View Full Version : 3/8" Felt as underpad?
Do you think 3/8 or 1/2" thick industrial felt would be good for a underpad as far as insulation goes? It won't be as soft as foam, but I think it would be a good insulation barrier.
Ramblinrev
12-11-2008, 18:54
I hope you would not be planning to backpack with it... Sounds wicked heavy.
I would be using it with my kayak.
angrysparrow
12-11-2008, 19:17
I don't have any experience with felt that thick, but in your application it seems like if the felt happened to be exposed to water it would soak up and hold a lot. A comparable thickness of evazote padding would not have the same problem.
NCPatrick
12-11-2008, 19:22
Good point about soaking up the water. I would think that felt might act sort of like this capillary mat (http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=44627&cat=2,2280,54307&ap=2) for watering plants.
smartcarpie
12-11-2008, 19:38
Ever dry a thick felt boot liner? It's a long slow process. My wife and I own Steger Arctic Mukluks for snowshoeing that are 3/8 felt with a leather and canvas shell. Ideal for cold (like below zero all the time), as the surface of the mukluk is ambient temp so nothing melts on them. They are not as efficient in New England, as it is too warm even in the coldest months, they slowly wet out (but are awesome for hut based trips where they will dry by a stove overnite). The big advantages to them are that they sort of form to your foot (when you buy them there is no way to tell right or left except by the tag, they BECOME right and left) and are very comfortable as a result; they are also super BREATHABLE, which is part of the reason they stay so warm. So as an underpad felt might provide these same two things, form fit and breathability. You can probably keep it dry if you are careful and pack well. But the deal breaker in my mind would be the weight and bulk of it. I don't mind bulk like a foam pad, but it better be light and warm if it's getting that much real estate!
I played around with carpet padding at one point- very similar to what you are talking about. Keeping it dry is the key. Yes, it's heavy, but it works wicked good for insulation and if you aren't carrying it on your back, it's OK. Buy or make an extra long dry sack for it, keep it dry in the kayak, and you would be all right. But play with it in your backyard first!