I am taking an extended trip this summer farther north where trees get scarce, so I cannot bring the hammock. It will be cold (thirties and into the twenties at night) and wet, so I'm looking for some current ground-sleeping recommendations given these conditions. I'm a cold sleeper. I also need to be conscious of weight and space.

I have a therma-rest neoair xtherm rated 6.5; I like it but have never ground-slept on it. I use it in the hammock. It's very comfortable and I always stay warm but I'm also using an underquilt and not on the ground. A friend recommended an Exped Dura 8R down mat, saying it would make a big difference.

Here are my questions:
- Would 7.8R down mat be significantly warmer than an air-only mat rated 6.5R?

- Specifically, I'm wondering about the use of a closed cell pad under the air mattress for protection / warmth / both. Seems necessary. What do you recommend?

- Other ground recommendations?

- Also, where should I look for some tent liner? I used Tyvek in years past - it was ok. I would be OK with that again.

Thank you for your ideas and help.

Haven’t tried many different sleeping pads, right now I use a Thermarest Trail Pro sleeping pad. Inflatable but has some sort of squishy foam stuff in it. It’s a little thicker than some sleeping pads, and I specifically bought it for warmth and because I’m a side sleeper and it had decent reviews for that. I use a sleeping quilt/sleeping bag that is down. It’s warm and cozy!

As far as tent liner, I’ve used a heavier plastic sheet. Like the stuff you can put down to cover stuff when painting. I cut it about two feet bigger than the tent floor dimensions, so it goes up the sides to make a “bowl” in the tent to keep water out if that makes sense! between that, the tent and the footprint under the tent floor, I’ve never had water get in the tent from below to me or my stuff. I’ve purchased the plastic from painting aisle at Walmart. Or I think my husband has bought it from Menards too. Used this type of plastic on short trips and longer month long trips too. And it’s not very expensive either.

I can’t speak to the mechanical or thermal comfort of the exped; I can say you are likely to be warm enough with the XTherm in those temps, assuming you have the appropriately paired quilt/bag on top.

So, are you doing one of the Big Rivers to Hudson’s Bay or the Arctic?

Also with mattress pads, when I did some winter camping in college in northern MN, we used the closed cell pads under another pad when sleeping on the lake ice. Slept pretty warm despite below zero conditions!

Hadn’t heard of the Exped dura 8R pad before, had to look up that one, looks like it’d be nice!

jillpine: "
- Specifically, I'm wondering about the use of a closed cell pad under the air mattress for protection / warmth / both. Seems necessary. What do you recommend?

- Other ground recommendations?

- Also, where should I look for some tent liner? I used Tyvek in years past - it was ok. I would be OK with that again.

Thank you for your ideas and help.
"

I saw those temps a bit last year & I was using a 30* rated elightened equipment quilt, so no bag underneath me. I brought an inflatable pad like you have, a foam pad, a bedsheet, & a light wool trail blanket. The air mattress & foam were needed to get the minimum R rating provided by the manufacturer of the quilt to get the claimed rating. I ended up not using the inflatable pad much & I put the doubled-up wool blanket on top of the foam pad underneath me. I liked having the option of the inflatable if temps dropped below twenty, though I was comfortable with just the foam pad & wool blanket beneath me into the low twenties. I did appreciate having a thermos with me as I'd fill it with boiling water before bed & put it in the bag with me (mainly because when changing into pajamas, which are always cold & have a bit of latent moisture in them from the humidity during the day, I'd be cold). I'd suggest having some type of barrier between you & the air mattress, it's not all that comfortable to sleep on bare plastic, which was one of the purposes of my wool blanket (another being an 'outside of the tent' blanket for around the fire etc.).

If you've used Tyvek for years, if it ain't broke don't fix it. I would give a good review of the CCS ground cloth - I used it four months straight last year without a hitch & it is no worse for wear. It kept me dry during the very rainy season last year & I was impressed by it's performance. The fabric seems to float, so the edges don't dip below the water unless pinned down. I was sleeping on some serious water at times, like a water bed, though it stayed dry through it all. A few times I did get some water on top of the ground cloth, though this was the result of the tent getting water collecting on it & pressing the cloth down below the surface (did I mention that there was a lot of rain lmao).

Sounds like an epic adventure, Jillpine! It reminds me of the personal accounts of arctic canoe trips by Adam Shoalts.

I had to look up the Exped Dura 8R Down mat and it seems to be exactly what one might take and I don't have any better recommendations. I think you are very wise to bring tyvek to keep gear dry, especially the sleeping mat and adding a closed cell pad would be smart too.

One observation, I would be tempted to consider some sort of wool blanket instead of the pad. About the same space but it is heavier. The biggest benefit, in my opinion, is that the wool will still keep you warm if it gets wet. A wool blanket can also be worn better if it comes to that.

Might not be a good idea or work for you and your situation, but thought I would offer it as an option for you to consider.

Enjoy your trip!