Prudent Prepping: Gear Test

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Now we concentrate on what to do in, and how to plan for, the long term via Prudent Prepping.

Following up on the original post that mentioned my new sleeping pad, I had a chance to try it out this past weekend. Now, I didn't get outside for this test; it rained Friday, Saturday and early Sunday morning, and I don't deliberately go foul weather camping any longer. This test was conducted under controlled conditions at my sister's house, where I was dog sitting for the weekend.

http://tinyurl.com/htoneqo

A quick recap: this is a Cirrus Air Pad, purchased on closeout a month ago from my local REI store. It's a really nice pad that takes up less space than what it replaced (a Thermarest) and is more adaptable and in my opinion more comfortable.

Inflation (covered here) went very quickly -- about 2 minutes to get the pad filled enough to lie on, and another minute or so to make it as firm as I wanted.

After getting the pad inflated and situated in the spare bedroom, I fluffed up my sleeping bag, grabbed my travel pillow, and stretched out for the night.

... or so I thought.

My sister's dog is a 'takeover' from my brother-in-law's family -- they were downsizing and moving into a place that did not take large dogs, so Lily the Lab is still getting used to a new house and routine. This meant visits during the night to check to see if I was still there and attempts to sleep on top of me.

About every 2 hours. All Friday night.

For the time I was actually asleep, the pad was outstanding. There was less air mattress sound and feel than in my first impression and the long term durability should be great, after a 90 lb. Lab walked over it with no ill affects!

Need I mention that I abandoned the test after one night?

As I discussed before, stowing the pad was fast and easy:

1. Open the deflation valve (most of the air empties quickly) 
2. Press to flatten 
3. Fold in thirds lengthwise and roll from the foot, slowly, to expel the remaining air 

This pad is one of my favorite items, ever! If you get a chance to check out an REI store, it will be worth it just to see some of the really neat gear assembled in one place.


Just a reminder: if you plan on buying anything through Amazon, please consider using our referral link. When you do, a portion of the sale comes back here to help keep this site running! 

If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.