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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Big Agnes Air Core Mummy Pad > Jim Nordby > Field TestBig
Agnes REM Air Core pad Field Test - 9/25/2002
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Experience: I've been hiking since my youth. I've also taken at least a dozen multi-day canoe trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), starting in Junior High School. I started backpacking about 13 years ago, and have taken a yearly pilgrimage to the mountains since then (most often Wind Rivers, Tetons, Beartooths; I've also been to Mt. Whitney & Yosemite, and Mt. Rainier/North Cascades). I'm somewhat of a "gearhead", owning 3 packs, 4 sleeping bags, 4 sleeping pads, 3 stoves, etc., and I enjoy trying out, comparing, and improving camping gear (feeds my software engineer's mind and outdoorman's heart). PRODUCT
INFORMATION
MAIN LIKES/DISLIKES OF PAD (MORE DETAILS BELOW) Likes:
Note that the the REM (according to Big Agnes, REM stands for "Rest Easy, Mama"!) Air Core pad can be used with any sleeping bag, but I tested it in combination with the Big Agnes Horse Thief bag, which has a pad pocket as the bottom of the bag. I tried out the pad in my living room as soon as I received it; I also tested the pad in my back yard on a few occasions, on a Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) canoe trip at the end of May, on a Bighorns backpacking trip after Labor Day, and recently on an overnight trip with my 5-year-old son. When I initially got the REM Air Core pad, I took it out of its stuffsack and blew it up about as quickly as I could - it took 1:30 to do so (the website says "less than two minutes"). The pad is in a "coffin" shape, 72 in. long, 20 in. wide in the middle, tapering to 12 in. wide at the base, and 9 in. wide at the head. I blew up the pad until it was quite firm - this felt comfortable, but it may be more comfortable to make it a little less firm. The pad is made of fairly substantial-feeling coated nylon, and the workmanship is excellent. I was later able to deflate the pad at least as easily as a Therm-A-Rest, and could fit it back in its stuffsack without difficulty. The stuffsack is also nicely constructed, and contains a patch kit for the pad. I was disappointed with the insulating qualities of the pad the first time I tested it. I was on my brick porch, with a plastic groundcloth under the pad, wearing just boxer shorts, a lightweight Capilene top, and a pile hat. I distinctly felt the cold of the ground through the pad, and was uncomfortable enough that I went inside at about 2AM. I didn't get an accurate temperature that night, but it couldn't have been lower than 40 degrees (4 degrees C). I e-mailed these results to the Big Agnes rep, and he responded with some decent suggestions, but also said that he'd never heard of anyone having insulation problems with the pad at that temperature (the pad is rated to 32 degrees (0 degrees C). In another test, I got off the porch and on the grass, and wore full midweight Capilene underwear. I kept accurate track of the temperature, which got down to 31 degrees (-1 degrees C) that night. Again, the pad felt cool (while the bag seemed to be warm enough). However, note that I only used the pad with the Big Agnes bag, which has no insulation on the bottom of the bag. It would be somewhat warmer on top of a normal sleeping bag, especially one with synthetic insulation (which compresses less than down under the sleeper). In the BWCA, I decided to put an 3/4 UltraLite Therm-A-Rest under the Air Core pad for extra insulation. Temperatures were down to the high 30's, and I was sleeping in a tent. The bag and pad felt quite warm, and I kept the bag partly unzipped most of the time. On this trip, I also noticed that I had a slow leak in my Air Core pad (just a few puffs per day). It didn't bother me enough to try to fix it in the field, although the stuff sack contains a repair kit. When I got home, I found the leak (by blowing up the pad firmly and putting parts of it in the bathtub) towards the top of the pad, where the inner "ribs" of the pad connect with the pad surface. I couldn't tell by looking at the pad why it was leaking, but it was easy to fix by putting the supplied sealer over the area. In my latest trip to the mountains, I was worried about below-freezing temperatures, and I didn't want the weight of even an UltraLite Therm-A-Rest. I cut a piece of 3/8" (1 cm) Evazote pad (an REI blue pad, weighing 6.6 oz (190 gm)) to fit the pad sleeve of my sleeping bag, and used that on top of the Air Core pad for the trip. As it turned out, the temperature didn't get below 40 degrees (4 degrees C) the whole trip, and I didn't have any insulation problems. In further tests, I hope to find the temperature extreme for this combination. IMPRESSIONS/CONCLUSIONS My impressions and conclusions after two months use (based on the above list of likes/dislikes): The REM Air Core pad is wonderfully comfortable; imagine 2.5" (6.4cm) of thickness! This pad is great for those who have trouble finding a good night's sleep due to back or side discomfort. I've noticed no sleep problems related to pad discomfort in any of my tests, and I've never been completely happy in this area before. With Big Agnes bags, the integral pad pocket means there's no problem with sliding off of the pad. When I tested the pad outside of the pad pocket, I noticed that it was harder to stay on top of the pad than a Therm-A-Rest, due to a slightly slicker fabric and the thickness of the pad. The REM Air Core pad is made of coated nylon, and looks like it should be quite durable (and even better protected inside the Big Agnes bag's sleeve). However, I did experience a slow leak with this pad (and I certainly didn't abuse it), which was easy to fix using the included repair kit. The pad is quick and easy to blow up, quick to deflate, and compact when deflated (about the size of a deflated 3/4 Therm-A-Rest UltraLite). I definitely have problems with the insulating abilities of the pad, though. Based on my tests, I believe the pad requires supplemental insulation below 40 degrees (4 degrees C) or so. Of course, I could just be a cold sleeper, but I've never been cold in the outdoors before. Noting the above concerns, I definitely like the Big Agnes REM Air Core pad. It gives more comfort for the weight than any pad I've slept on, and should give sufficient insulation for most summer camping. With a thin closed-cell pad for extra insulation, the pad should be able to insulate below freezing. Many thanks to BackpackGearTest and Big Agnes for the opportunity to test this pad. Read more reviews of Big Agnes gear Read more gear reviews by Jim Nordby Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Big Agnes Air Core Mummy Pad > Jim Nordby > Field Test | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||