Why does nobody talk about how sleeping pads lose insulation over time?

An old timer at a campground in Montana told me last fall that my $80 foam pad was probably half as warm as when I bought it. I didn't believe him until I swapped it out for a new one on a cold night last week. The difference was huge, I actually slept through the whole night instead of waking up cold at 3am. Has anyone else noticed their pad losing R-value after a few years of use?

2 comments

2 Comments

anna_ross192d ago

You mention noticing a HUGE difference after swapping pads, but how do you actually know the new pad wasn't just warmer from the start? Manufacturers don't really advertise how much R-value degrades over time, so are we just guessing based on feeling cold? Anyone got a solid way to measure this without buying a new pad every season?

ray_miller412d ago

Test your setup at home with a known warm surface and a thermometer, your mileage may vary.