DIY – ensolite bivy sleeping pad

What type of sleeping pad is best for snow camping bivies? 

A flat ensolite pad is generally the best, but they have two limitations.  1) They are bulky when rolled into a cylinder, and 2) a rolled mat wants to roll itself up all the time.  This is a real pain when trying to get it to stay still, repeatedly rolling up and leaving your feet exposed.

Expen$ive Thermarest pads can be punctured easily by a stray crampon or ice axe, leaving you with no insulation when you need it most.

Ridgerest pads, while very compact, do not work so well for snow camping.  The many indentations gather snow, your body heat melts the snow, then the meltwater soaks your clothes and your bag.  Not good.

Here’s a simple solution - turn a normal ensolite pad into a compact folding Ridgerest-type pad, with a few cuts and some handy duct tape.

Take a plain ensolite pad and cut it down so it is three quarters length.  (Your pack can be used for the foot section if needed). Next divide it into five or six sections, with the sections being no wider than the width of the rucksack. Cut the mat into these sections, then join them together again using duct tape.
Make sure the sections are hinged, with one section being taped while flat then the next being taped while folded, doing both sides. The mat should now “accordion “down nicely and fit easily on the rear of your pack.
Finally, reinforce the corners with tape and punch a hole through in order to tie two tie-off loops. These are used to hold the mat in place on bivies. If you’re using a large rucksack (65 liters) or have minimal bivy gear, then you can always put the mat on the inside of your pack

This tip is adapted from a tip on http://www.psychovertical.com, the excellent climbing website by British alpinist Andy Kirkpatrick.  See this site for many more great climbing tips.