Big Agnes TwisterCane BioFoam Pad

Going light and fast in the backcountry, and don’t want to lug around—or bother blowing up—a heavy mat? We strapped the TwisterCane BioFoam to our pack in Rocky Mountain National Park and hit the trail confident we’d get a good night’s sleep in any terrain, no matter how rugged. This innovative bio-foam pad nails the basics: It weighs less than a pound, is 72 inches long and 20 inches wide (standard), and half an inch thick (a bit less than standard, though with comparable comfort). But the best part? It’s made from a unique foam derived mostly from sugarcane resin (instead of more traditional petroleum-based foam). The TwisterCane has a springy, rubbery feel—a bit denser than most closed-foam pads—and a significantly minimized carbon footprint. With a 1.7 R-value, this pad is suitable for summertime backpacking. Though it doesn’t compress as small as other foam pads with accordion folds, the TwisterCane rolls up to the size of two paper towel rolls.

one size