Lets get one thing straight…. ya girl is broke!! So I have been looking a budget gear options for the past little while and the main factors I have been looking at are weight, reviews, and warmth. I found the Hikenture Ultralight Sleeping Pad on Amazon for $45.99CAD with an $8 coupon making it $37.99.
At first glance…
The majority of the reviews on Amazon were positive at 5 stars and for $37 why not give it a go. At a first glance, this sleeping pad looks good. It is a mere 13.4oz, rolls up to about the size of my Nalgene water bottle and provides 2.5″ of thickness. The pad also came with a repair kit and an 100% satisfaction guarantee with a 1-year warranty. However, there is no r-value listed for the pad either on Amazon or Hikenture’s own website so I have no idea how warm this pad will actually be. I will definitely air on the side of caution and only be using this pad in late spring, summer and maaybe early fall. The pad is advertised as a three season sleeping pad but once again with no R-Value I would not trust it in colder temperatures to provide proper insulation. If you had a heavy and warmer sleeping bag than this would probably be okay purely for comfort.
The Real Test
In order to put the pad to the test before taking it out on the trail I decided to set it up on my hard wood floor and see if I survived the night. The valve on the pad is a double valve so it is easy to inflate and deflate. I did find when blowing up the pad it made a squeaking/whistling sound. That’s not a big problem but is a little annoying and did wake my dog up! Hikenture advertises this at being inflated in 10 deep breathes, I would say it took me about 15 breathes to blow up which still is not a lot!
To be completely transparent, I did not have the best nights sleep. However, this was my FIRST time ever sleeping on a sleeping pad so I am sure it will take some adjusting. What I did not realize just looking at the pad out of the box is how narrow it is. Lying on my back on the pad both shoulders are close to the edge. It is 22″ wide so there is not much room if you are a tosser and turner like me. I found I was most comfortable sleeping on my side but if you place too much weight on your hip you will find that you sink through to the ground in that spot.
Even though sleeping on this sleeping pad did not feel like I was sleeping at a 5 star inn, it did hold the air throughout the night. It also stayed in place pretty well on the floor, I imagine in a tent it will have a bit more traction.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this pad to a beginner backpacker (especially one on a budget, like myself) for summer usage and shorter trips. For $37 its a great deal compared to some other pads that are double the price and over a pound. I do plan on taking this with me on my 3 night backpacking trip on the Highland Backpacking trail so if my thoughts change I will update after that trip.
~ Kat.
Have any questions? Feel free to leave a comment down below!
Kat's Trail Log 