Side sleepers especially might appreciate the extra width to stretch out. As with the walls of your home, you can’t tell just from looking at a sleeping pad what’s inside of it, and how warm it will keep you. There are three different types of sleeping pads on the market: air pads, self-inflating pads, and closed-cell foam pads. Even though the Z Lite Sol is relatively thin, its solid foam is an effective insulator that delivers an R-value of 2.6. To reduce the chance of problems, look for a pad made with thicker, higher-denier fabrics (20-denier fabrics offer the thinnest, lightest, and softest threads, while fabrics of 70 denier and higher offer beefy protection against the elements). Closed-cell foam sleeping pads feature dense foam that creates small, closed air cells. Choosing a size is a matter of balancing comfort with weight. Baffles can keep you warmer by trapping warm pockets of air, distributing your weight over an otherwise thin pad, and contributing to a pad’s uniformity and stability, all of which can increase comfort. “If you sleep on your side, it is about 18%. ( Photo: Nemo) Wes Siler After living and traveling across three continents for the past decade, he has developed a focus on long-distance overland journeys, straight pictures, Central Asian countries, and pizza. The only real downside of its weight relative to our highest rated … We tested this 2½-inch-thick inflatable pad side by side with its closest competitors in deserts, on mountains, and in snow, and we found that no other pad can beat its balance of weight, warmth, and comfort. The pad moved out of place in tests at home on a hardwood floor, as well as in the field in a tent. A valve that requires two separate movements to proceed with inflation or deflation. When the Wirecutter outdoor team goes car camping—as opposed to backpacking and carrying gear into the wilderness—this is the gear they bring. However, those with aggressive outdoor goals will likely want a lighter-weight sleeping pad for the simple reason that the pad will spend more time in the backpack than on the ground. After using 34 sleeping bags in the Western wild, we think the REI Co-op Siesta 30 is the best for basic camping—and we have backpacking and couples’ picks too. Featuring a V-shaped design that keeps you from rolling off the mattress and individual air pockets that provide both softness and stability, you won’t have to toss and turn to find the most comfortable sleeping position. Despite its being the widest pad we tested at 23 inches, our broader-bodied testers found the design less comfortable, with one describing the experience as “like sleeping on a cord of wood.” The Insulated Static V Lite weighs 19 ounces, making it the heaviest of the backpacking pads we tested—and making it less appealing to serious backpackers seeking the lightest possible load. But if cost is a concern and you want a self-inflating pad, the BaseCamp is a reliable choice. Whether you are setting out to tackle a multi-day rocky trail or to spend a week camping at a music festival, there is nothing your body will be more thankful for than a solid night’s sleep. One thing our testers universally praised: the pad’s inflation system, which took the least time and the least number of breaths (and came with a stuff-sack inflation system that is hands down the best inflation method we tested). We spent a dozen hours sifting through the hundreds of items in this category to determine our testing lineup of six backpacking pads and nine car-camping pads (with some of them also being appropriate for casual or occasional backpackers and base campers). Such models are also faster and easier to inflate than pads that you must blow up manually. Nonetheless, side sleepers praised the vertical baffles, which made the Tensor feel more stable compared with the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite. If cost or durability is a top concern for you, the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol is the standout choice. There are generally two types of sleeping pads: closed-cell foam sleeping pads, which are thinner and more utilitarian in nature, and inflatable sleeping pads… But whether you like firm or soft, the LuxuryMap feels even no matter your sleep position due to “pressure mapping”—interior foam that is more dense at the spots where a body is likely to exert more pressure. Closed-Cell Foam Pad … The best of today’s air pads—many of which include a layer of down and/or synthetic insulation inside—are impressively light and compact, making them the top choice for most backpackers. “Self-inflating” open-cell foam pads were introduced by Therm-a-Rest way back in 1972. In early to mid-June, the experience—most of it at 10,000 to 13,000 feet—was more like light mountaineering, and camping on snow after walking all day in snow was the norm. For larger holes, use the self-adhesive fabric patch that comes in your kit and apply a little glue beforehand, just to make sure it sticks. PELLIOT Closed Cell Foam Camping Sleeping Pad, Lightweight Folding Camping Pad for Hiking By pelliot 8.5 View Product ... 6,473 reviews scanned The 10 Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads The inflation process takes about 10 minutes. A minimalist sleeping pad design in which all material in excess is removed to leave only a basic frame that provides support at key pressure points. Though the UltraLight Insulated's R-value of 3.3 isn’t higher than that of the other pads we tested, at 16.9 ounces this pad is heavier than most of the competitors we tried. … It provides a very minimal, basic level of … Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Foam Pad. Recent Closed-Cell Foam Sleeping Pad Reviews Gossamer Gear ThinLight 1/8" Insulation Pad I use a short length of this for: sitpad, insulation booster, and tent surfing prevention. *At the time of publishing, the price was $44. Because of the empty spaces in the mattress, a grid-shaped sleeping pad can be extremely lightweight and compact. Eventually, if the pad does have a leak, bubbles will form. Some pads require flattening before folding, whereas others are designed to be rolled or stuffed into a bag. As the name suggests, self-inflating pads inflate automatically once the valve is opened. This 3-inch-thick pad has extra foam where your body exerts more pressure, which ups comfort and helps prevent the common problem of bottoming out on a thin pad. Nemo Tensor Insulated: Although our testers judged this 15-ounce pad to be comfortable and loved its two one-way valves (one valve that only lets air in, plus one larger valve that only lets air out), the surface fabric on both the top and bottom of this pad was annoyingly slippery. Granite, for instance, will pull heat from your body faster than snow. If you are still in the backcountry when you discover a hole, Ryan Linn suggests submerging your not-fully-inflated pad in a lake, or in a pinch, a puddle. Sleeping pads can be short, regular or long. When you’re ready to sleep, sitting around waiting for a pad to inflate can be torture. This is a comparison of foam vs. air sleeping pads or mattresses for backpacking, camping, and sleeping outside on the ground. It debuted in 2009, and since then multiple companies have introduced rival pads, including the five others we tested for this story: the Exped SynMat HL, the Big Agnes Q-Core SLX, the Nemo Equipment Tensor Insulated, and the Klymit Insulated Static V Lite. Still another consideration: The importance of what’s underneath your body to your overall warmth varies depending on how you sleep. Price: $110. Self-Inflating Sleeping Pad, … We talked with Richard Nisley, a retired Apollo-mission engineer and a lifelong outdoorsman who has dedicated his retirement years to investigating physics queries for the Backpacking Light community (as well as to satiate his own curiosity). Sleeping-bag nylon is of course slipperier than the cotton bedding you might use at home. Some people can sleep soundly on the hard ground, but they are the rare (odd) birds. “If you sleep on your back, then approximately 35% of the [sleeping] bag's warmth is derived by the R-value of the compressed bag insulation plus the mattress,” Richard Nisley informed Backpacking Light readers back in 2007. by Kit Dillon, Liz Thomas, and Kalee Thompson. Our next stop was the Grand Canyon, where we base-camped before attempting the landmark’s mega-crossing: Rim to Rim to Rim—a nearly 50-mile journey, with 11,000 feet of altitude gain, from the South Rim to the North Rim and back to the South Rim in one day. Sea to Summit UltraLight Insulated Mat: This pad’s innovative and proprietary design—a “dot-weld” pattern that increases the surface area of the pad compared with typical baffling techniques—inspired both devotees and haters among our testers. After six months of testing tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads, we’re fed up with stuff sacks that are a struggle to stuff. Luckily, all inflatable air mattresses come with repair kits. We scoured online reviews, collected informal opinions from a range of camping friends from Maine to Alaska, and sorted through the science and technology behind a solid night’s sleep under the stars. Most brands that sell air pads provide information on how many breaths are necessary to inflate sleeping pads fully. It’s the same science used in building materials and home insulation, but whereas the building industry is closely regulated, outdoor-company R-values are self-reported, with no government or industry oversight of how the numbers are determined. A good sleeping pad helps you get the best night’s sleep possible, and part of a good night’s sleep is feeling comfortable. “It slept the best of the pads in the lineup.” Our testing found that the SynMat HL’s vertical baffles were popular among side sleepers concerned about roll-off, but less comfortable to back sleepers. We took nine popular sleeping pads on two group car-camping trips and also slept on each pad at home in a living room before concluding that the Therm-a-Rest LuxuryMap is the car-camping pad that offers the best balance of comfort, features, and cost for most campers who don’t need to carry their pad long distances. The more layers between your sleeping pad and the ground, the better. Are you contemplating a first-ever backpacking trip, or wondering what type of sleeping pad to buy for a kid looking forward to a first camping trip? We asked a tester to keep looking for durability issues; after using it all last year while backpacking in Joshua Tree and around Monument Valley, he reported having no problems. Kalee Thompson has evaluated gear for magazines including Popular Science, Wired, and National Geographic Adventure, where she was a senior editor. Ideally you should store your pad unrolled, uncompressed with the valve open, away from sunlight, in a cool, dry area. Today’s camping-specific sleeping pads are generally one of three types: closed-cell foam pads, “self-inflating” open-cell foam pads, or fully inflatable air-construction mattresses. The bumps and divots on closed cell foam pads cut weight, and may allow sleeping bag insulation to retain some loft, even when it's underneath you. He’s usually so tired by the end of a camping day that he’d fall asleep on broken glass.”. Nothing ruins a backpacking or camping trip like a hole in a sleeping pad. A sleeping pad that inflates automatically once the valve is open, usually built with an embedded layer of foam to provide extra comfort. The Z Lite Sol is a closed-cell foam pad, meaning there is no air at all, just foam to lie on at night. Two pads may appear identical, yet one may use synthetic or down insulation and/or baffled structures to create additional insulation. First off, if you're looking for extreme comfort from a sleeping pad, the Z Lite SOLshouldn't be on your list of potential candidates. To keep holey pads from ending up in the landfill (and to save you from dropping more cash on a new pad), all of the companies that make our picks will repair damaged pads for a fee. The Klymit Inertia X Frame Recon inflates in just 5 – 7 breaths. If you have any of those items around your house, find them comfortable and warm enough, and have room to stuff them in your car, any of them could become your camping bed. They generally require a dozen or so breaths to firm up completely. The pad is also the favorite of adventure hiker and backpacking guide Andrew Skurka, who told us that the NeoAir XLite is “the standard for comfort relative to weight” and that he has seen a couple of the pads endure more than 100 nights of use on guided trips. Not fun. The NeoAir XLite has an MSRP of $160, but unlike some rivals, it’s usually available for significantly less. This was true especially if the pad was not inflated all the way. … We spent too many hours researching AeroBed-style full-size air mattresses before determining that we would not include this category of air mattress in this review. A good sleeping pad can transform hours of tossing and turning into a night of a least decent sleep. While self-inflating pads offer smooth, flat surfaces, closed-cell foam pads and air mattresses come in an array of different—and occasionally strange—textures. With nothing to puncture, a pad of this type can last for decades, especially if you use it infrequently. Nisley has a dim view of the outdoor industry’s ability to self-regulate and to report accurate temperature ratings. The zigzagging V-shaped baffle design—which supposedly contours to the body—was polarizing in our tests. This has been the top choice of weight-conscious backpackers for years. Some of our backpacking-pad testers felt that their body parts would get trapped in nonflat surfaces of the pads, such as baffles that were too deep. The Best Foam Sleeping Pad: Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol. Do you need a sleeping pad at all? She is a longtime hiker and camper who made the transition from backpacking to car camping when her first son was born six years ago. They’re bulky. With the FlexMat Plus, Exped has created a comfier, warmer foam mat … We compared this pad side by side with a $12 Stansport Pack-Lite closed-cell foam mat we bought at Walmart (aka a “blue pad”), and it was no contest: The Z Lite Sol was far more comfortable. We’ve seen people sleep on all sorts of things when camping, including cotton futons, foot-high AeroBeds, foam pads, yoga and pilates mats, canvas cots, pool floats, life jackets, and folded blankets. Lastly, we preferred pads that are easy to deflate and pack up in the morning. “The next time you’re out hiking on a trail, walk on the trail and get a sense for how that feels,” Skurka said. If you are looking for maximum comfort and minimal packed size, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite sleeping pad is a great choice. This lightweight, ¾-inch-thick pad is warm, durable, and inexpensive. We visited a couple of family-friendly campsites in Southern California: Wheeler Gorge, in Ojai, and Sycamore Canyon State Beach along the Pacific in Point Mugu State Park, just north of Los Angeles. Therm-a-Rest BaseCamp: This popular, moderately priced option in Therm-a-Rest’s line is comfortable—but not as comfortable as our top car-camping pick, the LuxuryMap. In addition to drawing on personal experience, we talked to experts such as Ryan Linn, backpacking instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School; long-trail hiker Andrew Skurka, author of National Geographic’s The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide; Junaid Dawud, guide for Adventure Travel West and pioneer of the Colorado 14ers thru-hike; Paul Magnanti, guide and author of the outdoor blog PMags.com; and Richard Nisley, a former Apollo-mission engineer and lifelong outdoor adventurer who has dedicated his retirement years to solving gear-related physics puzzles in his home laboratory in Northern California, an expertise he shares as an influential voice in the Backpacking Light community. The bottom line: Stomach sleepers especially need to be concerned about selecting a warm sleeping pad. But if you’re exhausted after a long day on the trail, if you’re an adult who isn’t picky about sleeping surfaces, or if you’re a kid who doesn’t know any better, the Z Lite Sol could very well be the perfect pad for you. If you already own an AeroBed-like air mattress and find it comfortable, sure, bring it car camping. All the companies whose pads we liked best offer warranties that cover defects in product manufacturing but not normal wear and tear. Match that surface with a slick nylon sleeping pad, and you may wake up off your pad, especially if you’re sleeping on a slope. On multiple forums, including Backpacking Light, customers praise Exped’s return policy and the company’s prompt and helpful customer service. Kalee found that the flat Therm-a-Rest BaseCamp, for example, was quite comfortable when she was reading or stargazing flat on her back. For years, the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Sleeping Pad has been the industry leader foam pad with very little competition, but the NEMO Switchback Sleeping Pad brings some long overdue updates to the closed-cell foam pad market. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Legs don’t need as much insulation as the rest of the body does, so a short sleeping pad is worth considering if you are hiking in 3-season conditions. Sleeping … At 2½ inches thick, the NeoAir XLite was cushiony enough for our 235-pound tester, but not so thick as to make any of our backpackers feel as if they were falling from a cliff if they accidentally rolled off. When setting up camp, avoid rough spots whenever possible and clean your camping area of spiky plants, pinecones, and rocks that could poke through and puncture or abrade your sleeping pad (if you use your sleeping pad as a sitting pad for breaks during the day, follow the same precautions). Dimensions: 72" x 20" x 0.5" Weight: 12 oz. Get it Thu, Oct 15 - Wed, Oct 21 Hit Delights Closed Cell Foam Sleeping Pad and Camping Mat for Camping, Backpacking, and Hiking with Thermal Insulation to Protect from Cold. Thickness: 0.5" Type: Rolling. Liz Thomas has hiked more than 15,000 miles on long trails and once held the women’s unassisted speed record on the Appalachian Trail (2,185 miles from Georgia to Maine). We agree with the assessment of one California dad whose 5-year-old son spent his first nights camping on the Z Lite Sol: “I figured it would be in my long-term interest if I could get him to enjoy camping with fewer comforts. Take all the advantages of a self-inflating pad—more back support from an increased amount of foam, better insulation, and easier setup—stuff them into a pad that packs down a little larger than a loaf of bread, and you have the Flyer. We loved how firm the SynMat HL became when fully inflated, a feature that led five of our seven overnight testers to judge it more comfortable and less likely to bottom out than the NeoAir XLite. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for REDCAMP Closed Cell Foam Sleeping Pad for Camping, 22" Wide Lightweight Folding Camping Pad for Hiking Backpacking, 72"x22"x0.75", Grey 1 Pack at Amazon.com. The twist-pull valve makes the inflation process fast (only 7 breaths), and the deflation almost instant, thanks to the wide valve opening. But she’s a side sleeper, and she judged the pad to be far less comfortable once her weight shifted to her hip and shoulder. Meanwhile, many misguided campers are putting that sleeping bag rated for 20 °F or 30 °F atop a foot-high air mattress with an R-value of 1—which means they won’t get anything close to the performance their bag promises. We’ll check with manufacturers this summer about design updates, but in the meantime we think you’ll be happy with the choices here. We also have picks specifically for side sleepers and anyone on a tight budget. Over the past nine years, she has spent an estimated 660 nights slumbering on sleeping pads on backpacking trips. It packs down to the size of a 1-liter Nalgene bottle. Like most pads, the Z Lite Sol will wear down with heavy use, which can decrease its insulating properties, but for the price, it always makes a better investment than whatever $10-pad you can find at Walmart. On a cold or rainy morning, the quicker and neater this process, the happier the camper. Stansport Pack-Lite: Sleeping on this thin, firm strip of foam is better than sleeping directly on the ground. Most companies suggest that should a small, pinprick, hard-to-find hole develop, you should repair it using just the glue in the factory repair kit. Then we took the pads camping, on a total of five trips with a total of 21 overnight testers. They’re now among the most popular options for car campers and other people who are not particularly concerned about weight and mass. No other pad is as light, warm, and comfortable as this dependable air mattress. Closed-cell foam pads are relatively simple and indestructible strips of solid foam, sometimes with sophisticated textures designed to help cushion your body and trap heat. The three styles of lightweight sleeping pads, which vary in thickness: top—air construction, middle—self-inflating, bottom—closed-cell foam. Backpackers also found that the Tensor (R-value: 4) was easier to deflate and pack away in the morning than the NeoAir XLite. You may need to fold your pad in half then in quarters, and put your elbow into it to really push the air around. She has written about outdoor gear for Backpacker Magazine and Wirecutter, and is the instructor of Backpacker Magazine’s online Thru-Hiking 101 class. 28 Reviews. This pad can last for decades, especially if it sees infrequent use. Punctures in a pad are most common around the hip and shoulder areas, where your body exerts the most pressure. Seatopia Self-Inflating Sleeping Pad, Air Camping Mat. It’s rated warmer than most backpacking pads, with an R-value of 4.5, and it has a standout two-valve system (the “in” valve is one-way, so you don’t lose any air when you’re taking a breath). When deflated, it packs down to just 3 x 6 inches, becoming the ideal piece of equipment for those trying to save precious backpack space and weight on a multiday-hike. Closed-Cell Foam Pad Pros: Lightweight/easy to carry. They are cheap, lightweight and extremely durable, but not as comfortable as air and self-inflating pads. If your repair attempts fail, it’s good to know that your pad is backed by a reliable warranty. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. At just 14 ounces, the Z Lite Sol is light enough for most backpackers. In general, self-inflating pads are simply more comfortable (and feel more like a real mattress) than cheaper solid-foam pads or pricier air-construction pads popular for backpacking. Best Self-Inflating Sleeping Pads of 2020, Egg-Carton Closed-Cell Foam Pattern For Increased Softness. Teton Sports ComfortLite: The ComfortLite is another big, cushy self-inflating pad that clearly trailed our favorite, the LuxuryMap, in overall comfort. Thorns that puncture the top of the pad can sometimes poke through to the bottom. And our budget pick will work for people who are just getting into camping or backpacking and want a solid choice before investing in a higher-quality pad. The R-value of a sleeping pad measures the capacity to hold the heat of the mattress, in other words, its level of insulation. Therm-a-Rest has been making self-inflating pads since it invented the category in the early 1970s, and it’s indisputably the Kleenex of sleeping-pad companies. When you have the chance to get off that type of ground, take it. The 3/4-inch foam pad is insufficient to absorb most ground debris and demands that you spend time searching for … The BaseCamp is 2 inches thick to the LuxuryMap’s 3 inches, and it lacks the higher-end pad’s namesake pressure-mapped foam. Some people might consider this sound a minor annoyance at worst, but after spending a weekend camping with a noisy pad, you may find yourself shopping for more than a new set of earplugs. Klymit V Ultralite SL. As Nisley told us: “Everyone should be concerned that if they use a pad rated below about R = 5, their sleeping bag will not perform as advertised.”. We also asked our campers to note the ease of inflating and deflating each pad, as well as to evaluate how easy they were to roll, stuff, and lug. On top of being durable, this sleeping pad unfolds instantly, so you can get ready for bed in a matter of minutes (or even seconds). This is known as conductive heat loss—and you’re the one who loses. Closed-cell foam is a dense and durable type of polyurethane foam, more resistant to heat loss than open-cell foam because of its capacity to screen out moisture and air. Never put a sleeping pad in a washing machine or dryer. These mats are made from pieces of foam… “It may be obvious, but don’t store your [inflatable] sleeping pad on the outside of your pack during the day. A sleeping pad that needs to be inflated by breathing into it or with a pump. The best pad for backpacking is for anyone who intends to carry all their gear on their back for miles and is best served by a compact, lightweight pad. Sleeping pads can cost as little as $20 and go up into the hundreds for more technologically advanced models. Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Mattress Review. Then we hit the trails, bringing the lightweight pads on a 33-mile hike along the California Riding and Hiking Trail that traverses Joshua Tree National Park. It might not be the fastest to inflate or deflate, but it is easy enough to use in a dark tent, even after a long drive or an exhausting all-day hike. When. Close the valves and then wipe down the surface with warm water and a washcloth. R-Value: 1.0. “When I first blew it up, I didn’t think it looked that comfortable, but I was shocked,” a 215-pound tester said. The type of pad you want depends on where you’re headed, so we’ve divided our picks into three categories. If you sleep on your stomach, it is about 50%.” (Nisley’s estimates are based on his own laboratory testing and calculations, as well as on a scientific paper presented in 2001 at the Fourth International Meeting on Thermal Manikins.) In the absence of such a system, you should know that if you’re using an EN-rated sleeping bag, its temperature rating was determined through the use of a thermal manikin lying on a 1½-inch-thick self-inflating Therm-a-Rest pad with an R-value of about 5 (an old model that is no longer made but is similar to the current Therm-a-Rest BaseCamp). Not likely to rip or tear. We tested the standard 6-foot mummy-cut pad, but in total the NeoAir series comes in three sizes plus the women’s version, which has an R-value of 3.9 (versus the standard NeoAir XLite’s 3.2). And they require an electric pump to inflate, which opens up several opportunities for failure: A forgotten pump, a missing power cord, dead batteries, the wrong-size nozzle—any one of these problems can leave campers defeated by a huge piece of deflated plastic, frantically Googling the location of the nearest Target or Walmart (or failing there, too, since many campsites don’t have a great cell connection). The Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol is a closed-cell foam sleeping pad that can be compressed into a lightweight and compact shape. Nemo is releasing a new version of the pad for 2019; we’ll be looking into it once it’s available. Closed-cell foam pads are simple camping pads made by one single layer of dense, patterned foam, which usually folds like an accordion. Durable. The Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol is an ultralight, inexpensive, and … If you suspect a puncture and are near a bathtub, fill the tub with soapy water, inflate your pad, and then submerge it in the tub (the soap bubbles make any air leakage more obvious). R-value and heat loss Finally, you should understand that R-values are additive, just like double-pane windows or an extra layer of insulation in your home. They are the most expensive of the bunch, too, starting at about $95. Unlike the closed cell foam pads, the air pads are completely filled with air, which … All four agreed that you can get away with a pad with an R-value of at least 2.5 for backpacking, but that car campers may as well opt for a higher R-value. $119 Buy Now on REI / Buy Now on Amazon / Read the Full Review They provide very little warmth compared with camping-specific pads. They offer better insulation and they have a built-in valve that allows the air in, inflating automatically. Yet when hikers sat up on their pad eating or when they journaled in bed, they found themselves bottoming out, especially when camped on rocky or bumpy surfaces. At 12 ounces, the NeoAir XLite is the lightest pad we tested. Regular and long pads typically measure 72 and 78 inches, respectively, and are more suitable to winter hikes as they will insulate your entire body. However, owner reviews on Amazon were, as of fall 2018, nonexistent, and the pad is no longer available at REI. Lightweight, affordable, and easy to customize, they provide tremendous value for the … To be clear, this is NOT as comfortable as any pad on this list. Also serves as a sitting pad . Richard Nisley, retired engineer, Backpacking Light gear guru, phone interview, May 12, 2016, Andrew Skurka, record-setting long-trail hiker, outdoor guide, and author of National Geographic’s The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide, phone interview, April 8, 2016, Jason Hairston, co-founder of hunting apparel company Sitka and founder of hunting gear and apparel company Kuiu, email interview, April 5, 2016, Elizabeth McCullough, co-director of the Institute for Environmental Research at Kansas State University, phone interview, May 23, 2016, Ryan Linn, long-distance hiker, instructor/guide at National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyoming, author of Guthook’s hiking apps, phone interview, May 25, 2016, Junaid Dawud, record-setting long-distance hiker, guide at Adventure Travel West, email interview, May 26, 2016, Paul Magnanti, long-distance hiker, instructor/guide with Andrew Skurka, author of PMags.com, host of the Trail Show podcast, and contributing author to the Colorado Trail guidebook, email and in-person interview. 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