DE
Back to the article

A4 checklist with all illustrated steps. Tick the boxes on paper as you go.

FeatherSticks · Gear

Camp Comfort: Sit Pads, Pillows & More

Sixty grams of foam can decide whether you enjoy the evening or shiver.

Quick facts

Weight
Core comfort set ≈ 150–250 g; chair adds 0.5–1 kg
Most value
Sit pad, pillow, dry socks, warm drink
Best for
Every overnight, cold evenings, longer camps
You need
Foam pad, stuff sack, camp shoes, steel bottle

What you need

  • Closed-cell foam sit pad
  • Inflatable pillow or a soft stuff sack
  • Wool socks reserved for sleeping
  • Light closed camp shoes or insulated booties
  • Ear plugs and eye mask
  • Single-wall steel bottle for hot water
  • Small lantern or headlamp with red mode
  • Mosquito head net for summer

Step by step

  1. Sit on foam, not on the ground

    1 Sit on foam, not on the ground

    A closed-cell sit pad of about 30 × 40 cm stops cold, damp ground from drawing heat out of you. It weighs 40–80 g and has several other uses.

  2. Make a pillow that stays put

    2 Make a pillow that stays put

    Fill a stuff sack loosely with your fleece or carry a 50–100 g inflatable pillow. Keep it in the hood or strapped to the pad.

  3. Choose seating by the trip

    3 Choose seating by the trip

    On a short walk-in a compact chair is a treat; on a long trek a log or stone plus your sit pad costs nothing extra.

  4. Change into camp shoes and socks

    4 Change into camp shoes and socks

    At camp, take off your boots, open them to dry, and put on dry socks and light closed shoes.

  5. Build a warm evening routine

    5 Build a warm evening routine

    A hot drink, a small light and a warm bottle in a sock in the sleeping bag make cold nights much easier.

  6. Weigh and decide

    6 Weigh and decide

    Weigh each comfort item, keep the ones you use every evening and swap or leave the rest.

Common mistakes

  • Sitting on cold, damp logs or ground all evening without insulation – you lose heat before you even get into the sleeping bag.
  • Packing a heavy chair for a long trek while leaving the light sit pad at home.
  • Sleeping in the damp socks of the day instead of a dry pair kept only for the night.
  • Filling the warm bottle with boiling water or using a bottle that leaks.
  • Using candles or gas lanterns inside a closed tent.
  • Building camp furniture from living trees or leaving it standing when you go.