tl;dr: I like the insulated pad. It is long and narrow, well insulated, comfortable, and lightweight, at a reasonable price.
I took this out for the first time this past weekend. I was out for three nights, and have to say I am very happy with the pad (and pillow). I am coming from using a 3/4-length Ridge Rest, which is indestructible, but not nearly as comfortable as an air mattress. Years ago I had a small REI pad that I got on sale, which eventually popped too many times to repair. I had looked at some replacements, but the price seemed way too high at retail. I got this pad because it had a more reasonable price and I wanted a bit more comfort now.
This weekend I used the pad inside of my bivy, under my sleeping bag. I don't know the exact temperature, but it was below freezing because a water bottle I left out froze overnight. I didn't feel any cold from underneath, so it seems the insulation works well, on dry rock and soil at least. I am 5'9", and I was able to fully extend, and still have the pillow on the pad (inside of my sleeping bag hood, to keep it in place). It also gets very firm. I blew it up once again before going to bed, and found it too firm for sleeping on my side. Next time I will probably leave a little less pressure in it. A couple things to note: the pad is fairly narrow. For me this wasn't a problem, but some people may find it small for purposes like car camping.
The pillow fits in same bag as the pad when deflated, and the design kind of cradles your head in the middle. Inside a mummy bag it worked well, but I imagine it would slip away if you just had it resting on top of the pad. One thing I didn’t think of, and realized after the weekend, is that greasy camping hair leaves residue on the pillow. I suppose better the pillow then my down bag, but on really greasy trips maybe I will put my (also somewhat dirty) handkerchief down first.
I took this out for the first time this past weekend. I was out for three nights, and have to say I am very happy with the pad (and pillow). I am coming from using a 3/4-length Ridge Rest, which is indestructible, but not nearly as comfortable as an air mattress. Years ago I had a small REI pad that I got on sale, which eventually popped too many times to repair. I had looked at some replacements, but the price seemed way too high at retail. I got this pad because it had a more reasonable price and I wanted a bit more comfort now.
This weekend I used the pad inside of my bivy, under my sleeping bag. I don't know the exact temperature, but it was below freezing because a water bottle I left out froze overnight. I didn't feel any cold from underneath, so it seems the insulation works well, on dry rock and soil at least. I am 5'9", and I was able to fully extend, and still have the pillow on the pad (inside of my sleeping bag hood, to keep it in place). It also gets very firm. I blew it up once again before going to bed, and found it too firm for sleeping on my side. Next time I will probably leave a little less pressure in it. A couple things to note: the pad is fairly narrow. For me this wasn't a problem, but some people may find it small for purposes like car camping.
The pillow fits in same bag as the pad when deflated, and the design kind of cradles your head in the middle. Inside a mummy bag it worked well, but I imagine it would slip away if you just had it resting on top of the pad. One thing I didn’t think of, and realized after the weekend, is that greasy camping hair leaves residue on the pillow. I suppose better the pillow then my down bag, but on really greasy trips maybe I will put my (also somewhat dirty) handkerchief down first.