Sleeping pad help

[Taliena21]

Hello everyone,
I'm in the middle of figuring out a sleeping pad. Everything that I've seen suggests purchasing a mattress topper and just cutting it to the size I need.

Of course, there are plenty of purchase-able sleeping pads out there. But, they all seem to be high in price for how thin they are.

I'm more interested in something that's more suited for colder climates like michigan where it regularly dips into the negatives at night and during the day.

Does anyone have any other ideas?

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[maki2]

Are you talking about the self inflating sleeping pads? The self inflating pads are not all in the same price range because they do vary a lot in quality.

If you want to look for one that meets cold weather needs then find one that quotes the R value of the pad. That type of pad has foam inside of it, the thicker the pad, the more foam and the denser the foam the better the R Value.

High R value pads are not going to be inexpensive, it cost too much money to manufacture them to sell them for cheap prices. It takes good machinery, expensive materials and good quality control to produce those product.

It is possible to make a vinyl inflatable, non insulated, mattress for cheap but not so for a high R value, self inflating mattresses. There is a big difference in the cost of materials, the amount of labor and the type of equipment used on those two versions of inflatable mattress.

So yes, the advice about getting a mattress topper is correct if you have a small budget. Just remember you will be replacing those mattress topper pads about once a year or so as they are not dense and they end up getting compressed and staying that way.

 

[Taliena21]

A year is all i need. I just need it to get me though this cold season until i can save up and get a decent one.

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[maki2]

Well then if you only need it for a year... now you know the least expensive solution to meet your specific needs. Go with layering up mattress toppers. Memory foam works because it traps body heat. But you need either quite a few layers of it or the other foam types of mattress pads under it so you don't bottom out when the memory foam compresses in response to your body heat.

 

[Minivanmotoman]

Cheap idea, appliance cardboard and or carpet underpad for extra cushion layers, need less mattress toppers for same comfort and softness over a hard surface. Yoga cushion mats maybe?

 

[maki2]

The thick EVA foam floor puzzle mats would make a great base layer for the mattress toppers. That type of foam is a good insulator. They are not very expensive and they are easy put together and take back apart.

The yoga mat response reminded me of the floor puzzle mats. They are the same type of EVA foam as the foam yoga mats, just made thicker and in a different shape. No problem to find them both Lowes and Home Depot and many other stores stock them. They come in bright kid colors and also utilitarian greys, browns and even faux wood colors.

 

[Minivanmotoman]

Harbor freight often on sale for $6.99.
Add 20%off coupon.

https://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-anti-fatigue-foam-mat-set-94635.html


Add their cheap moving blankets and have a soft base, maybe even enough to sleep on.

Check Walmart for sleeping pads at reasonable prices. eBay has used military pads for $5.
Some options for you to get a good night's
Zzzzzzz......

 

[Taliena21]

Thank you so much guys! All of your responses have been super helpful!

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[ckelly78z]

Buy a King size, or maybe a queen size foam mattress, and fold it in half so it is the size you want. Duct tape the edges together so it doesn't unfold. Buy an extra sleeping bag, or two, and lay on them inside of a another sleeping bag.

 

[JD GUMBEE]

Have you thought about taking a Styrofoam sheet and cutting it to your bed size?
Something like this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kingspan-I...d-Polystyrene-Foam-Board-Insulation/999972966
Then wrap it in a sheet or blanket that fully encompasses it.
Warmest bed bottom in the world.
Top with your favorite foam for mattress softness, also cut to your size.
Those camp mats are nice in a tent...but in a van, there are more comfy options.
On a budget? Steal someones old couch sleeper fold up mattress instead. They are usually in perfect condition when they get tossed from a cleanly kept house.

...and use the "tent" method with the third sleeping bag over yourself to keep warm without any heat:
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=34965

 

[lenny flank]

I use a plain ole closed-cell foam camping pad from Walmart. It does the job just fine for me.

 

[RVTravel]

Yep..closed cell foam under an inflatable pad is used on snow in winter.

 

[highdesertranger]

back in the day when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I backpacked, closed cell foam was all we used. Ensolite was the trade name for it. it is an excellent insulator. highdesertranger

 

[maki2]

Ensolite is a brand name of Vinyl/Nitrile/Neoprene blended (also known as PVC/NBR/CR) foam. It is also sometimes called gym rubber because it is used for things such as tumbling mats.

EVA foam is a lighter weight, less expensive option than Ensolite. EVA is not a brand name, it is stands for Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate. EVA is nice and short so it often gets included in product descriptions to designate what type of foam was used. It too is a closed cell foam with insulating as well as sound deadening properties. It comes in many forms and is used for a wide variety of products including insulation, yoga mats, floor mats, camping mats, sound deadening mats, and more.

Ensolite camping pads (nice stuff!) are not going to be easy to locate. The camping pad makers are now using the lighter closed cell foams in order to reduce the weight. Backpackers don't want to carry heavy camping pads so there is no market for heavy weight products because there are good alternatives that are lighter in weight. However you can find "Ensolite" exercise mats. But trying to figure out the type of foam when buying online is difficult as it is not always part of the product description. I have an advantage in that I can tell the difference in the two materials if I go to a sporting goods store and look through the selection of mats. One way to tell is the Ensolite mats weigh significantly more than the EVA foam mats. Also the Ensolite feels spongy when compressed in a side by side comparison to the EVA foam mats. Ensolite was designed for use by NASA, the space program inspired many great and useful things that become useful products for our lives.

The foam used inside of the self inflating mattress is an open cell foam. Waterproofing is provide by the exterior covering that is made with heat sealed seams. Closed cell foams are important for backpacking for a non inflating pad. But for a bed inside of a van you can choose to use closed cell or open cell, both types have insulative R value. But you have to get very specific to find out how much R value it has. Some products test for it or at least estimate it based on tables of data, example being some of the self inflating camping pads...see REI website. Other products don't bother with it because it is not particularly relevant product information, example being companies who make foam mattress toppers.

 

[BelgianPup]

Get the mattress/padding you like for comfort, and then top it with a sheet of Reflectix insulation to reflect your body heat. It makes some crackly noise when you move around, but not bad. Reflectix comes in 24" and 48" widths, and a few places will cut it and sell it by the linear foot.

This works very well, but just use it under you, not over you, or it will trap moisture.

 

[Ticklebellly]

I like a firm bed. My solution was a 50 mm mattress topper under a high quality linen sheet, for summer. For winter, I put a doubled, down quilt from Ikea on the mattress topper. I got a 700 Fill Power quilt so when doubled, it is deep enough to snuggle into.

Closed cell foam can be better if condensation is ever going to be a problem. I air my bedding most days is the humidity is getting towards high.

 

[maki2]

You can purchase closed cell foam camping pads that have a shiny aluminum coating on one side. They are not all that expensive. I bought one new from Goodwill last spring. But they are also sold on Ebay, Amazon, from online camping supplies, etc. Here is a photo of the type I bought.
It is not a thick enough pad on its own for a comfortable bed. I  use it for the reflective quality and a small amount of extra cushion.
I will be getting an extra one this year to make a reflective insulating cover for my portable 12v fridge.

 

[macgyver55]

Hello everyone,
I'm in the middle of figuring out a sleeping pad. Everything that I've seen suggests purchasing a mattress topper and just cutting it to the size I need.

Of course, there are plenty of purchase-able sleeping pads out there. But, they all seem to be high in price for how thin they are.

I'm more interested in something that's more suited for colder climates like michigan where it regularly dips into the negatives at night and during the day.

Does anyone have any other ideas? hey the best purchase i ever bought is a bunk heating pad used by the trucking industry it is a pad that is powered by twelve volt power with a dial control and cord that has a cigarette lighter end ..size is 36 inch by 60 inch it only draws about 6 amps when heating it cycles on and off as needed mounted on the mattress covered by fitted sheet you are on top of the heat and it comes up from the bottom great product warm all night and can turn the camper heat way down during the night you can find it on amazon and e/bay hope you enjoy and keep warm cost about $120

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[michaelwnoakes]

A year is all i need. I just need it to get me though this cold season until i can save up and get a decent one.

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I use 2 blue camping pads from Wal-Mart under 2 lawn chair pads, topped with an older sleeping bag that the zipper broke on. I hold it all together with a cheap 40 degree sleeping bag. I sleep in a 0 degree mummy bag on top of the homemade mattress. All together it was cheaper than a 4" foam mattress in the store.

 

[Seminole Wind]

Hello everyone,
I'm in the middle of figuring out a sleeping pad. Everything that I've seen suggests purchasing a mattress topper and just cutting it to the size I need.

Of course, there are plenty of purchase-able sleeping pads out there. But, they all seem to be high in price for how thin they are.

I'm more interested in something that's more suited for colder climates like michigan where it regularly dips into the negatives at night and during the day.

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

this one is a little outside the box. i am going with an inflatable pad. but not your ordinary air mat or thermarest. every camping pad or air mat i have ever been exposed to did not hold up that well and was hard to repair. they also didnt provide any other benefits. i like a firm bed and this is up to the task as well as some water sports in the day time

http://www.bulletwatercraft.com/blog/products-page/accessories/the-bullet-pad-and-riverboard/

as tough and easily repairable as a zodiac boat. firm enough to stand up on in the water and can be deflated to my desired level of softness.