Extra mattress pad or Thermarest

[BobWilson]

I noticed in a previous post a while back that some people used Theramrest mattresses.  Do you know which model or at least how thick they are?  Like everything there are options and decisions to make.  
Is 1 1/2" enough, or 2".  I'm sure they would still have to be deflated to close the TM.

Egg-crate mattress pad:  At home one day I tried an egg-crate type foam mattress pad on top of our regular bed mattress and I noticed that it was a lot hotter to sleep on those summer days, so I took it off.  The foam cell seems to act as an insulating barrier.

The Thermarest may be great insulation when it is cold but I wonder if a regular air mattress on top of the regular TM foam mattress would be better when it is a hot night to sleep.

If you put your Thermarests under the TM mattress.  This could be good insulation when it is cold outside to prevent heat loss from inside the TM through the bed support.  

Seems like it would be good to have a different plan for hot days and cold days.  I would still like to have a little thicker mattress than the standard that comes with the TM.  So something would need to be added.

Anyway my main question to those that use them is how thick are your Thermarests?

[Sinclue]

Bob,
We've tried both the egg crates and the thermarest type mattress.  The problem was still that the stock mattress is still too soft.  One still sinks into it whether you have some padding on top of the depression (egg crate) or on the bottom (thermarest) doesn't change the fact that I feel like I am sleeping in a hole, albeit a more padded one.
So we purchased a replacement foam mattress ($120).  Its a "ten year" rated and extra firm variety (blue foam).  We had it cut one inch sorter on side and end to make it easier to remove the cover (for washing and to be able to flip the mattress periodically).  We normally sleep on a similar foam mattress so there is no change or adjustment for us.  You can usually purchase foam mattresses in various levels of firmness.  I highly recommend this change.  Nothing like a good night's sleep.
jim

Jim, I went to two mattress stores and no one seems to knowwhat I am talking about... Where did you get this extra firm foam blue mattress??
Does anyone else have this mattress and if so, where did you find it?
Thanks!

[Sinclue]

Sunshine....

Not sure where you are, we live in the SF bay area where there are several places that seem to specialize in foam mattresses (not your standard place like SleepTrain, etc).  This one was called Foam Creations or something similar.  Try looking in the yellow pages under foam. You might also try places that sell Futons (oriental style mattress usually stuffed with cotton or wool).  I found the store listed under three different headings: Foam, Futons, and also Mattresses.  Prices for the same mattress varied from $120 to $180.  
Hope this helps.
jim

i guess it's a matter of personal likes/dislikes.
we have found the 1 1/2" therm-a-rests to be the "answer". we leave them under the TM matress, with the valves at the head facing toward front of trailer. this allows them to be inflated/deflated more conveniently. we had not tho't of placing them differently for hot/cold sleeping. we will check it out. til now, we have had superb comfort in all situations with them under the mattress. on a trip last month, we did use them on top of TM matress--it worked fine if you have a sheet over them--i found the stay-tek covering on the pads  is too "sticky" to allow easy turning, unless pads are covered. so--we leave them under mattress.
we tried various foam pads from egg crate to a little more sophisticated types, and went back to the T-a-R.
we travel with them deflated. and when we leave the TM down for storage, we take them out--don't want heat build-up(or sub-freezing temps) to damage them--they ain't cheap.
we use the performance light series. i have also used the camp rest model--it was glorious, and worked just as a well- a tad thicker at 2", but no prob. sleep well!!
2swans

[BobWilson]

Thank you for the information.  That's what I wanted to know.  I decided to go and order the Therm-A-rest Camplite 1.6" thick at Outbackgear.com.  Lighter weight than some and they were $6 off the regular price at $78.99.  $8.72 in shipping for two but no tax.

Bob W.

On a side note about the Therm-a-rest. The reason the "Therm" part is in there is they are covered with a material that quickly generates heat when rubbed on. As in while laying on them when real cold, you can move around a bit and quickly warm up. (Especially if you're laying in a nylon sleeping bag on top of em). I've always sworn my them while tent camping previously, tho in the TM we much prefer the eggshell cover. This is also one of the reasons they're more expensive than other "self inflating" models. Before ya spend a lot on em, if you're going to use them "under" your TM mattress, you might consider one of the less pricy knockoffs, as you won't have any noticable performance increase. Hope this helps!


[glow=red,2,300]Happytrails........[/glow]

We have two Therm-a-rest self inflating pads on top and hold them inplace with a fitted sheet. The mattress in our '97 2619 are very hard. We like a firm mattress but not as firm as the ones in our TM!!

Outbackgear.com seems to have good prices and I was pleased to see that they have a therm-a-rest le tandem model which will solve the shifting annoyance. When we outfit the second bed, we'll try that model.