The Alpine combines a removable .25-inch layer of closed-cell foam and a 1.5-inch layer of open-cell (self-inflating) foam to make a versatile 1.75-inch-thick pad for all seasons. “The beauty of this system is its comfort range,” says our tester. “I could separate the two pads and use them each independently on different styles of trips, or mate them inside the self-inflator’s polyester shell for a killer winter pad.”
It kept him warm on a chilly trip to New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, with nighttime temps in the low teens. With both pieces, the Alpine is bulky to pack (20 by 5 inches), because the closed-cell foam doesn’t compress much, but the open-cell portion is quite packable (10 by 5 inches).
Tip: Apply dots of SeamGrip to both sides of the shell to enhance its stickiness; testers reported slippage on even the slightest slopes. $90; 2 lbs. 4 oz.; one size; kelty.com