best minimalist sleeping pad?

[Ripper238]

Not a fan of sleeping in a hammock, I am not a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. lol

 

[eliyama]

It is good to have options. As for SUV, my two cents may not be worthy; so here goes. I am not in a van dwell, not yet. But as a bachelor (75 going on 76) I've had many thoughts about simple living, no matter the space, large or small. When I look at the remarkable ingenious ideas put into play, it is amazing to me that the standard approach is a platform for a bed. (Okay, doubling as a bed and sofa is a great idea.) Here is what I think. What ever happened to folding sleeping cots, popularized during WWII? There were made well, folded, and portable. Although now ridiculously over price due to scarcity, they can be made with lumber and canvas for any ambitious person out there. One thing for certain, they free up a lot of space otherwise used for a full sized bed. Another option is to make a bed that stores vertically, thus freeing up valuable space for van or box truck. Instead of thinking horizontally, think vertically. Just my two cents' worth. Take care, everyone.

 

[user 423]

^Cot fabric by itself wouldn't be comfortable for a side sleeper. Cots for most people will require using some kind of pad or mattress on top of it. So you would still need to store those somewhere when not being used. Also, tearing down whatever setup you have everyday might not be so convenient.

I do use an Alps cot that sits just 7" off the ground when I'm traveling on a motorcycle but I have to place two 3" Klymit air pads on it to make it comfortable enough for my bad back.

 

[AmargosaWayne]

I tried a hammock in a normal sized no build cargo van, but it drooped too much for my comfort.

A cot sized 3/4" plywood sheet raised off the floor, with a couple of yoga mats was more comfortable.

 

[CoyoteG]

Re-reading these, now that I've figured out that I'm not 20 years old anymore and "cheapest option at Walmart" is not gonna cut it ... thanks again for these ideas, and one follow-up question. Has anyone here tried a hammock (inside a vehicle), and if so how did that work out?
Thanks.

I’m doing that now!
Hammock in my van (extended Express)and it works amazingly well.
It takes down quickly. It doesn’t weigh much as a mattress bed and I never have to worry about the van being level for the night, just get in an go to sleep.

You have to have the right hammock and be quite thoughtful of how to hang it, have a good underquilt and sleeping bag or top quilt.

It takes a lot of thought and the ability to push past a few uncomfortable nights to learn what works and what doesn’t for you. But then and only then, you know how to set up a hammock and how to make yourself comfortable in it.
Most people give up quickly.
Hammock sleeping is the best I’ve ever had.

My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.

 

[rruff]

My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.

I don't recall ever even trying to use a hammock. It's on my bucket list now!

... and I don't have a bucket list, so I guess it's the first entry...

 

[user 423]

You have to have the right hammock and be quite thoughtful of how to hang it,

Good points. I tried a 10' Trek Light that was the 'banana' or 'coccoon' type that didn't work so well but I think the type with the ropes spread by sticks at each end (caribbean?) may have worked better.

 

[Morgana]

You have to have the right hammock and be quite thoughtful of how to hang it,

Any particular tips on either of those issues?

 

[CoyoteG]

I don't recall ever even trying to use a hammock. It's on my bucket list now!

... and I don't have a bucket list, so I guess it's the first entry...

Welcome to The Dorkside.
We are growing in numbers daily and hammocks are the most comfortable, economical and space conscious beds for single humans.

 

[CoyoteG]

Any particular tips on either of those issues?

A gathered end hammock would work best.
You will need an underquilt of some sort because below 70° you get chilled and that makes for bad sleep.
You want the longest hammock you can get but not longer than your hang distance.
I have about 12 feet diagonal in my van I can hang my hammock and I have a 10.5 foot but will get an 11 soon.
The reason for the longest hammock is you don’t sleep like a banana, you sleep almost flat in the asymmetrical position.
There is a lot of information about hammocks and hammock camping on YouTube. There is a good forum too. There’s a man named Shug that has a YouTube channel, he is entertaining and educational. He has a lot of valuable information about hammocks and hammock camping and sleeping.
https://youtube.com/user/shugemeryThere is a hang calculator that I use often. When I was looking at putting a hammock in the van I worked the calculator over for hours to find the right fit.
https://theultimatehang.com/calculator/

Good luck with that.
A hammock in a van is a life changer for me. I’m surprised more people don’t do it.

 

[CoyoteG]

Good points. I tried a 10' Trek Light that was the 'banana' or 'coccoon' type that didn't work so well but I think the type with the ropes spread by sticks at each end (caribbean?) may have worked better.

I have found that the sticks make it very unstable. That the sleeping sling of a nylon, properly outfitted and hung is far superior.

 

[rruff]

I've been researching online and everything you've said CoyoteG, seems to be spot on with the consensus of how to use a hammock.

I suppose it would be much easier to sleep on windy nights as well...? I've had a few of those...

 

[CoyoteG]

I've been researching online and everything you've said CoyoteG, seems to be spot on with the consensus of how to use a hammock.

I suppose it would be much easier to sleep on windy nights as well...? I've had a few of those...

I just did a three month circuit this summer and fall in a diesel beetle, all the western states, 19 National Parks, 11,000 miles, 28,000 photos, slept in my hammock outside much of the time. (All on stimulus checks I had saved)
When the weather got bad I slept in the car. Made a nest out of stuff, with the back seat out and the passenger seat flat. I’m 6’5” and 300 pounds. I didn’t really fit but made it work.
I had the idea of getting a van and leaving a hammock up all the time in it.
I’m surprised that more people aren’t doing it in vans. The weight and room for the main reason.
It is not impossible to cuddle in one, but not practical for two people to sleep in one.

Good luck.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

I used to use an REI 2.5 Camping pad.
Its one of the self inflating kind and very well made, but cheaper than the more famous brands.
Now I just use it for tent camping.

 

[Catalyst1]

I just did a three month circuit this summer and fall in a diesel beetle, all the western states, 19 National Parks, 11,000 miles, 28,000 photos, slept in my hammock outside much of the time. (All on stimulus checks I had saved)
When the weather got bad I slept in the car. Made a nest out of stuff, with the back seat out and the passenger seat flat. I’m 6’5” and 300 pounds. I didn’t really fit but made it work.
I had the idea of getting a van and leaving a hammock up all the time in it.
I’m surprised that more people aren’t doing it in vans. The weight and room for the main reason.
It is not impossible to cuddle in one, but not practical for two people to sleep in one.

Good luck.

Hi Coyote,
My thought as I read about you sleeping outdoors in a hammock is how that would make me instant mosquito bait. Were you able to do that without covering yourself with deet before you turned in?

 

[CoyoteG]

Hi Coyote,
My thought as I read about you sleeping outdoors in a hammock is how that would make me instant mosquito bait. Were you able to do that without covering yourself with deet before you turned in?

Mosquito net.
It covers you top, sides and bottom. Some zip in, some pull cord.
On hot nights, they get a little warm but are great at keeping the bugs out. Not great for fast exits, but I never had to.

 

[rruff]

Or... just go out west and avoid mosquito invested areas. Most places, there won't be any.

 

[JDub]

Try something like this: It's a Jungle Hammock

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fox-Tactical-Jungle-Hammock/183986323
It's a copy of the ones we used down in Central America. They work pretty well at keeping you dry, off the ground and the bugs out.

P.S. I have no idea why the link says that but it's Walmart.

Cheers!

 

[Morgana]

So like a fickle person I'm going back to sleeping pads/mattresses for the moment, maybe try a hammock when I have a little more experience. Thanks for all this info, though, and I am filing it away!

A couple of people (Ripper 238 and RVTravel) have mentioned the ThermaRest BaseCamp. So does that really self-inflate? How much do you have to help it along?

 

[Sasnak]

I’d say a cot or a LEEWADEE Rollable Floor Mat.

​