Owner Review:  Therm-a-Rest Ultimate Chair 20 3/4

Reviewer Biography

Name:  Danny Sedivec

Age:  22

Gender:  Male

Height:  6’ 0” (1.83 m)

Weight: 165 lbs (75 kg)

Email Address:  dsedivec@saonet.ucla.edu

City, State, Country:  San Diego, California, USA

Date: September 21, 2004

Backpacking Background:  I started backpacking about five years ago taking mainly three to seven day trips.  I hike mainly in the southwestern US with the majority of my experience in the California Sierras, as well as a few trips in Arizona and Nevada.  I am a very adventurous hiker, frequently pushing myself with long, challenging trips, both on and off trail.  Although I push myself during the day, I like to be comfortable in camp but I still try to keep my pack as light as possible.  The climate that I hike in is predominately dry, however, on summer trips in the Sierras I often encounter afternoon thunderstorms.

Product Information

Manufacturer:  Therm-a-Rest

Model:  Ultimate 20 3/4

Year of Manufacture:  2003

URL:  http://www.thermarest.com

Length: 20 in (51 cm)

Width:  47 in (119 cm)

Listed Weight:  14 oz (397 g)

Weight as Delivered:  14.4 oz (408 g)

            This product is used to convert a Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad into a comfortable camp chair.  It is designed to be compatible with any 20 in (51 cm) wide 3/4 length Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad.  It is a nylon sleeve that is 45 in (114 cm) long by 20 in (51 cm) wide.  One side is made of a more durable black nylon that is intended to be in contact with the ground, and is therefore tougher to withstand the wear and tear of outdoor use.  On this side of the product there are four webbing sleeves, two on each side, that are designed to hold the four metal stays.  These stays are provided, and are what gives the product rigidity when using it as a camp chair.  There are also four pieces of webbing sewn into this side of the product.  The two towards the bottom have a male buckle attached, while the two towards the top have a female buckle attached.  These are clipped together to create a 90-degree angle in the pad, to turn it into a chair.  On the top of this same black side there is a sleeve that runs across the width of the product where four stays can be put when the pad is rolled up.  There are also two sewn loops of elastic webbing at the top of this sleeve, so that when the pad is rolled up, they can be stretched around the pad, to keep it in its rolled position.

            The other side of the pad is a purple nylon, that has a slit in it about 2/3 of the way down the length of the product.  This slit is what allows a Therm-a-Rest pad to be entered into the sleeve, effectively giving the chair its padding.  There is also a small hole at one corner of the chair that allows the valve of the pad to stick out so that the pad can be inflated and deflated while it is in the chair.

            Okay, so how does this thing work?  It’s actually quite ingenious.  Take the 3/4 Therm-a-Rest pad, and slide it into the chair sleeve.  Once in, the pad never needs to be taken out of the sleeve again.  This is for two reasons.  One is that the pad is fully functional as a normal sleeping pad with the chair on it.  The chair also provides protection for the pad itself, which is very nice, and will help the pad last a lot longer than it would without the extra protective layer.  Two is the fact that the chair has the two elastic loops that secure the pad when it is rolled up.  This not only eliminates the need for a Therm-a-Rest stuff sack, but also eliminates the time wasted trying to get all the air out of the pad and actually make it small enough to stuff into the stuff sack.        

            Once the pad is in, and fully inflated, simply slide the four stays into their webbing housings, and then click the two buckles together on each side, and voila, the Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad is now an incredibly comfortable camp chair.  For sleeping, just unclick the two buckles and lay the pad flat for a good nights rest.  There is no need to remove the stays for sleeping, as they are not felt when laying down on the pad.  When ready to roll it back up, remove the stays from their housing and slide them into the horizontal slit at the top of the pad.  Then just deflate and roll, and the pad is ready to go.

            I’ve used this chair in various settings, from freezing cold mountain nights around my camp stove, to reading a book in comfort after a long days hike.  I’ve used the chair on every trip I’ve taken my Therm-a-Rest pad on in the past year, and it’s nice because there’s never any reason not to bring it because it has simply become a part of my sleeping pad.  I have come to appreciate it and the fact that I know I will always have a comfortable place to relax when finishing a long day of backpacking.  Over the course of the year that I have had the chair, I have found it to be very durable, and the nylon has not succumbed to heavy use on the rough granite of the Eastern Sierras.  The chair is extremely comfortable, and can be adjusted between a fully upright position for doing things liking cooking, and a very reclined position for doing things like reading a book.

            The number one drawback of this chair is that if one gets up from the chair around camp for even a minute there is sure to be a sore, tired, fellow camper that just wants to: “try it for just one minute, honest”.  This requires the owner to either play the nice guy, and let all his friends use his chair, so that by the end of the night he hasn’t sat in it for more than five minutes.  Or prepare himself for a night spent warding off attempts to steal his jewel of comfort, and dealing with growing resentment from campers whose sore behinds are slowly becoming more and more bothersome as the night wears on.  

            The only other things I’ve found bothersome are the fact that it is difficult on cold nights to get the stays into their housings, which is a tight fit, and can be tough on cold and sore fingers.  I think it would also be nice if there were a Velcro closure on the slit where the stays are stored when the pad is rolled up.  I’ve never lost one of the stays, but have had a couple start to work their way loose, and if I hadn’t seen them, might have lost one.

            All in all, I think the Ultimate chair by Therm-a-Rest is one of the best things I carry with me on my backpacking trips.  It only adds a little under a pound (0.45 kg) to my pack, and the weight gains are more than offset by the comfort that is provided by this great chair.  The fact that it also protects my pad from wear and tear is another reason why I think this chair kit is so great, and something that everyone should invest in to increase their backpacking pleasure.