Light, Comfy, Good - when it holds air

By Scott Pendleton Ranked #91 - Midweight Sleep Pads October 21, 2010

I'm 6'2", 150lbs (very thin and bony), and I had the regular size. It was a good size, fit under me fine. The bigger size would have been overkill.

When this pad held air, it was pretty comfortable. I like to sleep on my side and sometimes my bony hips would get sore, but I'd wake up and roll over and be ok. I used this snow camping several times and it was warm enough on the cold ground. Basically, I liked this pad. It was adequate for the jobs I used it for. While it's not as nice as my girlfriend's prolite 4 season pad, which is warmer and lighter, it also costs a lot less. For the price it's nice.

The problem was, I spent more time patching or replacing it than using it. Most of the places I camp here in SoCal are littered with pine needles. I try to clear them out the best I can, but all it takes is one missed to put a hole in this and make it completely worthless. In the span of two years I had four different holes in two different pads (replaced it one warranty once). And once it gets a hole in it and doesn't hold air, it is worthless. Thankfully this didn't happen in the snow because then it would have been a warmth issue (it's less likely to happen in the snow anyway because, well, snow is not sharp).

Bottom line is, if you only use it in the snow or in places with no sharp plants, this is a great pad for the price that you won't mind carrying. If you do use it in the summer around sharp things, it will become dead weight very, very fast. I ended up ditching this for a foam pad, which while not as comfortable or warm is much more reliable.

(If you're really worried about sharp things, you could use a foam pad underneath this pad, which would make it more comfortable and protect it, but that's a lot more than I really want to carry for most trips)

View Details: Therm-a-Rest Trail Lite Sleeping Pad

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