Hiking Freedom: Jim's Backpacking and Camping Blog: My Review of NEMO Astro Insulated Sleeping Pad

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

My Review of NEMO Astro Insulated Sleeping Pad

Originally submitted at Eastern Mountain Sports

Forget your typical inch thick backcountry pad, the Nemo Astro Insulated Mattress is a full 2.5 in. thick

Finally able to sleep while camping

By ManiacJWJ from Colorado Springs, CO on 5/31/2011

Pros: I could actually sleep, Easy To Inflate, Packs Easily, Warm, Small / Compact, Lightweight, Comfortable, Non Slip, Durable

Best Uses: Backpacking, 3 Season Camping, Car Camping

Describe Yourself: Casual/ Recreational

What Is Your Gear Style: Minimalist

Was this a gift?: No

I'm always working to reduce the weight of my gear but I can never fall asleep while camping. Camping and backpacking is usually an exercise in "sleep deprivation". I splurged on the Nemo Astro Insulated and it will never be on the "cut list" because it was comfortable enough to fall asleep and sleep most of the night.

(legalese)

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Backpacking and Camping

The first camping trip I went on was with the Cub Scouts. My troop took a Father & Son trip up in the mountains. My father borrowed or rented a tent, cots and sleeping bags. I don't remember much but a indian tribe was doing one of their ceremonies on the other side of the river until late in the night.

My second trip was a camping/fishing trip with one of my friends from church.

I didn't camp again until my ex-wife talked about them camping as a family when she was a kid. We lived in East TX at the time and it was hot and humid during the summer. We tried to camp but it wasn't that enjoyable. When we moved to Colorado, that all changed. We have camped a lot over the years as a family with a few backpacking trips (I have lots of pictures posted on FaceBook). Now I'm starting to backpack alone.

After having a significant back surgery in 2008, I have found that bearing even 14 lbs on my back while hiking long distances bothers my lower back. I now pack my light bulky items in a Gossamer Gear RikSak (2.1 oz and less than 3 lbs with all the bulky items) and the remaining 11 lbs in a MountainSmith Daylight lumbar pack. The combination of the RikSak and Daylight are less than a pound. I'm hoping to find a cuben fiber alternative to the Daylight and get it down closer to 4 oz.