. I imagine the thermarest mentioned above is equivalent.

It is not cheap; somewhere in the $300 range, but it packs smaller than the old self inflating matresses.

I can get it, my feather pillow, and clothes for a week in a 30L barrel.

Can find them at Sail.

http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-cat ... w-ruby-red

MondoKing 3D (Thermarest)

Check the XL version it's definitely plush and maybe big enough for two (for some activities).

I have an older version (not 3D), I find it VERY comfortable, it's only slightly bigger than the old Camprest when it's rolled up.

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"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

I would like to second the Klymit Insulated Static V in either size. They have more loft than most of the other big brand name sleeping pads and they also inflate without much effort.

The only thing I would like to mention is that you need to check the sizing of your pad against the size of your tent to make sure both your pads are going to fit into the tent if you sleep together.

On a semi related note, I'd also like to suggest looking into hammocks. It's a daunting change to make which is potentially fraught with peril, but determination to make it work can increase some people's camping experience fairly dramatically. If you know anyone who has a hammock set up, I'd strongly recommend you get her to try it out and see if she likes it.

I don't believe my wife would be tally ho about hitting the back country if I hadn't got her a quality hammock set up.

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We Belong to it

We've tried the self inflaters as well as the NeoAirs, but have never given hammocks a try, actually. Perhaps we should. We've never tried the MondoKings though, and they look they're worth a try. They're 6lbs so may not be the best option for the backcountry. Probably pretty good for car camping, though. The Klymit pads I've never seen or used - I'll definitely try one of those.

Thanks everyone - I'll definitely be trying out the MondoKings and the Klymit pads and taking a serious look at hammocks.

[edit]Sorry, RHaslam, we both hate those Crappy Tire air mattresses. Sooner or later they always leak, generally sooner rather than later, and you wake up with the mattress suffocating you. Plus, they're just too big, we find. They eat all the floor space in the tent, leaving you nowhere to put anything you need in there. They're heavy, and no matter what, you always feel like you're sleeping next to an 800lb gorilla; you feel every move your partner makes. Inflating them is quite.. fascinating. We'd be willing to try other full-on inflatable (as in, need at least a foot pump to fill them) mattresses for car camping, but we have a pretty sour taste in our moth for them. (that may have come through...)[/edit]

Only question remaining then is where to rent or borrow one (I really hate purchasing and returning stuff for that, it just feels like... bad karma). I work pretty close to MEC in Toronto, I'll see if they rent them.

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If you ate today, thank a farmer.

Try setting up the system you have now at home, and figure out how much support she needs, and where she needs it. I had similar issues at various time when I have had problems with my hip, knees and shoulders. I have found that if I add some padding in strategic points under my 3" mattress, it solves the problem. For this I have been using the MEC seat pad https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5023-544/Seat-Cushion, and have tried the thermarest seat pad and the z-pad, as well as blue foam. By experimenting you will figure out the kind of support she needs, and specifically where the crucial point of support is needed, and you may find a small light weight solution.

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"I've never met a river I didn't like. The experience is what we remember and the challenges make for great memories". Me

PF, my wife and I will never leave home without our Exped Downmat 9DXLs.
When we go to other homes to sleep I take my Exped to ensure a great night's sleep.

I fully inflate the pad and then let out just enough air to make it conforming to my body but keeps my hips off the ground when I sleep on my side. (I'm all over throughout the night)

Cheryl has a good idea with strategic undermat placement.
I will sometimes do the same by putting extra pads (sitting pads) under the Exped at the head and feet to create a little bit of a bowl to lay in.

This is a very important job for your gear and your wife deserves the best.
Save the lightweight gear for when you tire of the comfort the heavier gear provides.
Some never tire.
Your 3lb cot and setup time sounds like a hit. Don't dismiss this.

I also have a Neo-air for ultralight trips. We use these pads several times a year on certain trips.
These pads are a compromise for people willing to sacrifice certain comforts at certain times.

If hammocking is something that really interests you then I would suggest that you consult my post on THIS thread. The main link I'd look at would be the youtube videos. That guy explains everything you ever wanted to know and more.

There is also a lot of information on the hammock forums which is worth consulting if you want to throw away a few weeks of your time sifting through for things you feel are relevant to you.

Hammock Forums

As far as makes and models go, there are a dizzying maze of varieties to choose from and not all are equal. MEC sells a few brands, the main one being Hennessy. I use a modified Hennessy that I'm really happy with and would recommend it with conditions. Another thing to consider is the fact that the Hammock Forums are very American centric and if you want to know the lay of the land in Canada, then you'd be better off to consult the Facebook group for Canadian hammockers. I'd link it, but I can't seem to get at it right now. You should be able to find it if you search for Hammock Camping Canada on Facebook.

Anyway, feel free to drop me a line if you have questions. I'm not an expert, but I know my way around the subject fairly well.

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We Belong to it

IMHO do NOT buy an Exped, I have several of their top end mats and they all developed major leaks with minimal usage. Huge expensive disappointments! Sorry any Exped fans out there.

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"It's healthy to be dirty" - Lars Monsen

Switch to a Hammock, very comfy , no ground. With the proper set up she will love it.

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Outbound2Explore

Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit. ~ Edward Abbey