Which mattress?

imported
#1

I have an Exped DownMat7 and a Prolite womens 4. Which should I use for the AT. I get very achy hips at nighttime

wendy nelson

#2

Wendy - Both of those models are reeeally heavy at 24 ozs! If you are thruing the AT, your hips will soon get used to sleeping on the ground. But it does take a few nights. Trust me, I’m an unrepentent whiner, and my did. Shop around for another inflatible pad in the 12 oz.-range. Your knees and back will thank you. Happy Trails.

Matt

#3

Wendy - I just realized you already own both mattresses, so I don’t want to appear insensitive to possible budget issues. But if you do have some cash available for gear, knocking almost 3/4s of a pound of weight off your back everyday for $100 would be a pretty good return on your investment.

Matt

#4

Wendy,
I have a problem with very stiff hips - in normal life!- after 2-3 weeks on the trail the problem is GONE. I just use a foam sleeping pad from Wal-Mart mainly for insulation. $10? a little bulky, but I think light.

Spider

#5

it weighs only 11 oz. (i think)…and you can trim off pieces of it to tuck into your clothing around your hips if you need, too…i think matt is right, though…you do get used to it… (or maybe you just need to search out more comfortable positions for sleeping)…i’ve even found that changing up your gait, or posture during your daytime hiking hours will help…(as in re-alligning your hips or making a smaller stride)…the thing that helps the most, though (in my opinion) is just finding a nice, soft, cushy stealth camp with plenty of leaves and soil that hasn’t been compacted!..ahhhhh!..heaven!..shelter floors are the worst!..ouch!

maw-ee

#6

Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it. Not sure that I can go as far as the old blue foam mat again though! I have been very spoiled since I turned 50 with the inflatables!:lol

WENDY NELSON