The Lightest Camping Mattresses Around

Usually, lighter camping gear are more expensive than heavier versions. This does not hold true for camping mats. The lightest camping mattress can be found cheaply at your local department store which is usually in the form of blue exercise mats.

But you get what you pay for. While the issue of comfort can be addressed by using foliage available in the outdoors as cushioning, there's still a problem with durability which plagues these cheap sleeping pads.

Even so, good quality lightweight closed cell pads don't cost that much more than cheap ones. The lightest camping pad we found is Gossamer Gear's Nightlight Sleeping Pad at 3.5 to 3.8 ounces.

Amazingly, the Nightlight Sleeping Pad is light and strong for it's density thanks to the process used to manufacture the foam which involves the use of high pressure nitrogen solution, cross-linking and fusion at high pressures and temperatures and expansion at low pressures. At only $16.00, it won't break the bank but bear in mind that this sleeping pad is only torso length (19 x 29 x 3/4 inches).

For something bigger, High Country Outdoor Products Mt. Washington is a good alternative at 7 ounces and 20 x 60 x .625 inches with an added bonus of better comfort. Some users even claim that the comfort is comparable to Ultralight Therm-a-Rest pads that weigh about one pound. This pad is priced at around $19.00.

If you need more cushioning than foam pads for backpacking then you should go for backpacking air pads. Therm-a-Rest's NeoAir Sleeping Pad is currently the world's lightest air mattress weighing 9 - 19 ounces depending on the size.

The smallest NeoAir which weighs in at 9 ounces is 20 x 47 x 2.5 inches. The biggest and heaviest at 19 ounces is 25 x 77 x 2.5 inches. This is NOT a self-inflating pad in case you're wondering.

Another great option is the Big Agnes Clearview Air Pad. It's 20 inches wide, 60 inches long and 2.5 inches thick yet only weighs 11.7 ounces.

Blowing up an air mattress takes time and effort. To inflate a self-inflating pad, all you need to do is open up the valve and the mattress will slowly unroll and it's ready for use within a few minutes. You can blow in more air through the valve to adjust the level of comfort.

The Pacific Outdoor Uber Lite Sleeping Pad used to be the lightest self-inflating pad available. It's 1 inch thick and only weighs 9.4 ounces. It's small and it packs very small but it's not really meant to be used as a standalone camping mattress. The hourglass shape makes for a small target area for the hips and shoulders.

Now the lightest self-inflating pad is the U.L. Comfort System Pad 30 from Mont Bell. It's very small and weighs just 3.5 ounces. If you're totally crazy about going lightweight, this pad is for you.