~40" wide closed-cell foam pad, ~2" thick, for cheap?

**Dochartaigh** · 10-05-2014, 11:55

I'm looking for something I thought would be easy to find but I've struck out. You know those Z-rest/Z-lite/Ridgerest-SOlite style closed-cell foam pads that you can find for as cheap as $15-20? Where can I find a larger version of something like that? Around 40" wide, and ~2" thick. All the ones online are .375 to 3/4" thick, and not as wide as I'm looking for. If it's not specifically meant for camping, that's fine, but it does have to be of the correct softness (i.e. not the foam floor mats they might have in the free-weight section of the gym which are extremely dense foam and would be awful to sleep on).

I'm NOT looking for a blow-up/self-inflating style like the NeoAir Dream, Exped MegaMat, REI Camp Bed, etc. (those are also $130-$250!). I've had bad luck trying literally 15+ blow-up air mattresses through the years and haven't found a comfortable one yet (which is why I went to hammock camping to begin with). I plan on using this for car camping in a tent first and foremost, along with trying it out in the XXL bridge hammock Opie is making for me.

Any help would be appreciated. I'm hoping something like this won't be expensive as the regular camping ones are under $20, and it is just a piece of closed-cell foam after all...

**FLRider** · 10-05-2014, 12:39

I found 2" EVA foam (the type commonly used in CCF pads) at this website: http://www.foamorder.com/closedcell.html. Note that 2" thick pads at 40" wide are going to be just as expensive as a synthetic underquilt, though ($122 + shipping), so you won't really be saving any money by going with a pad.

The other option is to purchase a set of 1/2" thick WallyWorld blue pads and glue them together. If you went that route, it would cost you approximately $60 ($7 a pop x 8, to reach your desired width of ~40" and thickness of 2"), including a $4 tube of glue.

Sorry I wasn't of more help...

**XTrekker** · 10-05-2014, 18:05

2" thick? Gonna be one HUGE roll when rolled up. I would just double up on a couple thinner pads. If your car camping, then I might try looking into cots.

**DanglingModifier** · 10-05-2014, 19:06

This doesn't really answer your question, but 2" thick really does sound like an unwieldy piece of closed cell foam. I'm having a hard time envisioning what benefit that will do for you other than let you get into frigid winter temps.

The last time I car camped with a tent I put one of the cheap blue Walmart pads under a thick partially inflated thermarest inflatable. On their own neither was very comfortable, but stacked together they gave me about 2" of insulation and the best night's sleep I've had in a tent in literally forever. If you already own an inflatable that's a cheap way to see if it can be part of a more comfortable system for you.

**nothermark** · 10-05-2014, 19:12

Having slept on a 6 inch stack of CCF pads they are not soft. The nature of Closed Cell Foam means it does not collapse like open cell does. One can tailor the collapse weight of OCF to get varying levels of support but CCF stays hard or bursts.

**hutzelbein** · 10-06-2014, 04:17

I have never seen a closed foam mat that is 2" high. The most massive foam pad that Therm-a-Rest sells is not even half as thick. I own a couple of Evazote pads from my time before I found hammock comfort. The thickest one is 0.75", the thinnest one is 0.35". I didn't even try to use the 0.75" pad in the hammock, because it's so stiff. The 0.35" pad only conformed to my body (in the hammock) reluctantly.

Why do you want a pad that thick? The only reason I could think of would be warmth - and I think a pad much thinner would give you plenty of warmth.

**Otter1** · 10-06-2014, 09:18

Just pick up a few old bricks. Close to the desired thickness and free! Equivalent comfort too.

Of course I say this lightheartedly, but there is a degree of truth here

**Dochartaigh** · 10-06-2014, 09:44

So ruling out blow-up/self-inflating mattresses of any sort - I've owned 5 generations of Thermarests, even their fancy NeoAir xLite; my most recent purchase was the "award winning" Big Agnes Double Z Air Pad (absolutely horrible), numerous Aerobeds/Ozark Trail/Coleman blow-up type air mattresses - including models with memory foam tops, and I found every single blow-up mattress to be the most uncomfortable thing ever. As soon as I move my body all the air in the pad moves to the other side and I nearly roll off the pad (even with them nearly deflated all the way so my hips are just barely above the ground).

What other options would you all suggest tent camping then? I'm perfectly fine sleeping on any regular mattress in the world (even crappy hotel ones). I get a good night sleep at my parents shore house with these little mini-futons (with about 2" thick couch cushions on them), love my cousins pop-up camper with ~2" memory foam 'mattresses' (really just a couple couch cushions laid next to each other).

I figured the Thermarest closed cell foam pads are listed as ~0.75" thick, but if you've seen them before they're filled with nooks and crannies (so to speak) and aren't really that thick. I bottom those out every time and can feel everything underneath me, especially on my hips. That's why I though to try something around double the thickness, and a lot wider (I'm a side sleeper who likes to spread out his legs) and see if it's more comfortable. I'm fine with this being a 40" wide, 15" diameter cylinder rolled-up, weighing 10 pounds if it has to.

**gargoyle** · 10-06-2014, 11:50

In a hammock...you under inflate the pad. This allows the pad to flex and conform to your body. Adjust inflation as desired to achieve your comfort level.

CCF pads work. Try a 3/8" or 1/2" (at max) thick pad. Some trim the pad or fashion it into segments to allow for coverage at your shoulders. Then build a sleeve for all the segments to fit well.

I cut a pad down from its standard length, so I had two sections at approx 3' long. I laid the pad nearest my shoulders widthwise and the lower section lengthwise. Basically forming a "T". This allowed for coverage and still made it manageable to pack on the outside of the pack.

Your previous experience was with ground camping or a trailer. You were softening the hard ground or the wood frame of the trailer. Not really the same as a hammock. A hammock flexes and bends with your body. Thus, you dont need a thick mattress. You just need something to provide adequate insulation.

Pads do not breath well. Some experience sweating/condensation. A good fitting underquilt is the best answer. But pads do work.

**Dochartaigh** · 10-06-2014, 12:18

This is primarily for ground-dwelling as I already have a couple down underquilts. BUT, I do want to experiment with using it in the dual-layer bridge hammock I'm having made - thought I would hit two birds with one stone

....so needless to say I'm still looking for a solution that meets my criteria. If 2" thick CCF will be to costly, please let me know what other options are out there. The 3/4" thick Thermarest CCF isn't doing it for me, and isn't wide enough either.