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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Therm-a-Rest ProLite > Owner Review by Ray Estrella
TESTER INFORMATION
I have been backpacking for over 30 years, all over California, and in many of the western states and Minnesota. I hike year-round, and average 500+ miles (800+ km) per year. I have made a move to lightweight gear, and smaller volume packs. I start early and hike hard so as to enjoy the afternoons exploring. I usually take a freestanding tent and enjoy hot meals at night. If not hiking solo I am usually with my wife Jenn or brother-in-law Dave. The Product
Product Description
The Therm-a-Rest ProLite 4 pad (hereafter called the ProLite or the pad) is a light weight, compact sleeping pad positioned by the manufacturer as being, "Great for mountaineering, winter camping, backpacking, and multi-day adventures". I do all that and more. Field Data
I used the ProLite 4 pad on the following backpacking trips Observations
I have owned five Therm-a-Rest pads over the past 18 years. The last one I bought was the GuideLite model. The next year they came out with the ProLites, which my brother-in-law Dave immediately bought. I thought about it hard but decided to go a different direction. It turned out to be a good purchase. The ProLite 4 is a very comfortable pad. While the trips on Minnesota saw the pad used on dirt or grass sites, the trips in California were all at high elevations on very rocky sites. It was much more comfortable than my old GuideLite. It was much less slippery too. The super-grip bottom does just that. I have never had any mat stay put as well as this one has. My bag has not slipped on the top fabric either, but I did not have it on the top often. This is because when it is warm I will usually open my bag and use it as a quilt as needed during the night. This means that I am sleeping directly on my pad. The cotton-feel of the ProLite's top cover was very comfortable using in this fashion. I did not get as sweaty-feeling as I have with some of my other pads when used this way. Here is a shot of it in between the kids Z-Lite pads (see separate review). It was nice using a pad that self-inflates again. When I would get into camp I would unroll the ProLite, open the valve and let it set off to the side while I set up the tent. I would then close the valve and it would be ready to slide into the Trekker chair with the air that had come in to fill the foam. Once it was time for bed I would have to add three or four more puffs to fill it to the firm level that I like to sleep on. Of course the down side is that all the air that goes in by itself has to be pushed out when it is time to pack up in the morning. I fold the pad in half lengthwise and lay on it until most of the air is out. I then close the valve and start rolling it up from the bottom. About halfway rolled I open the valve and bleed off the accumulated air once more. Now I leave the valve open as I roll it the rest of the way up, closing it once all the air is out. I did not buy the optional stuff sack, instead I snap a quick-connect strap around it and call it a deal. I was quite wary of using it as a chair at first. I have never used a chair before and worried that my big bum would pop the ProLite on rocks, twigs or pine needles. But after about 5 backpacking trips and two camping trips with it used in the chair it is still holding air perfectly. My kids loved grabbing the chair any time I left it vacant. I would say, "What peasant children dare sit in the King's throne? To the dungeons with you!" They never got tired of it. Here is a shot of Ray sitting on the ProLite Trekker combo. I am going to take the ProLite to Minnesota to leave there now so that next year I do not have to fly it back and forth. I expect to use it on many trips there with the children during the summers to come. I may try it in winter with the company's Z-Lite Regular (which I have one of already) on top. If I do I shall update this review with my findings.
This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Read more reviews of Therm-A-Rest gear Read more gear reviews by Ray Estrella Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Therm-a-Rest ProLite > Owner Review by Ray Estrella |