Sitting Pad?

[Barney]

I never used sitting pads before, but they seem like a pretty good idea. Do you know of any cheap but lasting options? I feel like it's much better solution than taking my sleeping pad every time when I want to sit while backpacking.

[ppine]

Thermarest pad about 14 in square.

[OwenM]

My Marmot Precip rain jacket stores in its own pocket. I sit on it. It also gets used for a pillow. Sometimes it rains, and I actually wear it, too!

[bsmit212]

I always just use my sleeping pad. But I could see how that could get bothersome depending on 1) pad and 2) how you pack your pack. For me I have a simple RidgeRest that stays straped to the outside of my pack. So it is easy and quick to access and does not require any inflation to be comfortable. However now that I think about how we will be setting up my wife's pack (just getting the last of her gear this year for christmas) her pad will be a Big Anges inflatiable that we are planning on storeing at the bottom w/ her bag. So it would be a pain to dig out, blow up, then put away any time she want to sit. Guess I will just have to for go folding in half for more conformt and share mine during the day.

[DuctTape]

Get a cheap ccf pad and cut it to the size you want. Once you have one easily accessible you will wonder how you ever did without it. They are versatile too. I use mine for many things besides a sit pad: fan for the fire, padding in the backpack, stand pad while taking a field bath, mini "cooler" for a beer (wrap up the beer and stuff a sock in each end, beer will still be cold that evening).

[Theo]

Originally Posted by DuctTape

Get a cheap ccf pad and cut it to the size you want. Once you have one easily accessible you will wonder how you ever did without it. They are versatile too. I use mine for many things besides a sit pad: fan for the fire, padding in the backpack, stand pad while taking a field bath, mini "cooler" for a beer (wrap up the beer and stuff a sock in each end, beer will still be cold that evening).

Pretty much what I do except I use it more to kneel on than sitting.

[ghostdog]

Originally Posted by ppine

Thermarest pad about 14 in square.

I have used those for years and even take it day hiking. They are warm and comfortable, keep the cold rocks from sucking out the warmth and smooth anywhere you sit or kneel. It deflates and rolls up small. It also makes a perfect insulator for the metal Kleen canteen in winter or summer. The lightweight version is in my pack these days but there are a couple heavier weight versions around the house for kneeling.

[Theosus]

I made one from a windshield reflector after I made a cooking coozy thing for freezer bag cooking. It folds easy, is waterproof, and is marginally warmer than sitting on bare ground. The plus side of it is I can slide it under my back in the hammock if I get a cold spot. It's about 20" square.

[ponderosa]

I use a piece of a cc pad, too. For me it isn't about a comfy place to sit so much as trying to stay warm. I'm always trying to stay warm, and that little piece of foam definitely helps keep my tush from freezing. I started carrying it in the winter and liked it so well I carry it year round now. There's no way I'm going to use my expensive downmat to sit on around camp.

[Grandpa]

Grandma showed up a few years ago with a little garden kneeling pad about 6" X 20 " and an inch thick. Being a wise grandma, she got two. Rides tight outside my pack anchored with a biner and under the compression straps. That and a log makes for a comfortable chair anywhere.