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After a restless night under the stars in Utah’s San Rafael Swell, I came to the realization that my old sleeping pad sucks. This ultra light sorry-excuse-for-a-pad was too narrow, too short, and too thin for my car-camping slumber. Although it’s great for saving ounces in my backpack, it’s not much more than a glorified towel. I can’t even count how many mornings I’ve woken up beside my pad, covered in sand or pine needles, cursing that slippery thing. At the end of a long day on the trail, I want to sleep like a log—without the feel of sleeping on a log,

Whether you’re looking for a super-plush mattress that rivals your bed at home, or you’re a backpacker looking to shave grams off your pack weight, we’ll help you find the right sleeping system.

Car Camping – The über plush setup

• For an ultra thick, super cushy nights sleep, choose a thicker, full-length mattress. The Therm-a-Rest Dream Time Sleeping Pad gives you super thick comfort when the weight of your pad is not a factor. Couple two Dream Time pads together for a queen-sized setup under the stars.
• For a late spring and summer look for sleeping bags with temperature ratings of 40 degrees or higher. The Marmot Trestles Bag’s wide design gives you plenty of room to move through the night. This bag would be great for sleepovers, light backpacking, or summer car camping.
• If you’re expecting temps to plummet, and you’re camping with your partner, check out the Big Agnes Dream Island bag. This bag’s Quallofil synthetic insulation offers amazing warmth that’ll keep you and your significant other nice and cozy in temps down to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
• If you’re in a super-warm climate, or you need to add warmth to your existing sleeping bag, consider a super lightweight sleeping bag liner. The Cocoon Tropic Traveler makes a great bag for muggy nights.
• Midweight Backpacker Setup – Comfort over weight
• The Big Agnes system integrates a baffled-sleeping pad into a built-in sleeping pad sleeve in the bottom of your bag—so you’ll stay on your pad no matter how bad you toss and turn at night. The REM Pad from Big Agnes features a baffled design and a mummy shape to minimize weight and maximize comfort.
• Couple the Big Agnes REM Mummy pad with the Big Agnes Horse Thief Bag for a killer backpacking setup. This 725g down bags packs super small and insulates you to 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Used in conjunction, the Big Agnes pads and bags shave weight off your pack and give you amazing comfort.
• If you’re sick of waking up with zipper marks on your face from your fleece-jacket-turned-impromptu pillow, sleep on a backpacking pillow for a few nights. The Big Agnes Air Core Pillow gives you just enough cushion to maximize an epic night’s sleep under the stars. This pillow deflates to a super small size to reduce bulk in your pack.
• Lightweight Setup
• If you’re the backpacker that’ll cut the end off a titanium spork to save a couple of grams, you’ll definitely want a lightweight sleeping pad. These pads are generally thinner and narrower than a standard sleeping pad. The folks at Pacific Outdoor Equipment designed the InsulMat Uber Lite Sleeping Pad for the gram-counting backpacker in mind. This pad’s three-quarter length insulates and pads your core and little else. At 9 ounces, it barely takes up as much room as an extra rain jacket.
• To maximize warmth, while minimizing weight and bulk in your pack, down bags are an excellent choice. The Marmot Helium Bag is one of our top picks. This bag packs smaller than a loaf of bread, yet it’ll keep you warm down to 15-degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re expecting your gear to get soaked, look to The North Face Fission bag. Its Polarguard insulation keeps you toasty down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit—even when wet.