Open cell foam vs. memory foam?

[DAA]

So my old cot sleeping pad is made of 3" open cell foam, with a light canvas type cover on it. And it's been great, for many years. But the foam has lost some of it's cushion and it soaked up a lot of coyote blood not too long ago. I kind of like the smell, but my wife complained about something stinking in the garage and turns out that's what she was smelling.

So... Just thinking I'd get a new piece of 3" foam. Pretty cheap and the first one was really very comfortable for hundreds of nights. But, you know how it is, sensing an "upgrade opportunity", wondering if a piece of memory foam would be even better?

I know I like the memory foam mattress topper in our travel trailer way better than the open foam one, but, that's not quite an exact comparison, to a camping pad, on a cot. And I've no idea how different the R values might be?

Anyway, I figured I'd ask if anyone has any experience or opinions of open vs. memory foam for a cot pad.

Thanks!

- DAA

 

[sixstringsteve]

I don't have much to contribute other than memory foam gets rock hard in cold temps (which I'm sure you already knew). Are you running a buddy heater in your tent when you camp in the winter?

 

[Gravy]

3" open foam from the Smiths in Bountiful has done me right for the last 4 years. It was like $20.

 

[frieed]

3" open foam from the Smiths in Bountiful has done me right for the last 4 years. It was like $20.

Also available from Home Depot during hunting season (but haven't seen it this year) at about the same price.

 

[mesha]

I don't know much about this topic.

I do know there are a few generations of memory foam and they haven't different heat retaining properties. generally speaking the slower the foam springs back, the higher the R-value.

I am looking into it ;-)

 

[DAA]

I am looking into it ;-)

Please do share what you find.

- DAA

 

[mesha]

So far I have learned that newer memory foam that uses gel infused with the visco move heat away from the body and therefor you sleep cooler. Good for at home, bad for winter time camping. The whole idea behind memory foam is that it softens up with body heat. That is how it can contour so well. I would imagine it can't move it too fast or the heat will be lost. This might be one of the rare occasions where the cheaper the product the warmer it is

This looks like a decent place to learn about different weights of foam. I clicked on the links under foam types.
http://www.thefoamfactory.com/mattress/memorytopper.html

It looks like a 2" 3 lb density 25% ILD 14lb memory foam in a twin is less than 50 bucks from them.