Why nobody talks about how sleeping pads lose insulation over time

I used to just buy any cheap foam pad and call it good for 10 years. Last winter up near Flagstaff I woke up freezing at 3am with a pad that felt like a cardboard sheet. Turns out the R-value on those foam pads drops after a few seasons of compression from storage. I finally switched to an inflatable with a proper R-rating and now I check the specs every year. Has anyone else had an old pad suddenly feel useless in cold weather?

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2 Comments

drew7911mo ago

Did you have the pad stored rolled tight or just folded loose? Compression over months can smash the closed-cell foam flat so it never bounces back right and the R-value takes a nosedive from there. Wondering if the way you packed it away between trips made the difference.

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leo6031mo ago

Maybe your foam pad just got tired of carrying all that weight and quit on you. Should've given it a pep talk before the trip or at least tucked it in with a blanket during storage.

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