Disclosure: This content may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
When your legs need a rest, there’s no need to punish your butt
A hiking sit pad is a great comfort on the trail — in the snow, when it’s wet, and even in the hot months when you get to a rocky summit, or just a rough patch.
A light, compact hiking sit pad means you can sit anywhere comfortably without getting wet or dirty — well, dirtier…
Frequently Asked Questions About Sit Pads
What Do You Sit On When Backpacking?
Some hikers pack small chairs or inflatable cushions. But a small hiking sit pad is ready-to-go instantly, and has no mechanical parts to break down.
What Are Hiking Sit Pads?
Any dry comfortable pad can be a hiking sit pad. You just need a soft layer — one that won’t absorb any moisture — between your bum and whatever you want to sit on.
Is a Sit Pad Worth It?
IMO, absolutely. I even keep a spare one in my laptop bag for cafés that only offer hard stools, and for plane rides in economy!
Below, you’ll find three great sit pad options…
Hiking Sit Pad Options
Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite Panels
Many hikers and backpackers cut the last two panels from their Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite and use them as a sit pad. I did this too.
- Advantage: no extra cost if you already have a Z-Lite in your kit
- Disadvantages: this shortens your expensive sleeping pad and, honestly, it’s kinda bulky — I don’t know your life but my ass is not two feet wide
Compass included just to give you a sense of scale.
I now regret cutting down my fancy sleeping pad, especially since I found a much more compact solution…
Dedicated Hiking Sit Pad
I’ve used lightweight hiking sit pads on a number of hikes this year and I really love them. These pads weigh less than an ounce, and they’re much more compact than the Z-Lite option.
- Advantages: very light, compact, colorful, cheap
- Disadvantages: none!
The pads I bought are sometimes out of stock, so here’s a similar hiking sit pad you can throw in your cart.
You might also enjoy…
- Prepare › How to Winter Hike: The Essential Roundup
- Explore › The Devil’s Path
- Easy Hike › Ferncliff Forest Fire Tower
- For Supporters › Black Chasm Falls
- Follow › Sean’s content on Instagram
- Read › My writing for Times Union
- Hike More › Catskills, Adirondacks, Hudson Highlands, Gunks, Berkshires
Here’s my own sit pad on Coal Dirt Mountain on the Nun-Da-Ga-O Ridge in the Adirondacks. There was no boulder or log to sit on right here, and the ground was very lumpy. Sit pad to the rescue for a comfortable lunch break!
And here’s the same pad at The Megaliths on Schunemunk Mountain which is an enormous outcrop of bare conglomerate rock that is not at all comfortable to sit on. Once again, sit pad to the rescue.
Free Hiking Sit Pad
For a while, I used the bad boy below. It’s just a sheet of plastic packing foam that came with a delivery to my home. I actually felt good using this, knowing the plastic was enjoying a second life before going in the landfill.
- Advantages: free, extends life of existing plastic
- Disadvantages: not as soft as a dedicated hiking sit pad, a bit bulky, a bit ugly
I like these hiking sit pad options because, unlike chairs and inflatable pillows, they’re light and don’t require any set-up.
I hope this makes your next hike more comfortable.
Read More
- Lots more hiking gear tips
- And some great winter hiking gear lists too
Get full access…
Get instant access to the full version of this site and enjoy great supporter benefits: full galleries, full trail notes, early access to the latest content, and more.
Hot on the website right now…
Follow for more…
Follow my @TotalCatskills content on Instagram for regular hiking inspo and safe, inclusive community.
