The Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads, Tested on the Trail (2026)
When I was young, all backpacking was uphill both ways and everyone slept on the ground in sleeping bags with only a half-inch of thin closed-cell foam between us and every pebble. We also filtered our water with our teeth and ate mainly raw meat and foraged ramps. Kids these days.Still, I suppose there is something to be said for getting a good night’s sleep at the end of a long day on the trail.
- ▪When I was young, all backpacking was uphill both ways and everyone slept on the ground in sleeping bags with only a half-inch of thin closed-cell foam between us and every pebble.
- ▪We also filtered our water with our teeth and ate mainly raw meat and foraged ramps.
- ▪Kids these days.Still, I suppose there is something to be said for getting a good night’s sleep at the end of a long day on the trail.
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Scott GilbertsonGearJul 26, 2026 7:09 AMThe Best Backpacking Sleeping PadsWe tested high-tech sleeping pads from Nemo, Therm-a-Rest, Sea to Summit, and Exped to get you the best rest ever when you’re in the great outdoors.CommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyFeatured in this articleBest All-Around Backpacking PadNemo Equipment Tensor All-SeasonRead more$240 REI (Regular Wide)Best Ultralight Sleeping PadTherm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT Sleeping PadRead more$210 AmazonFor the Ultimate Backcountry ComfortTherm-a-Rest NeoLoft Sleeping PadRead more$250 REIFor Side SleepersExped Ultra 6.5R Sleeping PadRead more$200 REI (Regular)What are these sleeping pads you speak of? When I was young, all backpacking was uphill both ways and everyone slept on the ground in…
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