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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Big Agnes Air Core 3 4 Pad > Owner Review by Curt PetersonBig Agnes Air Core 3/4 Sleeping Pad
Owner Review August 2005
1. Big Agnes Air Core 3/4 Specifications
1. Big Agnes Air Core 3/4 Specifications
Weights, Measurements, and Information - Big Agnes Air Core 3/4 Sleeping Pad:
2. Big Agnes Air Core 3/4 Sleeping Pad Report and Comments In May 2002 I had the opportunity to test a new sleeping pad from Big Agnes - the Air Core Mummy. Essentially this pad was a high-tech backpackers' version of a swimming pool style inflatable air mattress. Big Agnes took the classic inflatable air mattress and made it tough enough for backpacking and lighter than virtually all of the self-inflating pads on the market at that time. Sure, it didn't insulate like a self-inflating did, but Big Agnes apparently realized that most trips backpackers go on are warm-weather hikes and bet that backcountry enthusiasts would happily trade a pad that was DOUBLE the thickness and weighed LESS and packed SMALLER than most self-inflators. For me, it worked almost perfectly. As a side sleeper, I was almost always uncomfortable on traditional sleeping pads - both closed cell foam and self-inflating. Some of the thicker self-inflators could keep my hip from getting sore, but none could keep my arms from falling asleep as I slept on my side. This left me tossing and turning, alternating which arm fell asleep and twisting up my sleeping bags in the process. With the Big Agnes Air Core Mummy pad, I slept better than I had in 10 years of backpacking. I had found my pad and it weighed about half as much as the self inflators I was using, packed much smaller, and was seemingly every bit as durable. Of course, backpackers tend to always be looking for improvement in their gear kit, and I soon longed for a 3/4 length Air Core pad to cut the weight even further and because I had come to prefer the shorter pads. Just two years later, Big Agnes added this very pad to their lineup and simply called it the Air Core 3/4 Pad. The Air Core 3/4 Pad is all I have used since then, and while I've only been on the 3/4 pad about a year now, I'm in my 4th year on Air Core pads and am still sleeping soundly on my backpacking journeys. There are a couple differences between the first generation of Air Core pads and my 3/4, but the basic design is the same. In addition, Big Agnes has also now added a line of pads that are essentially Air Core pads with synthetic fibers in the air chambers for insulation, but that's a different review from this. Following are my notes and comments on the Big Agnes Air Core 3/4 Sleeping Pad: Features: The primary feature of the Air Core 3/4 is definitely the incredibly thick and cushy pad for such a low pack weight. This is reason alone to add it to a gear kit, but there are a few other stand out features worth mentioning. First is the I-Beam construction. The I-Beams are essentially baffles much like a quality sleeping bag would have that allow the pad to loft to its potential. They allow air to pass through them freely, so there are no high and low air tubes - all are connected. The primary benefit of the I-Beams in my view is that it leaves a relatively flat, full-height pad without significant valleys. Every other air mattress on the market that I have seen has full-length welded joints between air channels. This allows for a 2.5 in (6.4 cm) peak at each tube, but the thickness between each tube is basically 0. I find that I inevitably slide down into the valleys on these mattresses - particularly when side-sleeping - offering me almost no cushion where I need it most. Granted, these pads usually work fine when sleeping on my back, but even the meager insulative qualities of an air tube are eliminated at the joints. The Air Core 3/4 offers over 2 in (5 cm) of cushion and air space over the entire surface of the pad - a feature made possible by the I-Beams and much appreciated by me. Another interesting feature
is the Dual Spin inflation valve. The valve works and looks like a typical
air mattress or self-inflating sleeping pad valve, but the plastic shell on the
actual valve is split laterally, which allows half or so of the valve to spin.
This is virtually unnoticeable when inflating it until that moment when it is
full and I'm ready to close the valve. This normally would entail a brief
test of dexterity to see how fast I could close the valve without losing much
air. With the Dual Spin valve, I can twist the valve closed while it's
still in my mouth and it won't leak any air at all. Very simple design,
and it works perfectly. Inflation: The Air Core 3/4 Sleeping Pad is
more work to inflate than a self-inflating pad - no doubt about it. There
is no such thing as rolling it out in your shelter, waiting for it to loft up,
and finishing it off with a puff or two. Every bit of air it takes needs
to come from my lungs. Once this is accepted, however, the relative ease
of blowing it up can be appreciated. It takes me only about a minute and a
half to two minutes. I don't do it so fast that I get dizzy - that is what
I would consider a "normal" inflation rate. For me, it is worth two
minutes of my time for a good night's sleep. I experience very little loss
of loft once it's inflated, so re-inflating hasn't really been an issue for me.
I imagine there must be a small loss due to dropping temperatures at night, but
my body heat must compensate because my pad always seems just as lofty in the
morning as the night before. The Air Core 3/4 is worth considering for the light weight and packability it offers, but the real benefit to carrying it is the comfort. In regards to loft/weight ratio, it is undoubtedly a top - if not THE top - pad on the market. But in sheer loft alone - regardless of weight - it is in a class usually reserved for car camping mattresses. This translates into sleep quality in my experience. For side sleepers, it is a dream come true. In warm
temperatures, it's probably as comfortable as it gets. No product is
without its weaknesses, however, and cold is the weakness of the Air Core 3/4.
Big Agnes rates it down to 35 F (1-2 C) and I've slept
comfortably into the mid 20s F (-2 to -4 C), but much colder than that and it
becomes noticeable. Big Agnes suggests sliding a foam pad underneath the
Air Core for these situations. I've experienced good results with this
method, and found that a trimmed down foam pad and Air Core 3/4 can still end up
lighter than most other cold-weather pads by a significant amount and provides
plenty of insulation. I sleep in full-enclosure shelters, so this may not
be the case in open-air shelters where the sides of the Air Core are more
exposed. Besides being as warm and still lighter than most other systems,
the Air Core on a foam pad is about 3 in (7.6 cm) thick, which ought to be
enough padding to rival the bed at home. In regular use for years now, I haven't had to make any repairs or experienced any durability problems with Air Core sleeping pads. I am careful, as an unrepairable hole would leave me completely padless, but it's not something I worry much about. Big Agnes says the fabric is a 70 denier nylon with a DWR coating on the outside for water shedding with an internal polyurethane coating that provides the water-tight and air-tight pad. I never have taken it out on a lake, but I'm awfully tempted. I haven't had any problems with the inflation valve either. Big Agnes claims it is a "non breakable brass valve". I think anything can be broken, but it certainly seems up to the task it's given. I do sleep in enclosed shelters and I do keep a clean shelter, but I'm not neurotic about keeping the pad safe and I've had no problems. I treat it no differently than I did the self-inflators I used for almost 10 years prior to discovering the Air Core pads. The Air Core 3/4 - like all Big Agnes Air Core pads - comes with a repair kit and 100% guarantee.
Final Notes: I couldn't really ask for more in a sleeping pad. I do like the idea of the Insulated Air Core pads - but don't want to carry the extra few ounces in warmer weather. I imagine it could be rounded at the corners and a few grams shaved off it here and there. But overall, it's as close to the perfect pad as I've found for my style of backpacking and sleeping. Sure, if they managed to pull off a 12 oz (340 g) Air Core that self-healed punctures and had a high-flow deflation valve and integrated inflatable pillow, I'd be first in line to buy it. Until then, I'll dream happily about it sleeping on the Big Agnes Air Core 3/4.
3. Contact and Background Information Name: Curt
Peterson I live in the Cascade foothills,
just 20 miles (32 km) from the PCT via footpaths leading right from my
backyard. Most of my outdoor time here in Washington is spent on dayhikes,
backpacking journeys, climbs, and ski trips everywhere from the Olympic coast to
the rainforests to the massive Cascade volcanoes to dry steppe. Read more reviews of Big Agnes gear Read more gear reviews by Curt Peterson Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Big Agnes Air Core 3 4 Pad > Owner Review by Curt Peterson | |||
