Big Agnes Diversion Insulated Air Core....(the green one)

It continues to surprise me just how few of my outdoorsy friends have even heard of the Big Agnes air core sleeping pads. It is hands-down the most comfortable camping mattress I've ever slept on: better than even the 4" Paco Pads typical on rafting trips. And on top of the superior comfort, the BA pads pack down smaller than anything else out there. Rolled up, it's about the size of a bivy sack. They've taken the bulky foam out of conventional camping air mattresses to significantly reduce weight and bulk.



The lack of foam comes with two compromises. The first is warmth - foam is great insulation from body heat conducting into the cold ground. Big Agnes stuffs the pads with synthetic insulation to help, but the reality is that these fibers aren't resilient enough to withstand pad abuse. After about 50 or so cycles of packing and inflating, the insulation doesn't do much but clump up.

The other drawback is that foam self-inflates (at least for a while). With the Air Core you're stuck inflating it by mouth. It's really a small annoyance and takes just a couple minutes to take care of. The extra two minutes each night to make the bed is well-worth the comfort of a good night's sleep.



I think this is going to be the new hot thing in sleeping pads. Get one for yourself or as a gift and lead the trend. Your back will thank you later.

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Reviewed by: Dan Thurber