I love the Trail Lite Sleeping Pad. But as a first time Therma-rest user, I must say that this claim to be "self-inflating" is sheer nonsense.

It does pack up small and it is lightweight. And compared to my old foam pad (which packed up to the same size and approximate weight) it is a million times more comfortable. But even after following the instructions to the letter it still required a significant number of "puffs of air" to get up to a usable inflation.

All in all a great thing, but it should really be termed Partially Self Inflating .

the Cadillac of sleeping pads. This pad is very luxurious. It is not as compact as I would like it to be, but the comfort out rules it.

I will agree with the others, it is not self inflating at all, but none of the thermarests that I have used ever have been.

No..it isn't self-inflating, but I've yet to find an insulated pad that really is. You're always going to need to 'top off' a pad with a few puffs before you hit the hay if you want it nice and 'airy'. If you unroll the pad and pop the valve when you get into camp, and dont leave anything on top of it, it will be well on its way to full when you're ready for bed. I've used it in temps down to the lower 30's several times and it dosen't feel like sleeping on a block of ice, but it's not as warm and insulating as the Pro.
Yes, it won't pack down as small as a Big Agnes fully inflatable pad, but won't have freezing problems in cold weather due to all the moisture that collects from your breath.

i have the short version of this and it's perfect for summer. ya you have to blow in it, but only a few times. I always store mine rolled up, blow in a few times and it's ready to rock.

I agree with the last poster...as long as you store it inflated then it does self-inflate pretty well. Really comfortable AND light!

I bought 2 of these and have had no problem with either of them. With the self-inflating, it is very important to store them not trolled up and the valve open. Great price and not worth spending $40 more to save a couple onzs. Great product

More comfortable than CCF, not as comfortable as a true inflatable. If they deflate and it is below freezing you will be cold. I have 2, but only use them as loaners now. If I want thin, light and less comfort I take my Z-lite. For comfort I take my POE Ether Thermo which is still lighter than this.

Thermarests are an essential part of camping gear, they give you a good sleep and also an excellent insulation from cold ground. Up to date, I have no complains with my Thermarest.

Plenty light for backpacking and very comfortable for its weight. Should include the stuff sac - why sell separately? Still a good price. As other reviewers have said - self inflates just fine if you store it properly (inflated). Even so, to inflate it yourself takes all of 30 sec.

I purchased a Thermarest Trail Lite Pad almost 2 years ago, and I have been nothing but pleased with it. The self inflation system really saves you the trouble when you've been packing all day, and just want to go to sleep. Just takes a few minutes and a couple of blows to top it off. Keeps you off the cold ground all night with comfort I haven't found from any other brand. The material of the Trail Lite and Pro Lite are slightly more durable than the other lines of Thermarest pads that I've owned. The large might become a little bulky, but unless you're really hurting on space, this should be fine.

This thermarest is really easy to carry and is very long in length. Note that it is not very wide- so don't plan on sharing :)
Easy to blow up and deflate and it folds up pretty small as well. Not the thickest thermarest out there but it certainly does its job. I would definitely recommend it.

I've had a terrible time with therm-a-rest pads. I can't seem to keep them inflated after a couple camp outs. I haven't tried the repair kit. I'll give it a shot, but I think the leak may be at the valve? I've held it underwater and haven't seen air coming from a hole. I hope others are having better luck with this than I am.

I decided to go with the Trail Lite over the Pro Lite after extensive consideration - haven't regretted the decision. Therm-a-Rest rates this as a 4 season pad, so it'll do the job even in winter conditions. The pad *does* self-inflate, but it's crucial to follow the instructions (novel, I know). I've never slept better in the outdoors than when on this pad; if you're on a budget, this is by far the best pad your money can buy.

I love my therma rest. I have used it numerous times backpacking and camping and it has never failed me. Althought it doesnt self inflate. I usually just blow it up manually right when I unroll it to get it out of the way. I would still buy this because blowing it up yourself is no big deal.

I am 100% satisfied with this product. I have the regular size and its everything I needed. Kept me warm when it got down to 15F and completely wet/snowy ground. I keep it stored under my couch inflated and so far after several trips it almost seems as if it self-inflates better each time. I recommend this pad to anyone who is on a budget but wants top quality.

I have tried many other brands and Thermarest just lasts longer. I like the lighter weight vs. my camprest and it is still almost as comfortable. I use this for hiking and the camprest when I'm not. Definatelly keeps me warmer on those snowy nights in the Colorado mountains.

Very nice sleeping pad. Kept me well insulated into the teens with snow covered ground. Doesn't pack small enough for me though, so I traded in for a Therm-a-rest prolite 3. So if packing isn't a huge deal for you, this is the pad to get.

I did NOT buy it from backcountry but the store that i got it the sales preson told my to get a small and its very uncomfortable. light wieght so i give it a B+

I couldn't be happier for the cost. It is kind of rediculous to sell the stuff sack separately, but it's worth it to buy, though, because it ain't fitting inside your pack and it'll be exposed on the outside. A very comfortable night's rest

I've been using a self-inflating ThermaRest pad for ~15+ years, and it's the best, most comfortable sleeping pad I've found. That said, over time my pads (2) have developed pinhole slow leaks that I've tried to patch with ThermaRest's patch kit--not very successful, probably because it's difficult to locate the pinhole leaks. I did successfully replace the valve I crushed using their kit. But, I'd still buy another Thermarest, if I can't get the leaks patched in my old one. Well worth the money and extra weight over a closed cell foam pad.

Pros: light big comfortable
Cons: slow to blow up, have to manually inflate, valve has to be partially closed in order not to leak when inflating.

I have the 2 pounder and have only used it for warm weather sleeping, without a sleeping bag. I found the pad to be somewhat hard to get comfortable on: for my side there just wasn't enough padding, and on my back my arms hung off the sides thrusting my chest forward awkwardly. I am fairly small in frame, so someone with broader shoulders might not suffer such an extreme angle.

That being said, I fell asleep without too much trouble and awoke without any noticeable stiffness. I would really like to rate this 3.5 stars, but I am going to bump it to 4 due to most folks using a sleeping bag (which I imagine would increase comfort considerably).