SectionHiker.com Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs Gossamer G
ear is a leader in the ultralight hiking community. They specialize in ultralight backpacks, but they also sell other accessories which can save you a lot of weight. The NightLight Sleeping Pad, in the 29″ size, only costs $24 and weighs 2.4 oz.
The NightLight has an egg shell-like surface and is 3/4 inches deep with an approximate R-value of 2 (they’ve never actually tested it). It’s good for 3-season use if you’re not a cold sleeper and it is more comfortable for people who sleep on their backs than side sleepers. I normally use this pad when hiking through heavily wooded areas like the Catskills or White Mountains where I can heap together a lot of leaves under my tent to augment the pad’s insulating properties and overall comfort. If you have to sleep on a platform or hard ground, think about bringing a thicker sleeping pad instead. You can thank me later.
The NightLight is meant for hikers who have ultralight frameless hiking packs like the Gossamer Gear Mariposa or Gorilla which have an external foam pad holder between the pack’s shoulder straps. When inserted into the pad holder, the NightLight Sleeping Pad acts as an internal frame, stiffening the pack. It’s a brilliant piece of multi-use engineering really, and one of the signature differences between Gossamer Gear packs and every other ultralight backpack made today.
Disclosure: The author owns this product and purchased it using their own funds.
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Good catch. I was referring to the 29" pad, which does weigh 2.5 oz, and not the 3/4 pad which is around 10 oz. I'll make the edits. Thanks!
Hey Mr. Werner,
I’m in the market to get a new pad this season. I used to have an enormous therm-a-rest (probably the most comfortable and largest they sell). I’m slowly but surely trying to replace my heavier gear with ultralight. The only problem with this is that I’m a really light side sleeper. My wife uses a prolite 4 regular, and I was thinking of buying the same but in xtra small size. I’m 6′ 2″ so I realize that my feet would hang off the end. Do you have any recommendations? Does it feel weird to sleep on a 3/4 pad? I feel like the xtra small prolite would just be a more comfortable option than the one above. THanks!
mark
Getting a shorter pad is a great way to lighten up.Just put your pack under your legs – they need less warmth than your core. I’d also recommend that you look at one of the NeoAir pads from thermarest. They’re somewhere half-way between the prolite 4 and this Gossamer Gear pad. While I have slept on it in the past, it takes some getting used to because it’s a lot thinner than what you’re probably used to . If you remember the blue foam Mt Washington pads – it feels about the same but a tad firmer.
Can this pad be used with other backpacks, i.e. ULA Circuit?
Not unless you cut your Circuit open.