Big Agnes Hinman

The Big Agnes Hinman is a self-inflating pad with a foam core and an R-value of 5 under the ASTM F3340-18 standard — high enough that the manufacturer places it in the 4-season/winter category. The 3.8 cm core thickness is typical for self-inflating construction (versus air pads that run twice that or more), but the foam removes the risk of total insulation failure from a puncture — air leaks out, the foam keeps insulating. At 964 g in the Regular size (183x51 cm), that works out to 192.8 g per unit of R-value — an honest, not record-setting, number, since self-inflating foam is inherently heavier than a hollow air chamber with equivalent insulation. The two-way valve with a pull tab allows fine adjustment of firmness without mouth-inflating, the pad packs down to 55x13 cm, and a repair kit is included. Better suited to base camps and trips where simplicity and reliability matter more than absolute minimum weight — for ultralight backpacking, lighter air pads with comparable R-values are available.