Field Report

Field Report

October 19, 2004

Bozeman Mountain Works TorsoLite sleeping pad

Manufacturer: Insul-Mat, for Bozeman Mountain Works

URL: http://www.bozemanmountainworks.com/

Year of Manufacture: 2004

MSRP: $69.99 (US)

Listed Weight: 9.9 oz/255 g

Tested Weight: 10.3 oz/292 g

Product Description: A self-inflating sleeping pad that measures 32 in/81 cm long, 1 in/2.5 cm thick, and tapers in width from 17 in/43 cm to 12 in/30.5 cm. Those dimensions are for the foam-filled section of the pad; the seams add about a half inch/1.25 cm on every side. The top of the pad is red diamond-patterned ripstop nylon, and the underside is a steel grey in the same fabric. The air valve is plastic, twists closed, and is located at the wider end of the pad. Please see my Initial Report for a more detailed description of the pad's appearance.

Tester: Colleen Porter (Tester biography can be found at the end of the report.)

Field Conditions: The TorsoLite has been used a total of 3 nights so far, but has been carried for 6 days. The trip was in the southern section of the Sierra Nevada mountains in central California. I used the TorsoLite at 7800 feet/2377 meters, 9300 feet/2835 meters, and at 10400 feet/3170 meters. I don't believe that nighttime temperatures ever dropped below freezing. I used the same sleeping bag each night - an REI SubKilo (rated to 20º F/-6º C, but I feel that it is more accurately a 30º F/0º C bag). Aside from that, the TorsoLite has been abused around the house by my 2.5-year-old son, who has pretended to nap on it numerous times.

Field Performance: Perfect so far, except for in one area: size. I'm a tosser and turner, both before and after I fall asleep, and I tend to occasionally find myself halfway off of even my wider sleeping pads. On one night in particular, I kept waking up and finding I was halfway off the TorsoLite. That was after a very exceptional day in that I had pushed myself harder than I have ever done before, which probably resulted in my sleeping much more restlessly than usual (I have a tough time turning off my brain at night, no matter how exhausted I am). Nonetheless, I was able to get what I felt was a full night of sleep each night I used the TorsoLite. Three nights is not enough to base a conclusion on, however, and in the next four months I'll be able to get an even better feel for whether the TorsoLite's trim size is really effective enough for me.

Comfort-wise, the TorsoLite is great. It offers more than adequate cushioning for me, and I never felt cold while I was able to keep myself on top of it. My hips don't poke through to the ground, and because I'm lazy I only do minimal site clearing before I set up camp. I don't recall feeling any bumps or lumps from teh ground below. The TorsoLite shows no signs of wear, aside from what are probably drool spots on the top and a few flecks of pine sap. It self-inflates fairly quickly, needing only a breath or so to get it as firm as I like, and packs down astonishingly small (only a little bit bigger than a standard 1 liter Nalgene bottle). When I showed it to my companions on my last trip, they were amazed at its tiny size. There is absolutely no complaint I can make about it except my little problem with tossing and turning myself right off of it, but hopefully that's not an issue for the calmer sleepers among us. Readers, make sure you check the other testers' reviews as well - they might be more restful sleepers.

I used the TorsoLite exclusively under a tarp and on top of my NeatSheet groundcloth, so I haven't had a chance to test how well it grips on a silnylon floor. We recently aqcuired a TarpTent Rainshadow with a silnylon floor, so I'm hoping to use that very soon.

Tester Name: Colleen Porter
Gender: female
Age: 29
Height: 5'8"/1.73 m
Weight: 140 lb./64 kg

Backpacking Experience: I have been hiking for fifteen years, backpacking for eight. I've only been serious about it in the last two and a half years. I mostly hike on established trails – bushwhacking is rarely planned. I like gear to be simple and light, and I do make some of my own equipment. On my own I pack pretty light (about thirteen lbs/6 kilograms base weight) and am always trying to get lighter, but I am often on family trips with my two-year-old son and the weight usually doubles. My 3-season backpacking haunts are the San Gabriels, the Sierra Nevada, and the Grand Canyon, and winters find me in the Mojave and Colorado deserts.

Read more reviews of Bozeman Mountain Works gear
Read more gear reviews by Colleen Porter

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Bozeman Mountain Works TorsoLite > Colleen Porter > Field Report

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