Therm-a-Rest Ridge Rest Deluxe Sleeping Pad

This is a great pad for tough conditions, take it places that you would fear poking a hole in your inflatable. Pad is easily modified with a sharp pair of scissors. I trimmed the length and the width and took the corners off at the head (All in a relentless pursuit of shaving grams off my pack). I use this pad with my ultralight backpack, it acts as the frame rolled into a tube and shoved into the pack. All the rest of the gear fits in the interior of the roll pad.

I'm a mountaineer and I beat the hell out of my gear. this piece is no exception. Pros: comfortable, warm, big enough that you don't have to worry about rolling off, lightweight, durable. Cons: very bulky - has to be strapped to the outside of your pack - a friend of mine had his ripped off his pack by wind on an alpine ascent - he blamed the pad for being too big - I told him he should learn how to tie stuff to his pack. I trimmed mine down so it fits inside my bivy and doesn't catch on rock and overhanging ice as im climbing. It does the job it's designed to do - there's no excuse for being surprised at the size when it's listed under specs...

If you want the comfort of a bed stay in a hotel. If you want a bit of padding between yourself and the cold hard ground get this pad. You are not going to spend much time on laying down when your outdoors just like you are not going to spend to much money on this pad.

Big fan of this pad. The deluxe is definitely worth the upgrade over the regular. The added thickness was much appreciated during some winter camping trips. The downside is that it doesn't pack small. It will always be a big roll strapped to the outside of your pack. This pad can't fail so I guess I don't worry too much on the trail about it getting poked with sticks and branches.

I like Therm-a-Rest inflatable pads better, they pack smaller. This pad is a little on the big size. The Ridge Rest is great for car camping or sleeping in the back of my pick-up truck.

I have a huge Gregory back, and could not fit this inside the pack. I ended up tying it to the outside, but lost it when crossing one of the mountain streams in heavy rain. It also used to get caught on the brush and trees. It was comfortable to sleep on while I had it, but I ended up buying the Therm-a-Rest Z-lite sleeping pad instead. The square shape and smaller size made it easier to attach to the bottom of my backpack.

After using the Thermarest R4 for two seasons and the Ridge Rest for one. I am sold on the ridge rest for winter ascents. Warmer overall because it keeps you off the snow. Insulation to weight factor seems to be more favorable. No inflation worries. The only down side is the bulk which must be carried on the out side of pack. I will deal with that and consider it worth it for the added comfort.

Since I lost mine to a friend I decided to buy another, it had never let me down and provides a little extra comfort than hard ground. It’s not the most comfortable out there, but it gets the job done and that’s what matters to me.

This was the first sleeping pad I ever bought and it continues to be a key part of my gear closet. The Ridge Rest is super lightweight, is easy to pack (In the cavernous backpack I surround the inside with the ridge rest to have the pack keep shape), and has come in handy with an Achilles injury (just cut off a corner for a heel lift!) I have finally purchased an inflatable, but they work together to make a pad system, not one or the other. This pad is super affordable, even though it isn't quite as luxurious as an inflatable--it does the job for a third of the price.

The question you have to ask yourself is, “Do I want to be comfortable hiking or do I want to be comfortable sleeping.” I chose the former when I headed out to hike the AT. I decided that saving money and weight were more important than having the super comfy sleep setup. I'm glad I did. These pads aren't all that comfortable but they weigh almost nothing, cost very little, and are fine swinging around on the back of a backpack rather than inside it. I got used to slightly uncomfortable sleeping pretty easily and I think the payoff was worth it.

As a proud owner of both a Ridge Rest and an inflatable Therm-a-rest, I'd like to give a shout out to the traditional closed-cell foam pad. I'm no exception to the rule, I'm getting old and my bones and back creak when I get up after a night on the ground, so I still tote my inflatable around on occasion, but here's the goods on a Ridge Rest: these sleeping pads are the lightest weight around; they don't absorb water; no patching/repairs needed; pads double as excellent emergency first aid supplies when bulky padding/braces are in demand; this pad keeps you warm even in the coldest conditions (no air to heat up underneath my body); absorbs minor inconsistencies on the ground like divots and pebbles. Hands down, Ridge Rests provide the best bang for your buck.