View Full Version : R-value of blue eggcrate Wally World Pad?
Just Jeff
01-11-2007, 19:15
I think Youngblood posted it in one of the Hammock Camping newsletters. Is it in the chart at the bottom of the SPE page?
I think Youngblood posted it in one of the Hammock Camping newsletters. Is it in the chart at the bottom of the SPE page?
I looked at Ed's chart, and he just has a CCF pad category. Reason I'm asking is that I found a 25" wide .625" Thermarest Ridgerest at Moosejaw tonight. It has a R-value of 2.6. I want to use which ever pad has the better r-value, and before I go hacking up this Thermarest, i thought I'd make sure.
I'll try to find Youngblood's info. In the meantime, what do you think? Wally world (eggcrate) or thermarest ridgerest (that has pockets to trap warm air too) better for insulation?
Also, I read on your site the Thermarest is harder to get to take shape in a hammock than the wally world pad?
Wasn't it Rock that was saying that he did not think the egg crate pads were as warm in a hammock? Something about surface area contact or air pockets.
I haven't done any testing on this yet.
Just Jeff
01-11-2007, 19:30
I don't know anything about the R-values. One observation on the pockets to trap air, though...
Rock observed that egg-crate pads like that are only effective to the thinnest area of the pad. So if it's a 1/2" egg-crate, it's probably 1/8" at the thin sections...so the insulation would likely be closer to a 1/8" pad than to a 1/2" pad.
This makes sense to me. On the ground, there's no air blowing under you and the trapped air may have a chance to heat up. In a hammock, either the crate is pointing down and the wind can steal the heat, or the crate is pointing up and you have little pockets of air between your body and the pad that your body must heat. Either way, it's less efficient. But I don't know of anyone who has tested that.
Not sure what you mean about the TR being harder to take shape. It's harder to keep under me b/c it squirts out...the material is much more slippery than a CCF. If that's not what you're talking about, point me to where it is and I'll see if I can figure out what I meant :D
So I know I'm getting a bit off my own topic, but has anyone tried little piece of velcro between the bag/pad and the pad/hammock? Just to help keep everything in place?
Just Jeff
01-11-2007, 19:39
I doubt it would be strong enough to hold the pad in place unless you sewed the velcro to the hammock...and I wouldn't want to stress a seam in the hammock like that.
Putting it between the pad and bag is what JRB's new product does...keeps the quilt in place on the pad.
headchange4u
01-11-2007, 19:41
You could always just paint some silicone stripes on both sides of the pad. That would probably keep things from sliding around. Works on tent floors.
Ok Jeff...this was the sentence from your site that made me think thermarest pads were more of a pain than other pads:
"Others have complained about the difficulty of keeping the pad underneath them, especially when using a ThermaRest in a Hennessy."
So I didn't quote that very good earlier when I mentioned about it taking shape, but ultimately, it's because it doesn't shape well to you and the hammock that you have to fight with it.
Just Jeff
01-11-2007, 19:55
Ok - I was talking about the material being much more slippery, and the TR is stiffer when it's inflated. Some folks don't inflate the TR completely to help keep it under them, but the material is still slippery.
But I think you're talking about TR's CCF pads...I don't have any experience with those. I imagine they'd be more similar to the Walmart CCF pad than to the TR inflatable.
Oh yes...I am talking about the CCF TR. I think I just made up my mind though. To my surprise, the thermarest weighs more than the wally world (granted I haven't trimmed it down yet, but I'm not sure it would make that much of a difference), and overall, the wally world provides more thickness because the TR is a ridgerest and literally has the ridges opposite each other on top/bottom, so even though the package states its a .625" pad, there is NO way it's that thick at the ridges.
I think I'll be sticking w/my wally world pad. I went yesterday to try to find the 24" blue wally world pad that was not an egg crate that Rock mentions, and they didn't have any, only 20". I did see a blue 24" coleman pad, but that thing basically had bubble wrap on the inside (I could squeeze and hear little pops) so I couldn't imagine that being considered a CCF.
Oh well....I was just excited to see a 25" pad, and hadn't remembered seeing anyone mention that TR had one...but I could be wrong. Thanks guys!
The way I remember Rock's comments re. WalMart pads was the the $4/5 was poor and the wider $11/12 were better.
I have an $11 WalMart Pad and it is okay. It has egg crate on one surface only.
I use 36 inches of the "not good" 20 In. wide pad crossways under my torso. The two thicknesses work fine. and I don't roll off.
But, I have a Zhammock type two layer hammock. That seems to eliminate pad shifting,
HTH
Tom
Perkolady
01-11-2007, 20:41
Michele,
Heck if I can remember where I saw it EARLIER TODAY (duh), but I saw something that said the Wally pad had an R-value of *i think* 1.38 ...
I own both, and I personally find the ridgrest warmer.
Another thing -
When I had used the Wally pad, there was moisture on it when I got up in the morning, but with the ridgerest, there wasn't.
Of course, there could be other factors, like variations in humidity those trips.
Good luck, whatever you decide and have a great thru ! :)
Perk
Michele,
Heck if I can remember where I saw it EARLIER TODAY (duh), but I saw something that said the Wally pad had an R-value of *i think* 1.38 ...
I own both, and I personally find the ridgrest warmer.
Another thing -
When I had used the Wally pad, there was moisture on it when I got up in the morning, but with the ridgerest, there wasn't.
Of course, there could be other factors, like variations in humidity those trips.
Good luck, whatever you decide and have a great thru ! :)
Perk
Is that the blue wally pad that only has eggcrate on one surface that you read about? Do you use the 25" wide ridgerest? How is it for slipping and sliding in the hammock? We're going to start getting really cold in the next few weeks, I may try to find two trees somewhere and spend two nights out there w/both pads and make a decision.
Perkolady
01-12-2007, 09:44
Michele,
Yes, that is the Wally pad. I'm sorry- I did look again and I cannot find where I saw the R-value :o
I currrently have a 20" Ridgerest (although I am planning on getting the 25" to try). I cut off a piece of the Wally pad for where my butt comes over the edge when side sleeping, which I can use for a sitting/foot pad too.
I also find the Ridgerest WAY more comfortable if I have to sleep on the ground - it's cushier and I think it's warmer.
I find the Wally pad to be sort of "stickier" against the hammock fabric- and it seems to me to bulk up (bumps) more, where with the Ridgerest, if I am already IN the hammock, and need to reposition , it's definately MUCH easier. (that COULD be due to the narrower size though,as well)
I would suggest you do as you said and try them both to see what works best for you.
I imagine with it getting closer to leaving time, you must be anxious to get these things worked out (If it was me I would be!!)
If you get to test these both out soon- please let us know what you think !
Do you already have the 25" Ridgrest?
Perk
Michele,
Yes, that is the Wally pad. I'm sorry- I did look again and I cannot find where I saw the R-value :o
I currrently have a 20" Ridgerest (although I am planning on getting the 25" to try). I cut off a piece of the Wally pad for where my butt comes over the edge when side sleeping, which I can use for a sitting/foot pad too.
I also find the Ridgerest WAY more comfortable if I have to sleep on the ground - it's cushier and I think it's warmer.
I find the Wally pad to be sort of "stickier" against the hammock fabric- and it seems to me to bulk up (bumps) more, where with the Ridgerest, if I am already IN the hammock, and need to reposition , it's definately MUCH easier. (that COULD be due to the narrower size though,as well)
I would suggest you do as you said and try them both to see what works best for you.
I imagine with it getting closer to leaving time, you must be anxious to get these things worked out (If it was me I would be!!)
If you get to test these both out soon- please let us know what you think !
Do you already have the 25" Ridgrest?
Perk
Yes, I'm totally anxious to get it settled. Something in my gut keeps telling me to look for other sleeping pad options. I agree, the stickiness of the wally world pad does cause some major bunching up when moving around. I found the 25" Thermarest yesterday for the first time...didn't even know they made them that wide, so I bought it. I'm also now thinking of doing a cross-pad of some kind too...under my butt mainly and so if I side sleep, my knees can hang over too. Ugh...just really want to figure it out for myself, but I'm moving in a few weeks, so getting away for an overnighter is really hard right now, as I'm spending all of my weekends packing. And I also have to remember that I wont' be spending every single night in sub-freezing temps. I know the potential is there, but I've not read one journal that reported it was freezing every single night.
I'll definitely give a report on what I found if I'm able to test them both out. Thanks for the info!
Perkolady
01-12-2007, 12:47
Michele,
Isn't that 25" pad like 77" long or something? What about cutting part of that off for your butt?
It could be your sit pad during breaks or in camp.
One thing I am going to try very soon is taking all my stuffsacks and stuffing them into one bag, and placing that under my cold butt spot. I'd really like to avoid the bulk of the pads if possible.
<sigh> I wish I could afford to just get a nice wide Stephenson's DAM and get it over with already ! At least it packs down smaller and is warmer than the darn ccf pads !
I should have been born rich instead of weird.... :D
Good luck with your move ! I hope things go very smoothly.
Perk
Michele,
Isn't that 25" pad like 77" long or something? What about cutting part of that off for your butt?
It could be your sit pad during breaks or in camp.
One thing I am going to try very soon is taking all my stuffsacks and stuffing them into one bag, and placing that under my cold butt spot. I'd really like to avoid the bulk of the pads if possible.
One thing I've used (& Pan also suggests) when I need a tad more warmth on my butt, is a fleece top folded a couple times. I normally have one anyways, and w/my JRB NS I'm warm enough on top that I don't need to wear it.