Sea To Summit - Ether Light XT Insulated Air Sleeping Pad

When I did Baker I brought a closed cell pad (Nemo switch back) and an inflatable (Sea to summit) for comfort and redundancy. You'll be hard pressed to find a new bag that's also lightweight for $200. You'll probably need to see if you can find something used or I would recommend you see if you can rent one.

Test both and then decide, because everyone has a different body. I personally switched from the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated (size L with similar baffle structure to the Tensor) to the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT (size RW). Both are wide, the NXT is just regular length and as a side sleeper, I’ll never go back. I think the crucial point is to inflate it to the right pressure because overinflation won’t be comfortable. My preferred pressure is when I sit on the pad I almost touch the ground, but when I lie down, it feels perfect.

Big Agnes and sea to summit checks all your boxes. Small/compact, uses vertical baffles to prevent that bouncy castle feeling and provide actual support

I tried the r-3.2 model, found it too cold. Exchanged it for the womans model, which has a slightly higher 3.5 r-value, and also found it too cold. (This was during spring trips at sea level.) I have not had this problem with other pads with roughly those r-values. There’s just something about the design of the old model, down insulation plus cold spots, that makes it sleep colder than the r-value would suggest. At least for me.

Im a side sleeper. I have the XLite. Often feels like the baffles lack structure at the sides so in the mornings I'm fidgeting around feeling like im rolling off the mat. Not used a Tensor although I have heard it offers much better support for side sleepers. Also, the Xlite suffers from mould spots on what seems the outside. For comfort though, from all the mats ive laid on, sea to summit are the most comfortable

Exped Dura. It has down. I have the 6R LW. You can get a slightly lighter version which is lighter due to thinner face fabrics. Avoid StS Etherlight XT at all costs, as I have had two getting pinctures where the dividers attach. Constant flats from just lying on them. And I am not the only one. This is why I bought the Exped Dura.

The sea to summit is 10cm thick, which is amazing for it's size and weight. But it's made of a noisy fabric

Ended up getting a couple sea to summit mats on sale for $60.

I got some Sea to Summit Ether Light XT pads on sale a few months ago for the kids and they seem to be happy with them. So they may not need something as nice as a megamat for a little while.

I personally think Sea to Summit pads are comfortable.  Nemo Tensor might interest you as well. 

I also love my Etherlite rec. large. I have around 100 nights on it, and I sleep better than at home. But I am in the opposite boat now, trying to find something lighter. They are heavily discounted right now (for example at Bergfreunde, but that ships from the EU), so it might be worth picking one up to try.

Sleeping bag won't do anything for comfort while laying down. A good pad is what you want. Sea to Summit Ether XT Light, followed by Nemo Tensor, are my recommendations. Pillows are more forgiving. Wife and I use the Therm-a-rest ones.

The new SeatoSummit XR Pro pads might be a good option. They seem to have really improved on the size/weight, and have around a 7 r-value. I have one of their older XT non-pro models and find it really comfortable.

Im not sure if I can trust S2S with another pad after my freezing XT. Comfort counts for nothing if using a quilt and you're cold.

Just used my Helix last night and would recommend. To me it’s much comfier than than the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT I had before

Test both and then decide, because everyone has a different body. I personally switched from the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated (size L with similar baffle structure to the Tensor) to the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT (size RW). Both are wide, the NXT is just regular length and as a side sleeper, I’ll never go back. I think the crucial point is to inflate it to the right pressure because overinflation won’t be comfortable. My preferred pressure is when I sit on the pad I almost touch the ground, but when I lie down, it feels perfect.

Start with a megamat duo that will fit you and your wife for family/cub camping. You can use it solo when kid gets to scouts BSA. I recently bought a sea to summit backpacking pad and a nemo foam pad to use (hypothetically while backpacking)but also while car camping solo because the megamat is ridiculous solo.

I thought I needed a thick wide pad as a side sleeper. I got an S2S Etherlight. About half way thru a thru in ‘21 I had to try an XLite, because supply chain. Dropped about 9ozs and kicked myself the rest of the way down the trail for being so gullible. The XLite was much more comfortable for me sleeping and I could really feel those 9ozs off my back. Get that and bring a few ozs of Blue Chew and your gal will carry the rest of the gear! Ha!

Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated and Nemo Tensor are both widely regarded as The most comfortable pads. I have or tried both and they're great.

they both kinda suck tbh try a nemo tensor, big agnes rapide, or sea to summit etherlite, or thermarest neo air

Good for you for taking care of all your gear. I also take good care of my gear and get many miles out of it. Your response sounds quite lecture-y and finger waggy tbh, making the assumption that others don't take good care of their gear. All my sea to summit pads have developed stress pinholes in the dimple welds, nothing to do with anything I could have done or prevented as a user, it's a common defect with that style of baffle. Manufacture defects on pads are quite common and have nothing to do with user care. No matter how much you baby your sleeping pad, if it has a weak valve attachment, it's gonna develop a leak.

I have a previous back injury. I find the Womens S2S Etherlight to be the most comfortable, though the least warm. Next for comfort is the Nemo All Season, as well as the Nemo Tensor. In comfort, they are both just slightly less comfortable than the S2S. Both are warmer than the S2S. I have used the ExPed Hyperlight pad for about 40 nights. I believe this pad has been replaced with the newer version. Mine was a 2.8R value. For me, the warmth was equal to the S2S pad. It was not an uncomfortable pad. It just wasn't as comfortable as the S2S and Nemo pads. I tried the Thermarest NeoAir Xlite. My lower back ached when I used the pad. It just didn't have the support I needed. I wish I could use it as it has great warmth to weight ratios. I used the wide versio pads for each of these, though the Exped was a mummy MW version I would assume what is comfortable for me may not translate to you as your back injury may be different than mine. My injury involved the lower back. I have slept in a hammock a few nights and never experienced back pain.

Sea to Summit and is a great pad. Light and insulating and a bit tougher than the Klymit pads that I have.

His findings pretty much match my experiences. I have a S2S etherlight insulated. It's so cold with a quilt, It really feels like it's doing nothing, even in summer conditions. Comfortable though.

I love my Ether Light highly recommend and from what I've heard there warranty is exceptional. I went with the XT Insulated req wide amazing sleeps on it.

OT, the North American clearance price on the remaining XT mats is incredible. $59 for the women's XT.

Pad. The ul pick for high comfort is the s2s ether light xt

Buy once cry once. Thermarest, Nemo, Sea to Summit. They make the best small, lightweight, comfortable pads.

The neoloft is about 40% heavier than the ether light xt and the megamat weight nearly twice as much. I don't think either of them are ul as even the ether light xt sacrifices quite a bit of weight compared to the neoair. UL is about sacrifices. What is the lightest pad you can sleep on? If that's the megamat then that's what it is for you, but if you could sleep on a neoair and you want a megamat because it's comfortable, you're carrying 24 oz you don't need. The ether light xt comes in at just over a lb in the women's size. There's no 4+ inch pad that can match or beat that weight AFAIK. Other pads are more comfortable but they're heavier.

It's literally not possible. The megamats are comfortable because they have several inches of foam inside of them. The foam makes the pad super soft and supportive. There is no way to make that packable. Backpacking air pads are either air with insulation or foam filled but really thin, like 1.5 inches. The most comfortable backpacking pad I've found is the sea to summit light because it has a lot of small baffles instead of long continuous tubes like most pads. That makes it a lot more supportive. But it will never compare to a megamat.