Big Agnes Air Core Pad

As a lifelong hiker, camper, river runner, outdoors woman, the goal has always been to find a sleep solution that strikes a balance between comfortable enough to get some good sleep and easy to pack for ultra light trips. My new Big Agnes 48" sleeping pad saw it's maiden voyage on this years 29th Annual River Run (2009) in Florida on the 3 day canoe trip. Many of you know that having gear that is multifunctional is a beautiful thing. This pad stayed in my small waterproof "emergency" bag just in case I found myself with no canoe and just my floating emergency sack (sh_t happens). I could easily be towed along behind a fellow river runner on top of my Big Agnes inflated sleeping pad. Fortunately, it didn't come to that, although Big Shoals was kicking as a strong class II whitewater thanks to the torrential rains before Memorial Weekend. So here's my advice on this mattress, do NOT over inflate. Inflate it until it seems fairly full then lie down (...on the mattress :-). The beauty of the nozzle is that you can gentle dial the valve open and closed while lying on the mattress until you feel yourself sink just to that sweet spot where you are not on the ground but you're getting into the mattress a bit. The comfort zone will vary for each person but the adjustment is so easy to do without losing all your air and fumbling to get the air closed off quick when you find that spot. I love it! As for the noise, I slipped mine into a lightweight fleece sleeping bag the second night and it really quieted down. Slept good. I'm 5'3" so the mattress came to my just below my knees when lying on my back. When I laid on my side with my knees comfortably (slightly) bent, I was totally on the mattress. I don't mind my feet hanging off the end when I'm on my back, it was actually quite comfortable. The trade off of going ultra light is well worth it for those who aren't camping with the luxury of your vehicle nearby and who understand that this isn't a pillow top mattress. OVERALL - I would buy another one if anything ever happens to this one. I'm impressed with the quality and versatility. Very happy with this purchase.

So I would like to preface this review with 2 things. The first being that before getting the Big Agnes REM Air Core I was always used old fashioned foam sleeping pads, which though lightweight, would need to be attached to the outside of my pack. Secondly, w e live in Florida and have only tested these in Florida and on summer excursions. I am told they will not suffice for winter but I will see. OK, so these pads are AMAZING. They pack down to the size of a Nalgene bottle (a 1L bottle) and they are more comfortable than anything I have ever slept on. They barely weigh anything and I do not notice it in my pack. It takes about 1-2 minutes to blow it up and it keeps its air all night. I have yet to wake up on the ground. They are a bit slippery and if you are camped on an incline you may find yourself at the foot of the tent in the morning. All in all I am blown away by the quality and convenience of this item. At $50 we bought 2 immediately and we never hit the backcountry without them!

Been using this pad now for a few weeks ... At times i miss my old prolite 4, but with some practice this pad can get the job done very well, 2 1/2 inches thick, but with little to no support .. like a pool float or regular air mattress ... Its the vertical beams that cause the dip when weight is put in a general single area ... Like others have said, took me about 15/17 breathes to inflate ... allow air to evaporate from temp changes, and before ya go to bed .. add 2-3 good puffs of air or till firm ... Lay down inside the bag and release air slowly, when you get that cozy but firm, don't sleep slumped, your back will hate you in the morning ... Will little practice i found my air levels and got used to the bounce from a no foam pad ... I don't miss my pl4 much nowadays cept for winter use ... One star off because it can be hard to find the gel comfort but with little practice and $50 .. this should not be the one peice you leave home ... no foam can compare.

Just back from a two week trip where I slept every night on this pad. I used it with my new Big Agnes Cross Mountain bag that has a pocket to accomodate it. I was happy with the bag/pad combination (never coming off the pad is great) but must admit I was missing my Therm-a-Rest by the end of the trip. While extremely high quality (it is guaranteed for a lifetime and it may last that long), the pad does not have the "foam" feel I like in a sleeping pad. It basically feels like a pool float. It must be totally manually inflated to use, which takes about 20 breaths. On two of the nightes I was at a base camp and had a matress or cot to sleep on. But the nature of the pad required that I inflate it anyway, or remove it from the bag. I chose to inflate it. Not doing so would have left a crinkly liner that would have made noise every time I moved on it.

The Big Agnes Air Core pad is GREAT for backpacking. It packs small, is lightweight, and is more comfortable than any self-inflating pad because it is 2-3 times thicker! The self-inflators also take up WAY more space when packed! At 20" it is a little narrow (one arm tends to go off the side when lying on my back) but I usually sleep on my side, and it's great for that. Easy to adjust firmness. It does take a little blowing to inflate, but it's worth it for the comfort. I use mine with a Slumberjack Ultimate +20degree bag, and it "squeaks" a little when you move around against the pad. But this is a very minor problem overall. This pad is rated for 35 degrees. For those who complain about it not being warm enough in cold weather, Big Agnes has an insulated pad for about $20 more rated at 15 degrees (also sold by BackCountry.com).

I just bought this about a month ago. I have slept on it the last three weekends. It is comfortable! In fact, I would say that it surpassed my expectations for comfort. It is also small and light to carry. I would definitely give it a 5 for comfort, weight and size. I am only 5'10" but I bought and would recommend the long version. The only drawbacks are that you have to inflate it yourself and it can take a few minutes to get all the air out of it so it can be folded enough to fit in the stuff bag. I have learned that if I open the valve when I first get up and then let it deflate on its own while I do other things in the morning then the folding goes easier. Inflation isn't a big deal. It only takes a couple of minutes.

While this is the only pad I've ever bought/tried, it more than exceeded my expectations. I found it to be SUPER comfortable, easy to inflate, and even easier to stuff back in its sack (I'm terrible at folding/compressing gear properly). My boyfriend was very jealous watching me sleep on top of this pad, since he was on only 1/4 inch pad, and I didn't find it to be noisy at all. The only negative was that I was very cold while sleeping. The pad is not rated well for warmth at all, and if you're going to be backpacking in 30 degree weather, you'll need some additional covering for it. Even in my 0 degree bag (it was about 25-30 degrees), both the pad and I were freezing. The only reason I was able to stay happy was because of the thickness/comfort of this pad!

I bought this pad to go on a trip to Hawaii with friends that have a time share - who I go with off & on. I end up staying on the pull out couch bed when we don't have a 2 bedroom condo. This pad was light weight enough to pack & not be over the limit. It really did the trick. The pull out bed in our condo wasn't a very good mattress & wasn't very comfortable, just like most of them I've had to sleep on.
I just took out this pad, blew up (takes very little time) plopped it on top of the mattress & slept well.
A great relief compared to past trips without it.
Definately handy! I recommend it to anyone who's traveling & has to be on a bed that might not end up being the best.

At 2.5" thick, this pad has great cushion and is comfortable to sleep on. I like to let some air out after getting in my bag to soften it so it conforms to my body shape. Only problem for me is it's a little too thin, so one arm falls off if I'm on my back, but I often sleep on my side, so it's not a big deal. I've had no "hip on the ground" problems when side sleeping. I do use a pillow to get proper spine alignment. This thing packs down very small, especially compared to the self-inflating mats. This is my 3rd year using them and have had no leaks or problems. They are sturdy. You may want to check out the Big Agnes Pumphouse Pad Pump to inflate it without blowing your brains out.