Field Report: Big Agnes REM Hinman Pad

Biographical Information:

Name: Chuck Carnes

Age: 34

Gender: Male

Height: 6’0” (1.83 m)

Weight: 175 lbs (79 kg)

Email address: ctcarnes1@yahoo.com

City, State, Country: Taylors, South Carolina  United States

Date: June 29, 2004

Backpacking Background:

I have been influenced to go camping and backpacking all my life. Every summer for the first 5 years of my life, my parents took me camping. I was in the Boy Scouts at the age of 12 and have been backpacking, on and off, ever since. Needless to say, I love the outdoors. I enjoy taking a lot of STUFF in my pack and can’t seem to get my total pack weight down - I wonder why. I usually hike around Pisgah National Forest and The Great Smoky Mountains. I go at any time of the year and try to hit the trails when there is no rain. If it does rain, it’s okay. Trail terrain, such as rocky trails or muddy trails, is not that big of an issue with me. I just like getting out and enjoying nature.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Big Agnes, Inc.

Type of Pad: Air Core, solid foam

Year of Manufacture: 2003

URL: www.bigagnes.com

MSRP: $69.95(US)

Weights and Measurements: (Scale: Pelouze model K-5)

Listed weight: 74 oz (2.10 kg)

Weight as delivered: 78 oz (2.21 kg)

Listed dimensions (unrolled):25 in (64 cm) Wide x 78 in (198 cm) Long x 2.5 in (6.35 cm) Thick

Dimensions as delivered (unrolled, from edge of seam to edge of seam):

            26.5 in (67 cm) Wide x 79” in (201 cm) Long x 2.25 in (5.72 cm) Thick

Listed rolled size: 7 in (18 cm) High x 26 in (66 cm) Wide

Rolled size as delivered: 7.5 in (19 cm) High x 26 in (66 cm) Wide

The Big Agnes REM Hinman Pad is one of Big Agnes’ top luxury pads. At a thickness of 2.25 in (5.72 cm) this pad is as nice as a pillow top mattress. It is designed for the person that wants superior comfort and insulation. The Hinman Pad is also designed for the Big Agnes Park Series bags but can be used separately with ones own sleeping bag. The brass valve, durable construction and great comfort will hopefully make this pad a long lasting and deep sleep companion.

Field Information and Terrain:

            The BA Hinman Pad has been used several times over the past month, a few nights out in the woods of our property to get away for a good nights sleep but still be close to home and a weekend at Jones Gap for a weekend get-a-way with some friends.

            The several nights that I slept on this pad on my property the weather was very nice. The temperatures were low to mid 50s F (10s C) at night. The tiny campsite that I am able to walk to is within 500 ft (152 m) of my house. The area is not plush as one would think being that close to a house but it was picked out for the purpose of having the feel of not having the luxuries of home. The ground is very hard in this area and has several roots and rocks to add to the discomfort. I am able to test gear on a worst case scenario that I might not get on some of the long hikes that are in the mountains and along the banks of rivers. When I am out on a long trip, I like to find the best site there is for an enjoyable time. 

            The away trip was to Jones Gap near Caesars Head in South Carolina. This was a weekend trip for two nights where the temperatures were a warm 60 to 70 F (15 to 21 C) at night near the rivers edge. The first night the camp site was a nice low lying grass that canvassed the floor of wilderness. The second night the campsite was not as nice as the first night. The only place that would work with my tent was an area that roots flooded the whole campsite. This made for some interesting placement of the pad in the tent.

Field Use of the Pad:

             Around the house where we are staying is quite a bit of land that I am able to wander on and get away from the house but still be close by for emergencies. My son and I will go out sometimes on the weekend to enjoy this time together without the long hike to a camp site. In this situation the pad was easy to carry in its inflated state. This is almost like car camping which in my opinion is what this pads design was leaning towards. I store my pad in its inflated state to keep the foam from deforming and breaking down, so I basically grabbed it and took it to the site. After setting up the tent over the roughest part of the site to truly test this pad for comfort, I placed the pad in the tent. I slept on the BA Hog Park bag that lay over the pad. I have to say that this pad will take the discomforts of roots and pesky little rocks that would keep me up all night and turn it into a joyous night of slumber. I felt no discomfort at all through the night and what really makes this pad nice is the length. Finally I have a pad that my feet do not hang off of.

            On the trip to Jones Gap I had to roll and pack the pad. Big Agnes did not provide a sack with this pad so I had to use straps to keep it in the rolled position. I have to say that this is certainly not the most compact pad when rolled up. At a width of 26 in (66 cm) and a diameter of 9 in (22 cm), which is as tight as I could get it, I couldn’t just toss it in the inside of my pack. As I said before, this pad is not really designed, as far as weight and compactability, to be taken on a long backpacking trip. I was able to strap it to the underside of the pack where it was, some what, out of the way. I certainly felt the weight of the pad as it dangled under the pack.

            At the campsite I released the straps to allow the pad to unroll itself and self inflate. I am still not happy with the time that it takes for it to inflate itself. I timed it again and it took 2 minutes and 20 seconds to realize that it wasn’t inflating anymore. I then proceeded to add several puffs to inflate it to its maximum. Although I do not sleep on this firm of mattress, I still thought that it would get to this state a lot quicker. I guess it’s kind of like that saying about waiting and watching for water to boil. I think next time I will unroll it and leave it until I am ready to turn in. The BA Hog Park has a sleeve that accepts this pad, to keep from sliding off of the pad. As I put the pad in the Hog Park’s sleeve, I noticed how sharp the corners and sides are at the seam. I know this may sound crazy but I think the corners have potential to cut the sleeve or create a hole at the bottom of the sleeve or tent floor if not in the sleeve. I will be monitoring this potential problem and report on the outcome. Again, the pad provided me with a wonderful nights sleep and hope that continues to do so. The one thing that I am unable to report on is the insulation factor of the pad. With the temperatures as warm as they are now, I can not report on how well the pad insulated me from the cold ground. This will be reported at the end of the test series as I will experience cold weather at that time.

Future Test Plan:

I plan to continue to test the Hinman Pad along with the Big Agnes Hog Park sleeping bag as part of a sleeping system. I will also test the pad with a different sleeping bag that does not have a sleeve to keep the pad from sliding out from under me. With this bag it will give me an opportunity to test the material for slippage against the material of the bag. I will be on several weekend trips throughout the test period and plan to report on the insulation factor during the colder months.

I will also continue to test features of the pad:

• Durability – How well does the top and the bottom hold up to constant friction of the sleeping bag and the ground? Do the seams stay sealed? How well does the valve function in drastic temperature changes?
• Comfort – Will the pad continue to provide the comfort that it does now or will the foam start to break down after many uses and not provide the support that it is intended.

Likes and Dislikes So Far:

Likes:

Extremely comfortable

Nice width, length and thickness

Dislikes:

            Too bulky and heavy for backpacking (but perfect for car camping)

            The seam around the perimeter of the pad seems to be very stiff and sharp

            Takes too long to inflate itself

Other tests will be conducted and noted for the LongTerm Report. I look forward to continuing to test this awesome pad.

Thank you Big Agnes and BGT for the opportunity to test this pad.