Tourist pads

The first tourist pads can probably be considered spruce branches, hay and other auxiliary materials. In our time, scientific achievements have come to the aid of man. Let’s figure out what’s what.
The ground is most often cold and damp. Neither a tent nor a sleeping bag can help a tourist, so between these two products you also have to lay a rug, an indispensable element of bivouac equipment, on which a sound sleep or hours of sleepless torment directly depend.

Main types of pads:

1. Pads made of polyethylene foam or polyurethane foam (foam “karemats”, roll, folding). These are the most common rugs with a thickness of 0.5 – 2 cm. This material retains elasticity even in frost, does not absorb moisture at all and does not need a fabric shell. It is mainly used either as a single piece or as a composite of several plates. These rugs, in turn, are divided into all-season and seasonal. With a good rug you can relax for more than one year. “Izhevskie” ones have proven themselves to be excellent; they have a dense structure of two layers of different colors.

2. Inflatable mats (self-inflating). It’s even easier to inflate – open the valve and wait until your self-inflating “floor” gains sufficient thickness; If you don’t want to wait, you can blow it with your mouth. The weight of such a rug ranges from 400-800 grams. In addition to being heavier than a regular rug, it can also be easily pierced – by a branch, a sharp stone, a knife. And then either seal it up or sleep for the rest of the trip, as if on bare ground.:)

3. Pads Therm-A-Rest – like the Izhevskie rugs, they are made of foam material, but has some advantages. The surface of the mat resembles in relief a tray for eggs (only very small ones). This design allows you to feel comfortable even on sharp stones and uneven surfaces, and also increases the distance separating you from the ground. The mat folds like an accordion and is conveniently attached to a backpack. It is relatively light in weight. Disadvantages – price and for folding models the inability to use the mat as a frame for a backpack.

When hiking, we often sit on the ground, on rocks and other wet and hard surfaces. Agree, it’s not very pleasant. To avoid unnecessary sensations, purchase a seat. This is a cute device for sitting anywhere on any ground. The seat is a piece of polyurethane foam approximately 30 by 20 cm in size and at least 1-2 cm thick, with a wide elastic band. This accessory is inexpensive, but useful on any trip.