Bought a $60 sleeping pad after 4 trips of back pain, and the $12 foam pad from Walmart was the fix

Claire Davis · 2026-09-11T17:30:05.138779+00:00

For two summers I figured my aching hips were just part of camping, so I kept upgrading pads. I went from a basic air pad to a $60 inflatable to a $140 one, and every morning I still woke up sore around 4am. Last month my neighbor lent me his 20 year old closed cell foam pad, the cheap kind, and I slept through the night on the third trip. Turns out I was over inflating the air pads, sleeping like a rock on a balloon, and the firm foam gave my shoulders and hips something solid to rest on. I tested it three more nights at Pismo in June and got the same result each time. Now I want to know if anyone else ditched the air pad for foam and never went back, or if I just got lucky with the temperature.

Free To Speak

Loading…

Bought a $60 sleeping pad after 4 trips of back pain, and the $12 foam pad from Walmart was the fix | Camping Gear Reviews - Free To Speak