I live in a studio apartment and needed a pad for my sofa bed, which was just killing my back. I bought this pad because it appeared comfortable with a 3" thickness and its advertised storage space is fairly tiny.
OK, this pad is very comfortable and it has the added benefit of adjustability via super-easy inflatability.
The down side is that once this memory-foam pad escapes its mini-container, it can never be re-rolled as small for daily use. Why? Memory foam flattens and takes quite a while for it to puff out. Right now, the width of my rolled pad is about 2.5 feet, which is a lot bigger than the 10" I expected.
If you need to solve a bad back issue, this is the pad for you. If storage is an issue, skip it.

The trekking poles I purchased collapse to less than two feet and this bag is too long for their shortest length. Sure, I don't have to collapse them that much and won't for storage, but it would have been nice to have the appropriate size bag for trips. Still, this bag was a reasonable price and is far, far better than nothing at all.

Wow. Friends told me about the wonders of trekking poles for the past few years, but it took a trip to coastal Maine for me to actually buy them in preparation for hiking. As it turned out, there was no time to hike on my trip, but since receiving them, I take daily 2 to 3 mile "sidewalk" power walks along Boulevard East, Weehawken, NJ which overlooks New York City. Let me tell you, these ultra light, very easy-to-handle poles are like oars on a boat. Using rubber pole tips, I walk two times faster with no strain on my knees. And when not walking, my back feels perfect and my posture absolutely upright.

At first I felt like a nerd walking on city streets with these poles, but not any more. That said, I plan on a 5 mile hike on the sidewalk around Central Park in the near future (you can read about this in late October 2005 on www.Littleviews.com). By the way, I chose these poles in particular because they weigh less than one pound and compact to the smallest size. They fit like a folded umbrella into my somewhat large purse and are also easy to hook onto my fanny pack without dragging it down or getting it caught on passing people.

As a small female, I find that carrying a load around my waist is better than on my shoulders. Besides, I carry a 15 lb purse daily and my shoulders need a rest. Anyway, I own a cheaper pack that snuck around to my stomach whenever possible. The Dayhiker, however, stays in place and doesn't slice my waist. You'll be amazed when you see this product! (And if the weight is just too much, any guy in the group would be pleased to wear it for you - another plus.)