Big Agnes
They are good pads, just a little lesser known. Big Agnes makes sleeping bags that are integrated with sleeping bags, i.e. instead of having down fill on the underside of the bag, it is made for you to use a sleeping pad there. Saves a bit of weight/size but of course, requires a sleeping pad to be warm.
Jay
I never got mine trained
But then, I bought it for Air Force use because I hated killing myself blowing up those air mattresses they hand out.
Mine has gone to a dozen countries, copuple wars and finally got so many holes I couldn’t find them all so tossed it.
My best story was going to England in a KC-135 Tanker. I lay my thermarest by the roor, set my cup of water next t ome and took a nap with my BDU jacket for a blanket.
When I woke up, I was warm but my water had frozen solid. I LOVED my thermarest.
Now, retired, I rarely camp so have been hesitant about spending all that money for a replacement that I’ll only use once a year.
Pacific Outdoor Equipment Great!!!
Thermarest is a very good product. However, another company actually has surpassed them in quality, insulation valure, reliabiltiy, materials, and production standards.
Pacific Outdoor Equipment. They call the mats Insulmat. They if you look on the site also make many other high quality items and a large number of Kayak specific equipment that I have used on many trips.
Evan
http://www.pacoutdoor.com/2005/index.cfm?action=family&familyID=1
All of our ThermaRests developed slow
leaks. I now use lighter, non-inflating foam pads. You can carry two for less weight than one Thermarest.
PacOutdoor – looks very good
– Last Updated: Dec-23-05 9:10 AM EST –
Thanks for the pointer!
But I hope the quality control on their products is better than on their web site. That page has a big paragraph that is repeated verbatim, header and all -- "The Value of R and What's THELMA". Somebody did not do a final proofing!
Their line of dry bags and specially designed kayak packing bags looks really neat... but I quaver at looking up the prices.
http://www.pacoutdoor.com/2005/index.cfm?action=group&groupID=20&familyID=2
And the map cases look like the ones I finally found after giving up on the P.O.S. Seal Lines...
http://www.pacoutdoor.com/2005/index.cfm?action=product&productID=36&groupID=20&familyID=2
I don't know if they manufacture these or just carry them, but they are the best in either case.
--David.
yes evaluate by every thing too!
It is true their web site is the not their primary concern. As a company they are not all that new and have established themselves for a number of years now. It is true they are expanding so I watch to see they maintain their quality.
That said, I have not had an equipment failure in five years with their products and am relatively hard on things simply because I use them so so much as guide, instructor, paddler, expeditions, fresh and salt water, etc.
Still check them out, evaluate, decide for oneself!
Thermarests…the real deal
I sell Thermarests and also some knock-offs. I have attended Thermarest manufacturer clinics and am convinced that they are certainly more durable than the knockoffs. EVERY unit is leak tested for twenty four hours, and they stand behind the product. By the way, it is reccommended that you do manually blow some air into the unit, and then let some of the air out thru the valve ti achieve the desired firmness.
The Prolite series advantage is is weight savings; due to the fact that the fabric is a touch lighter and that the foam has diamond shaped cutouts which reduce the volume/weight. By the way, the diamond cut-outs from the Prolites are used to make the new line of the self inflatable pillows. Ah, the wonders of recycling!
My experince has been that the complete line of Thermarest pads all have excellent construction. The diifernce is in foam density/weight.
No problem with knockoff
If find all brands need some blowing after a while. Never had leak problems that weren’t my fault or just wear and tear.
My MEC pad works just fine. Self-inflates mostly. Finish it off manually.
Store them open, anything that lofts will develop a memory.
Full size, full length. A good night’s sleep is key. My tent buddy stacks mine and his the minute I leave the tent.
Leaky Valves
If your mattress starts to leak during the night it could be grit in the valve. If I have that problem I fold the mattress twice. Then with the valve completely open I put all me weight on it while pointing the valve down. At the same time I tap on the valve with my folded knive. This procedure has worked for me in the past.
Have an insulmat and prefer it
to my thermarest. The quality is good and they stand behind their product. it packs much smaller than my thermarest too. I bought it more for my backpacking but it works well on yakpacking trips too.
Either will be comfortable
I need to maximize the space in my kayak (small person, 16.5’ kayak) so I switched from regular ThermaRest to ProLite (the “4” because even summer nights can go below freezing) and synthetic fill sleeping bags to down bag.
You might not need to do the same. But if you think you might, or would like the extra room anyway (another book to read, perhaps), or will use the pad for backpacking as well as kayak camping, I think the ProLite is the way to go.
Pardon a question?
We are talking air mattresses here? For float trips and hiking?
And people thought I was a wimp for bring a closed cell foam pad on a hiking trip.
WIMP?
Sure, much easier to carry a few luxuries in a kayak as opposed to carrying them on you back, chairs, tables, coffee percolators, fishing gear, real food, non-titanium items.
Cold Weather Heat Loss
Without a ground pad you stand to lose a large percentage of your body heat to the earth.
10 ounce torso sized pad
– Last Updated: Dec-24-05 7:23 PM EST –
WARNING this is only for the ultra light ultra compact crown who also wants to NOT sacrifice relaibility and quality and who wants the least sacrifice in comfort, warmth, etc.
If you want part of your cake and eat it too, get the
10 ounce inflatable sleeping pad with durable cover and warm, comfortable insulation - torso sized!.."
Toso LIte Pad from
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/torsolite_inflatable_sleeping_pad.html
It is SMALL alright, and there are alternative ultra light pads from the before mentioned Insulmat folks at Pacific Outdoor Equipment. What is unusual in these pads is they are THICKER than most if not all lighrt pads like even the good pads from Thermarest. This means more R value, insulation if you need it and more padding where you most need it, shoulders and hips. This is the the ultra minimal pad. Not for most.
I used it though for a 10 day high altitude 211 mile John Muir trail trek. I use it as a leader and guide in my kayak for under the leg cramps for other folks, for a sit pad, for emergency first aid to prevent hypothermia and for broken bone splint. Also my camp pad seat and sleeping pad.
evan
I was not implying
anyone is a wimp and I understand the thermal importance of getting off the ground. That’s why my brother and I purchased the pads for the first outing with a new club. By the end of the season we were not alone in our use of closed cell pads.
pads
I guess I’ve been lucky. I have a cheap self-inflating pad (Wenzel brand) that I bought for $20 at a local sporting goods store. I’ve had it for years. I also have an expensive Therma-rest. I like the cheap one better! It is much more comfortable. Both have had many, many nights of use. I store them inflated behind the sofa, and add 3 to 4 puffs of air for use.
If pinched for space or weight, I think I’d leave a change of clothes at home rather than go without my self-inflating sleeping pad!
Merry Christmas, and may God Bless.
Jim
“air mattress"
There’re “air mattress”, then there’re “self-inflating” air mattress”, aka Thermarest and its imitations.
Do you camp in late fall or even winter? If so, having the pad to insulate from the ground makes a difference of discomfort/cold/misery vs. comfort and warm. Close-cell foam or self-inflated matts both works. I hike with close-cell foam one but kayak with the self-inflating pad. Different need, different limitations, different tools.
Anyone who think having a sleeping pad is a whimp probably never camp in sub-freezing temperature. (Though it doesn’t take sub-freezing temp to benefit from one.) Sure, you can sleep in your jacket in a pinch. But would any of those “tough guys” go camping without a sleeping bag? Would they consider tents and sleeping bags are for whimps?
thermarest
i just got my first pro lite 3 .i cant wait for the weather to warm up enough for a camping trip so i can try it out.