There were a lot of blow downs on the trail as there were a few severe thunderstorms passing in front of us and it would get snagged on branches or thorns trying to go through or around them. I prefer to have everything inside my pack instead of lashed to the outside and that was impossible with the foam pad. Not only could I get out quickly, didn’t have to rustle around as much getting packed up when leaving early in the morning and there were others still sleeping. The quietness was also great when sleeping in shelters. The time it takes to inflate/deflate a pad is not much but after so many days in a row, it annoying and the foam pad really alleviated that frustration. It was really quite nice to be on the move so quickly. The two people I was hiking with both had them and was jealous at how quickly they were set up in the evening and ready to go in the morning. I switched over to to a ZLite from my inflatable a little over halfway into my AT thru-hike a few years ago for all the advantages you laid out. Thanks and we appreciate your support! Most Popular Searches
Z LITE FAST AND LIGHT R VALUE FREE
The cost of the product is the same to you but this helps us continue to test and write unsponsored and independent gear reviews, beginner FAQs, and free hiking guides. Just click on any of the seller links above, and if you make a purchase, we may (but not always) receive a small percentage of the transaction. Foam Sleeping Pads vs Inflatable Pads on the Appalachian TrailĮditor's note: If you’re thinking about buying gear that we’ve reviewed or recommend on SectionHiker, you can help support us in the process.Lightweight, affordable, and easy to customize, they provide tremendous value for the money, which explains their continued popularity within the ultralight backpacking and long-distance hiking community. However you slice it, closed-cell foam sleeping pads are a tremendous ultralight backpacking sleeping pad option. High-quality blue foam pads of yesteryear are increasingly difficult to find and buy, so these are your best options.
![z lite fast and light r value z lite fast and light r value](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2020/06/CampingPads_PCMattGranger_CampPhotos2021-scaled.jpg)
The most popular foam sleeping pads with backpackers are the:
![z lite fast and light r value z lite fast and light r value](https://photos.thetrek.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/06125057/IMG_1579.jpeg)
![z lite fast and light r value z lite fast and light r value](https://www.thermarest.com/dw/image/v2/BDJM_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-thermarest-master-catalog/default/dwa87245be/images/large/06670_tr_zlite_sol_limonsilver_regular_limon_top.jpg)
Good R-value for warm-weather backpacking.
![z lite fast and light r value z lite fast and light r value](https://assets.trailspace.com/assets/7/b/9/9340857/02302_tr_zlite_coyotegray_regular_top.jpg)
If you want to carry multi-purpose gear to save weight, you’re hard on gear or want to save money, closed-cell sleeping pads provide many advantages over inflatable and self-inflating pads. Many backpackers carry closed-cell foam sleeping pads because they’re lightweight and don’t fail like air mattresses.