Initial Report

Initial Report

August 12, 2004

Bozeman Mountain Works TorsoLite sleeping pad

Manufacturer: Insul-Mat, for Bozeman Mountain Works

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

Year of Manufacture: 2004

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. On top of the pad, at the wider end, the words "

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

Arrival/First Impressions: The TorsoLite shipped quickly (two days, via USPS Priority Mail) and arrived in a small brown box which was noticeably light (I love those kinds of packages!). I opened the box and found the pad rolled up tightly in a red stuff sack, inside a plastic sleeve. The stuff sack had a hangtag attached to it that gave basic information about the TorsoLite and about Insul-Mat/Pacific Outdoor Equiment. I pulled the sleeve off and opened the sack, where I found that the pad had been folded in half and rolled up. It rolls into an amazingly small cylinder, about 4 in/10 cm in diameter and about 9 in/23 cm long, and when rolled tightly fits easily into its stuff sack. There was a small tag rolled up in the Torsolite, similar to the sort of tag one might find attached to a new mattress, providing material details and the manufacturing date. Also inside the stuff sack was a patch kit (with two generously sized fabric swatches and a tube of glue), and a hook-and-loop strap that I assume was designed to wrap around the pad and keep it rolled up when I don't wish to use the stuff sack. The stuff sack has a rounded bottom, upon which, in silver, is printed the Insul-Mat logo (Insul-Mat manufactures the Torsolite exclusively for Bozeman Mountain Works) and the words "TorsoLite/Pack light. Sleep right./a Bozeman Mountain Works Design." The design and words are also printed in silver on the TorsoLite itself, on the top of the pad and at the wider end. The pad had a small sticker attached to it which read:

NOTE

This mat has been stored in a

compress state. Initial inflation

may require up to 30 minutes. For

best result, inflate and deflate

several times before actual use.

Before it arrived I knew how small the Torsolite would be (I had actually made a cutout with butcher paper in order to see the dimensions), but even so I was still surprised at the spareness of its design. Enough room for torso and hips, and that's it! I immediately laid it down on the floor and tried it out. Once I opened the valve, the TorsoLite began filling itself with air rapidly, and I only had to breathe a little into it to reach the firmness I desired. Based on my experience with sleeping pads, I believe that this is a result of the pad being manufactured recently and thus not having been stored compressed for very long (the manufacturing tag indicated that it was made in May of 2004). Curled in the fetal position, it was exactly long enough for my head down to my hips, with not even half an inch to spare. I rolled over onto my belly and found that the TorsoLite was long enough to reach the middle of my forehead and still keep the points of my hipbones padded as well. I don't sleep on my back, but in that position it's still barely long enough to keep my head and my buttocks from touching the ground.

On my tile floor, the pad felt acceptably comfortable. Lying on my side, my hipbones and shoulders didn't seem to poke through at all. The fabric of the pad doesn't seem too slippery, but alas that's the sort of thing that only really shows itself in the field. On holding the TorsoLite up to a light source, I could easily see where the foam was cut - the light was able to penetrate through the fabric of the pad.

As for the hook-and-loop strap that came with the pad, all I can say is that it is useless for the TorsoLite. This pad rolls up so small that the strap overlaps too far and exceeds its ability to grab onto itself. This strap would only be of use with sleeping pads that roll into thicker bundles than the TorsoLite.

Summary: So far, so good (except for the useless strap). I have high hopes for the TorsoLite and can't wait to try it out. Luckily for me, I'm leaving tomorrow for a six-day, 110 mile/177 km backpacking trip, which the TorsoLite will accompany me on. You'll be able to read all about it in my Field Report two months from now.

Field Information: I will be using the TorsoLite throughout southern & central California, northern Arizona, and possibly southern Utah. Terrain will likely include desert, chaparral, conifer forests, oak scrub woodlands, subalpine, alpine, and above treeline. Most of the daytime weather I will be encountering will be hot (over 90 degrees F/32.22 C, sometimes well over 100 degrees F/almost 38 C), but in the high mountains there is a very real possibility of sub-freezing temperatures at night, as well as hail and possibly even a dusting of snow in the afternoon storms. Given California’s last few years of terrible drought, I may even find myself outrunning a wildfire. The Torsolite will be used (or at least carried) at elevations ranging from sea level to 14,500 feet/4,420 meters.Testing Strategy/Considerations: I’ve always felt that the ¾-length Therm-A-Rests were too long for what I needed – hip and shoulder cushioning. I thought a ½-length pad (about 35-36 in/89-91 cm) would be a cool option. Now here comes the Torsolite, even shorter and TAPERED to boot! Bozeman Mountain Works (BMW) describes the pad as being for "lightweight backpackers who do not want to give up the comfort of an inflatable sleeping pad, and carry enough other insulation (e.g., foam backpads in your backpack for your legs and extra clothing for your head) to complement the TorsoLite.” I think I fit this description (although I do use a z-rest when I have to go as light as I can), but it brings up a wee little contradiction for me. If I’m using a backpack with foam back padding, and I have enough extra clothes to layer under my legs at night, am I really an ultralighter?

BMW has a really excellent product information page on their website, full of confident claims. I’m interested in their claim that the TorsoLite “creates more friction on slippery bivy sack and tent floors” than “the fabrics on [their] competitor’s ‘ulralight pads’.” Having recently spent the night in a silnylon-floored tent while using my new Therm-A-Rest Prolite 4 Short, I’m interested in seeing how the Torsolite performs in comparison.

BMW claims that the valve on the TorsoLite is “an ultralight and very durable high performance valve that offers a high air throughput for rapid inflation and deflation.” Hmmm. The valve is an extremely important part, and isn’t the first thing I’d think about cutting back on. Can a valve be ultralight and still be tough? BMW also claims that “the TorsoLite is the fastest and easiest pad on the market to both inflate and deflate.” Sounds like an invitation to an inflating race, although I wonder if the smaller size of the Torsolite is the real reason it inflates and deflates faster – less space to fill and less air to empty out.

Now, about the insulation. BMW claims “a unique 1.5" uncut (solid) foam perimeter width retains peripheral warmth, an important feature for retaining dead air space in the pad at cold air temperatures.” In both my Insul Mat Max-Lite and my Prolite 4 Short, there is a 1 inch/2.5 cm perimeter of uncut foam. I’m not sure how much difference that extra half inch/1.25 cm makes, but that's what testing is for. BMW claims an R-value of 3.5, compared to an R-value of 2.3 for the Prolite 3 (which is the same thickness as the Torsolite). Insul Mat claims an R-value of between 3 and 4 for their Max-Lite pads, which are also the same thickness as the Torsolite. I'm unable to scientifically verify these ratings, but I'll do my best to report on the insulation that the TorsoLite provides.

I will be using the TorsoLite on every backpacking & camping trip I take in the next 6 months. I’m a side sleeper, fetal position, and an occasional belly sleeper. It will be fun to see how well I like having my head on something other than my sleeping pad. How often will I end up with a mouthful of dirty groundcloth? And 12 in/30.5 cm is pretty narrow for the hip area – can the Torsolite handle my womanly hips? This is a daringly small pad.

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 > Initial Report

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