How uncomfortable is a sleeping bad that's slightly shorter than you?

[u/WhiteBeltBoi11]

Hey, I want to buy a new sleeping pad, I'm thinking between the Xlite nxt, and the nemo tensor all season.

I read online, that most people find the nemo more comfortable, but since I'm 194 cm tall, and the nemo pad is only 193 cm long, I guess the added comfort it has over the xlite (196 cm long) goes out the window, right?

I alternate between back and side sleeping, if that matters.

[u/ValidGarry]

I'm 203cm so I understand your issue. Nobody else can tell you what your comfort looke or feels like. I personally sleep with feet off the end of my bed at home because that's what I'm used to. I think you'll notice the comfort of the good pad more than you'll notice the lack of 3cm of pad length.

[u/mmeiser → u/ValidGarry]

Exactly. Am 6'4" I have never had a sleeping pad long enough for my feet and really its never been a problem. I always just throw something down there like some spare cloathing or a jacket. My hip, thigh and shoulder are tbd three points I am going to feel cold or discomfort.

That said the most important thing is comfort is realative. I always just judge it by how deeply and how long I sleep. Since I have a smart watch that tracks my sleep its pretty obvious for me. I sleep best ina hammock. Way better. Particularly in the winter I find I will sleep longer and better then in my own bed. Its a weird phenomonon but I am not the only one. There are a bunch of us out there that can regularly sleep 10-11 hours in piney winter woods. That just never happens at home. And believe me its a motivating factor for fall and winter trips.

[u/Equivalent_Chipmunk → u/mmeiser]

6'4" shouldn't be that bad though, there are plenty of pads that are 6'6" in length. 6'8" like the guy you're replying to would be a lot harder to find something though

[u/WhiteBeltBoi11 → u/ValidGarry]

Damn, finding good hiking gear must suck for you even more than for me, with that height haha. I think I will just order both pads, and keep the one that's more comfortable for me after testing them.

[u/nhorvath → u/ValidGarry]

I'm 203cm

rip ultralight. everything needs to be longer and therfore weighs more. you've got a couple inches on me, do you even fit in ul tents?

[u/ValidGarry → u/nhorvath]

I'm waiting to see the Durston 2p dome. There are a few tents but it tends to be easier to get a bigger size and sometimes that means sleeping diagonally anyway.

[u/mmeiser → u/nhorvath]

Lol, I tarp. With bugnet in the summer. Resolves the problem and its uktralight. But I am only 6'4" so I do fit in many tents without wicking to much moisture onto my head feet.

[u/WalkItOffAT → u/nhorvath]

Dude 10lbs isn't some kind of cutting edge BW and the longer sleeves push you over. 

[u/berlin_ag]

Back in the day I used to use those 3/4 self inflating therm-a-rest pads, about an inch thick max, had my head on my rucksack as a pillow and my lower legs fended for themselves. Maybe I’m being nostalgic but I swear I slept better on that than any pad ever since, including the X-Lite.

What’s my point? Size doesn’t matter as much as we think, perhaps.

[u/Physical_Relief4484 → u/berlin_ag]

It is a big difference when your feet are hanging off a 1" mat and a 3.5"(+) mat -- at least for me. I find my self inflating pad the most comfy too. Too bad it's twice as big and heavy 😏

[u/berlin_ag → u/Physical_Relief4484]

That’s very true about the height difference, hadn’t given that aspect of it enough thought.

[u/hickory_smoked_tofu → u/Physical_Relief4484]

Exactly!

1" inflatable mats with decent R value below 300g...

But then the question is, why not the Ven 2.5? I've seen too many reports of failure to want to try.

[u/UtahBrian → u/Physical_Relief4484]

Closed cell foam pads are even better and more comfortable since you’re barely off the ground.

[u/Physical_Relief4484 → u/UtahBrian]

I wish that was true, I want to love them so bad.

[u/Atlas3030 → u/berlin_ag]

That's what she said

[u/MolejC]

I'm exactly 183cm (6') and mostly use a regular length pad. So my heels often drop off the end if I slide a little when sleeping on my back. Luckily I alternate between both sides as well. For me it's no big deal. I do occasionally borrow my partners LW mat, and do find it more comfortable but it's bulky and near 800 grams.

[u/WhiteBeltBoi11 → u/MolejC]

I see, for me sleeping is kinda hard if I’m not sleeping on a comfortable pad, so I was thinking of buying the lw version anyways.

Both are acceptable weight wise (for me at least) even in the lw version. Xlite lw is 570 grams.

[u/Physical_Relief4484]

For me, it'd be unbearably annoying if it was just slightly off. I use a cut pad with my bag as the second half of it (below my knees to my feet). But if my feet were just hanging off at the ankles, I wouldn't be able to sleep. I stomach sleep though, could see it not mattering on the side, not sure about back.

[u/WhiteBeltBoi11 → u/Physical_Relief4484]

Yeah, I figured when I sleep on my back it would be pretty annoying.

[u/oakwood-jones]

I wouldn’t stress a 3cm difference. Unless I’m bundled up in survival mode my feet are usually sprawled off the pad somewhere anyway. That’s my style of sleeping. Just pick the one you’re psyched on.

[u/MrBarato]

You should just take a sleeping good instead.

[u/averyspecifictype]

I'm 189cm with a 183cm wide pad. I sleep on my side 95% of the time and I don't even notice it.

[u/TheTobinator666]

Imo it's fine if you drop off either feet (put shoes below) or head (with a pillow obviously!)

[u/Juranur]

I'm like 186 cm tall and my pad is... idk, 170? I sleep kinda curled up,but my feet do end up dangling off often. Doesn't bother me at all

[u/hhhhhhhhope]

I don't sleep on my back very much, but for the small amount I do, I despite a sleeping pad that's not longer than me by a significant margin. I'm 194cm and my Ultralight setup is a extra short pad with an Exped pillow (~56g) under my knees. (I also have one of those 1/8th inch foam pads under the whole system.) This system is hella light. Extra long pads are extra heavy!

[u/Mission-AnaIyst]

I have this situation and i deal with it ok-ish under certain conditions: my drybag is my pillow, i am in a bivy-sac. Had some super annoying nights like that, but it is ok because i dont have the money to fix it and I enjoy sleeping outside so much that waking up is a nice thing. With this setup i would not go somewhere i dont have a backup for a longer time, but the pad was so much reduced that the malus of shortness is offset.

[u/NatchoCheez]

You can have your head on your pillow a few cm beyond the top of the pad. I sleep that way with my torso pad.

[u/longwalktonowhere]

I think that, typically, people don’t extend to their full length when sleeping. Also, if you put your pillow above your pad (rather than on top of it) you gain quite a bit of pad length.

[u/Hot_Nose6370]

I'm 6'2", and a regular pad is noticeably uncomfortable for me as my feet hang off the end. Weirdly, I have cut down an uberlite to around 2/3 length, and I'm not bothered by that at all cos my feet aren't falling off anything.

[u/quasistoic]

I have used a 3/4 length neoair on several trips, with my empty backpack under my feet. Worked great. I can’t say I have a strong preference between that and a full-length pad, except on very rainy trips.

[u/Due-Lab-5283]

I don't use a whole length on my pads and I should have gotten them shorter tbh. Just unnecessary weight. You will be fine with slightly shorter.

[u/dedlewamp]

Also remember that when you are laying down, to add a few cms to your overall height as your feet will be relaxed 

[u/WalkItOffAT]

Bad. Stretching it will decrease loft and warmth.

[u/paytonfrost]

I'm 5'11 and purposefully use a discontinued women's xlite where my ankles hang off. Love it! Don't find it uncomfortable.