One of my favorite comfort items..a nice foam sleeping pad...easy to pack and makes naps so much more comfortable

Been debating that. Never used it in the army, but now I'm thinking that its an extra layer of protection from the cold, wet ground.

The older, and more arthriticie I get, the more I appreciate a good sleeping pad!

I carry a large square of closed cell blue foam as an insulated situpon pad. Have used it to sit under a poncho back up against a stump waiting out thunderstorms and for someplace to sit in a snow pit when x-c skiing.

I carry it in my daypack for the possibility of spending the night out tending my survival fire. Good insulation is really important.

For backpacking I like the Ridgerest pads. Thicker cushion for sleeping but much more durable than the Thermarest inflatable. (I tend to bushwhack and the pads get a bit frazzled)

Most sleeping bag ratings stipulate a ground pad underneath. Your body weight will compress the bottom of the bag killing most of the loft. You really need a pad in cold weather.

Couldn't agree more about the insulation benefits of a foam pad.

I've always considered a sleeping pad one of my essential pieces of gear after sleeping on the cold hard ground a time or two. Without one the ground can/will pull the heat out of you & make you even colder.

getting a pad into a survival kit would be quite a trick,in a BOB which is sort of a camping kit,not so hard.for my camping trips i use a 2 inch thermarest and it's much better than blue foam or even a 1 inch thermarest.thats one bit of gear i don't cheat on even if it's a bit heavy.i sleep well but do wake up at least once a night to turn over.anyone who have been in the Army will tell you that along with a hot meal that sleep,and just not rest,will recharge your battery for whats next.not having a pad in my ditch kit i would go all out to make some sort of a soft spot to sleep.

In an internal frame pack, roll it loosely ad pack stuff inside it.

I carry a closed cell foam sitting pad (approximately) 30cm x 40cm (12in x 15in) in the back(inside) of my two day packs. I use this every time I stop just to make breaks more comfortable and my posterior dryer.

In a Survival Situation I would supplement it with the day pack itself. These are all backed with closed cell foam. Between the sitting pad and my bigger day pack I have a fairly good mattress.

I would place these above my Four-Finger Bowbed and/or any other biomass the forest might have if their is no evergreen bows.

Improvisation keeps us comfortable and alive in the wilderness and a mattress can make the difference between descent sleep and no sleep.