NEMO Switchback Foam Sleeping Pad

Looking forward to using it in the UK, but I think that it will out last me, as I watch Xander on YouTube really putting this pad through a rough time, on rocks and wet and dry canoe trips in Canada.

Being a side sleeper I found it on its own not comfortable enough so too an inflatable pad to go on top and the Nemo providing the insulation. Like others, I have cut off 4 segments to cover shoulders to knee only. The benefit is that I can show the differences between the one I took on a hike (10 nights in total) and the segments left at home. The sideways photo shows the comparison which suggests that the used one (right) now packs denser, which may or may not reflect compression and/or a better fit. The main issue I find is that due to the size this will in most cases go on the outside of a pack, which a) gets it wet and with all the bumps and hollows it is very difficult to dry and b) make it pretty prone to damage (see comparison view from the top with the used one in the bottom). The only place for me to attach is to the bottom of the back, so when you go on narrow paths with vegetation either side or through a narrow rock passage, you inevitably scratch the mat. I have no experience with other similar mats (e.g. decathlon), but at about 1/3 of the price of the Nemo, they would be less financially painful to replace.

The Nemo Switchback is significantly more comfortable than Thermarest or Exped. I can lie comfortably on my side (70 kg ,175 cm) on the Nemo, not so comfortable on the others. Nemo also folds much tighter than the others – precision engineering. Nemo and Thermarest are warmer than Exped because they have higher profile and they have silver metal on one side. I think they are all tough and will last well. They all work very well in a hammock. For me Nemo is the clear winner on the ground and in the hammock.

As far as foam pads go, this one is up there. But at the same time, at the end of the day, there's a reason inflatable pads are so popular, so you've gotta be realistic with comfort expectations. This one is well made, durable, affordable, lightweight, and fairly warm. It's not the most comfortable thing in the world, but it's a heck of a lot better than most other foam pads. Neat little trick: I bought a full-size, then cut it down to torso length by removing 4 panels. Two of them got trimmed in half into a square I can use as a sitting pad that can be brought into the tent at night and laid under my legs to augment the torso-length section. The rest was trimmed into a dog bed for when the pup tags along. Three for the price of one =)

This has helped me keep warm even while camping in the snap with just a sleeping bag and this mat in the tent. I would argue its more comfortabe than a thing airpad since its so thick!

The only pictures I have are of my Aussie taking advantage of the switchback but both my son and myself have used it on multiple trips. From spring though fall it gets used on it's own, during the winter I pair it with a Sea to Summit inflatable and I have brought it out well into the teens and slept more than comfortable. Like it's noted, it is a lightweight closed cell foam pad just thick enough to have some cushion between you and the ground with a heat reflective side that is a perfect addition to a sleep system. Definitely worth it.

とても頼もしいです。安心して眠れました。 有り難うございます。もっと安かったら良いのに。