Published June 1, 2012 12:00AM
The 2 Best Sleeping Pads of Summer 2012
Your sleeping bag is only as good as the pad underneath it. We recommend either of these two: the Big Agnes Insulated Q-Core, which employs both horizontal and vertical baffles, resulting in a comfier pad you're less likely to slide off in the middle of the night, or the lighter and warmer Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite.
Big Agnes Insulated Q-Core
Whereas most pads use either horizontal or vertical baffles, Big Agnes’s 3.5-inch-thick Insulated Q-Core employs both. The result: it’s comfier, and you’re less likely to slide off. Polyester insulation woven with heat-reflective silver threads helps boost warmth.
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite
We’ve been fans of Therm-a-Rest’s NeoAir pads for years. This updated version, the NeoAir Xlite is two ounces lighter (it’s more tapered) and warmer (the internal reflective barrier now bounces back 25 percent of your body heat).
