Black Betty sleeping pad

[Cpl.Banks]

We still get issued those for camp and ftx's...without any corks of course. Funniest thing to watch a new troppie try and figure out what it is and how to use it.  ;D Anyways I have not had the occasion to try the "new" ones, out of sheer curiosity how are they comared to the older ones?
G'Day

 

[deh]

Maybe this will suit your needs.  http://www.bigagnes.com/str_pads.php?id=ia The Big Agnes pads have been getting lots of praise in the mountaneering/backcountry circles.  I'm thinking about replacing my crusty old ridgerest with one.

+1 for the big Agnes air core

Mine served me very well up on James Bay for Polar Strike I.  Our night out in our improvised shelter it was just me with my big Agnes two sleeping bags and my fleece liner and I was just fine naked as the day I was born.  My bivy bag was literally freezing where my breath hit it but I had no problems with the ground cold.  We did it with no fire and no stove or anything and the temperatures were getting down around -30 ish.  It gave me great faith in our sleeping bags, they really are good to go even some 55 years after they were designed.  We slept on pine boughs and what not and I had no durability problems with rips or tears (patch kit included) and it folds up into something that fits into your pants cargo pocket with room to spare.  So for bumming around the biv site or literally sleeping under the stars in the frozen 7th circle of hell I highly reccomend it.  The one thing however is the cost.  It certainly is not cheap so if you aren't into winter camping or the like I'd probably go with what is issued.  Now if it would get back from the ex I can get in one more good go at the ice fishing hut before the season ends ...

 

[kyleg]

No sh*t, I was on Polar Strike too. Bloody cold that last night, eh? I don't know how you guys did it without a stove, we had the coleman plus a WhisperLite going all night.

Thanks for all the advice guys.

Cheers,
Pinky

 

[wookie11]

I heard from my instructor who's a history buff mbdr who says that it is still being issued for some 'lucky' recruits. I don't know what you like about it, but I like my self inflating mattress better.

 

[kyleg]

Have you ever used black betty? Have you used your thermarest enough in the past 4 months to know its pros and cons? "Self-inflating?" Hardly. More like "self-barely-pulls-in-any-air."

 

[my72jeep]

Om flat rockless ground the self inflatable is great but back home in NFLD I was allways happy to have a Betty rocks were not an issue. I did do a 6 day 62km trip along the lake Superior Coast and was thankfull for the light therma rest. I've used both over the last 23 years and in my humble opinion it's 6 of one haft dozen of the other.

 

[DG-41]

My 9Domestic bought me a 21st century Black Betty for Xmas. It's about the weight of the Thermorest, the storage bag acts as the inflation pump (and it inflates way faster than than the original did) and it has a down pad on it that helps insulate the air chamber so you don't get the intercooler effect.

I think it's made by Mountain Equipment Corporation.

I haven't used it yet, but she took it on winter indoc and reported satisfactory results.

DG

 

[kyleg]

It's Mountain Equipment Co-op Don't let any of the staff hear you say corporation ;D

I've heard of the one you're talking about, but the price is a bit of a turn off for me. My thermarest works, so I feel no need to blow 2 day's salary on a sleeping pad. But if I can get a black betty for cheap, why not try it out?

Cheers,
Pinky

 

[TCBF]

"I did do a 6 day 62km trip along the lake Superior Coast ..."

Pukasksaw Park?  A great place.  A bunch of us hiked part of it in 1985 when it opened.  We did not get as far as we wanted, due to the 'apres walk' one evening getting out of hand.  Somewhere, there is a photo taken in broad daylight of an unconscious me lying on the sandy banks of the White River with an empty bottle of Jameson...  but, enough of that.

"I've used both over the last 23 years and in my humble opinion it's 6 of one haft dozen of the other."

- Yup.

Tom

 

[my72jeep]

"I did do a 6 day 62km trip along the lake Superior Coast ..."

Pukasksaw Park?  A great place.  A bunch of us hiked part of it in 1985 when it opened.  We did not get as far as we wanted, due to the 'apres walk' one evening getting out of hand.  Somewhere, there is a photo taken in broad daylight of an unconscious me lying on the sandy banks of the White River with an empty bottle of Jameson...  but, enough of that.

"I've used both over the last 23 years and in my humble opinion it's 6 of one haft dozen of the other."

- Yup.

Tom

Yep thats it I took the boat to the end and hiked back.

 

[Cliffy433]

I've used Therma-craps civ side... I only got in in '98 and was issued a Black Betty...

I'll never give it back.  Ever.

tlm.

 

[geo]

I don't get it ???

'

The said Capt Ford had a pair of 44s..... she also had a gun

(You'll figure it out)

 

[kyleg]

Ok, I'll probably take some flak for this, but what's a "44?" I'm still not getting it :-[

 

[geo]

ahem..... think
( measurement that isn't the waisline and isn't the hips)....

 

[NATO Boy]

'

The said Capt Ford had a pair of 44s..... she also had a gun

(You'll figure it out)

:rofl:

 

[kyleg]

OOOHHHHHH!!! Wow do *I* feel like a moron... lol.

 

[geo]

Ayup!

 

[chrisf]

We still get issued those for camp and ftx's...without any corks of course.

A lighter fits in the fill tube rather nicely.

 

[TCBF]

The plugs are gone because the CFRS Corwallis instructors cut the 'cups' off them, and used them as 'feet' for the ends of their pace sticks when practicing on tile or polished concrete for the next pace stick competition.

And for anyone who cares, as of 3 Apr 96: 8465-21-107-4862 Mattress Pneumatic, B class, $121.65

 

[Cliffy433]

If you use your plug for Betty, just use your thimble.  Fits perfect!

tlm.