We tried sleeping on the ground for a few camping excursions, but decided a good night’s rest is more important than trying to be one with nature or trying to keep our packs extra light. There are many sleeping pad options out there, but we really like the self-inflate kind. We both have Thermarest sleeping pads that roll up pretty small to fit in our packs, but we can blow extra air into them when using them to keep us off the ground for comfort and warmth. Even though these are just over an inch thick, we don’t have problems with bottoming out when sleeping in any position, including on our sides. To take care of these, we store them flat with the valve open under our bed.