Why I'm Going Back to an External Frame Backpack
I began backpacking when I was a scout, lugging around a bargain, classic external frame pack that my parent's found on a closeout deal at a local gear shop. It wasn't pretty, or terribly comfortable, but it held my stuff, and what it didn't - easily lashed on the outside.
For two years, I hoisted that thing around and when I was 16, and was working my first job, I saved and scrapped all of my money until I had enough to buy an internal frame pack. Back then, outdoor gear was beefy, made from 1000 denier, kevlar; my new backpack was made to last a lifetime! It even came with a lifetime warranty. And the weight... well, lets just say that pack alone was more than half the weight people are bragging about these days as their BASE WEIGHT.
At first it was hard to justify a replacement backpack. I mean... it worked, albeit a bit heavy, and it was near bulletproof. But as my gear got smaller, and lighter... and after packing a full size pillow for a year or so, to fill the extra space...
Dec 3, 2019
Here are the super simple instructions for shortening your sleeping pad
1) Decide and mark the desired length of pad
2) Cut with scissors
3) Clear insulation inside away from the edge
4) Seal the edge with a hot iron
I've checked with the experts and as far as I could find, this method works with all sleeping pads - Thermarest, Exped, Nemo, Big Agnes, Sea to Summit and so on. Warning: cutting down your pad most likely voids your warranty from any manufacturer.
Now with greater details and a few basic photos, here is how you can cut down your insulated sleeping pad.
1) MEASURE
2) CUT. IT. OUT.
3) REMOVE INSULATION
4) SEAL THE EDGE
Again, cutting down your pad likely voids your warranty. To some in the Ultralight Community, the tradeoff is worth it. I am not advocating that you cut your pad. That being said, I personally felt a lot more comfortable cutting my $60 Klymit pad rather than my $160 NeoAir.
Note that if you have an uninsulated pad, you can skip Step 3. John Abela illustrates this in his quick video below. He chose to cut straight across the pad, which is another option and slightly easier to do on pads without insulation to remove.
Have you tried shortening your pad? Share you pictures and results below! As always, I welcome your questions.