Initial Report

Bozeman Mountain Works TorsoLite Sleeping Pad Initial Report

Personal Information:
Name: Christine Korhonen
Age: 30
Gender: female
Height: 5'4" (1.6 m)
Weight: 165 lb (75 kg)
E-mail: chris@wormguy.com
Location: Western Montana
Original Posting: August 14, 2004
Edited: October 27, 2004

Backpacking Background:
I'm in Montana where I'm enjoying the summers and becoming re-acquainted with winter. Now that I'm back above the snow line, I'm attempting some winter camping and snowshoeing. I'm a lightweight backpacker mentally, if not always in practice. My summer pack weight is around 19 lb (9 kg), but winter backpacking is still new to me, and my winter pack weight hovers around 25 lb (11 kg).

Product Information:
Designer: Bozeman Mountain Works (BMW)
Manufacturer: Insul-Mat
Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL: www.bozemanmountainworks.com
Item: TorsoLite
MSRP: US $69.99
Color: Crimson/Steel or Red/Larix (two different names for the same colors: Red/Grey)
R-value: 3.0-4.0

Listed Dimensions:
Weight: 9.9 oz (281 g)
Size: 17" x 32" x 1" (43 cm x 81 cm x 2.5 cm)
Packed size: 8" x 4" (20 cm x 10 cm)

Measured Dimensions:
Weight pad: 10.4 oz (295 g)
Weight stuff sack: 0.6 oz (17 g)
Size: 17" x 32" x 1" (43 cm x 81 cm x 2.5 cm) with an additional ½" (1 cm) welded seam around all edges
Packed size: 9" x 4" (23 cm x 10 cm)

TorsoLite Description:
The TorsoLite is a sleeping pad that supports only the torso. It is designed to cushion just the shoulders and hips and take up less space inside a backpack. It is a tapered pad, 17" (43 cm) wide at the end supporting the shoulders and 12" (30 cm) at the end supporting the hips. This pad is meant to be used with one's pack and extra clothes providing cushioning for the head and legs.

First Impressions:
This pad is tiny! The TorsoLite arrived deflated and rolled in a stuff sack. Rolled up, the pad only a little bigger than a 1 L (34 oz) Nalgene bottle. The TorsoLite came with a patch kit, Velcro storage strap, descriptive hang tag, and instruction sheet. The pad is small and easy to inflate, deflate, and to roll up. I unrolled the pad, opened the valve, and let the pad sit for a half-hour as recommended by the instructions. The pad inflated quite well on its own, but I added a couple of puffs for good measure, and then deflated the pad. I only had to roll it up once to get most of the air out. With other inflatable pads, I usually roll up the pad, tighten the valve, unroll the pad, then roll it up again before I feel that the pad is compact enough to pack.

Expectations from Website:
The picture of the TorsoLite on the BMW website shows the pad by itself and doesn't give any points of reference indicating how big the pad is. There's a link on the website to a Flash Demo, but this also shows just the pad, zooming in on its features. Although the pad's dimensions are prominently listed on the website, I didn't really believe the pad would be so small until I saw it with my own eyes. In spite of my skepticism, the pad looks just like its picture on the website. The pad I received also has a TorsoLite logo screen printed on it, while the pad on the website does not.

First Use:
I loaded the TorsoLite in my frameless pack and took it on a trip. The pad is short enough that it forms a U-shape in the pack instead of a cylinder. I made sure some padding was near my back and loaded the pack. On the first leg of the trip I had the TorsoLite partially inflated in my backpack, while on the way back it was deflated. I didn't notice any difference in available space in the pack or comfort against my back either way. Both inflated and deflated, the TorsoLite provided adequate support for the frameless pack.

As a sleeping pad, the TorsoLite worked pretty well. I've been using a 1½" (4 cm) thick, full-length pad lately, and I'm spoiled. I could feel the ground more through the 1" (2.5 cm) thickness of the TorsoLite, but I didn't miss the length at all. The TorsoLite adequately supported my shoulders and my hips, the two areas that get numb when not treated properly. I slept on my side and didn't put any extra padding under my legs. I didn't need it. I was worried at first about the extreme taper of the TorsoLite. It looks like it was designed for a skinny guy with broad shoulders and no hips. I wasn't sure how my more pair-shaped figure would fit on this pad, and I thought I'd have to turn it so the wide part was at my hips. When I tried out the pad, I found this wasn't necessary. Since I slept on my side, there was more than enough room for my hips in the 12" (30 cm) provided. I was very presently surprised and slept well.

Test Plan:
I will test the TorsoLite along the trails of Montana and Wyoming, at elevations from 4500' to 8000' (1400 m to 2400 m). I will see if the pad continues to be comfortable and allows me to sleep on varied terrain. I will find out if the pad provides adequate insulation as the weather turns colder, and see at what temperature I need to supplement this pad with a full-length pad underneath. I will test to see how well the fabric of the pad prevents slipping, and I will continue to experiment with the pad as support for my frameless backpack.

Read more reviews of Bozeman Mountain Works gear
Read more gear reviews by Christine Korhonen

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Bozeman Mountain Works TorsoLite > Christine Korhonen > Initial Report

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