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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Bozeman Mountain Works TorsoLite > Colleen Porter > Long Term Report
Field Conditions: The TorsoLite has been used in the Sierra Nevada, Mojave desert and Colorado desert of California. Elevations have ranged from 820 feet/250 meters to 10400 feet/3170 meters. Nighttime temperatures ranged from the mid-50's (13 C) to somewhere in the vicinity of freezing. It has been used in tents, under tarps, and under the stars. It spent one fitful night trying to help me sleep on the ground in a parking lot. Aside from that, the TorsoLite has been abused around the house by my almost 3-year-old son, who has declared it "my sleeping pad," and who has jumped on it and abused it in terrible ways. It has even suffered the indignity of being peed on (by my son, not me!). Long-Term Performance: "Great" just about sums it up, with a few small and extremely specific caveats. For temperatures in the high 30's and above, the insulation is sufficient that I never felt cold. But once temperatures dipped close to freezing, the TorsoLite just wasn't sufficient to keep me from losing heat into the cold ground. This is very consistent with my experience with 1" thick pads and is not necessarily due to the TorsoLite's smaller size. The tapered size never really proved to be a problem; I was always able to situate myself comfortably on it. The problem I described in my Field Report (when I felt I was finding myself off the pad somewhat frequently) never repeated itself, so I assume it was due to my restlessness on that particular night. In my Initial Report, I asked the question, "Can the TorsoLite handle my womanly hips?" 99% of the time, the answer turned out to be yes. Until very recently, the cushioning that the TorsoLite provided was perfect, just right. I was always comfortable on the TorsoLite - until my last trip, when the inevitable results of being 4.5 months pregnant (namely, carrying more weight in my hips than usual) rendered the TorsoLite not quite as cushy a pad as I seem to need now. So you pregnant backpackers out there, take heed (all three or so of you). The TorsoLite has also proven to be quite durable. It has taken abuse from me, my not-quite-three-year-old son, and has survived six months of life in a house with two adolescent cats. It still self-inflates just as quickly as ever, and the valve shows no signs of wear or weakening. There appears to be no wear, or even minor fraying, around the seams. I had the chance to spend three nights on the TorsoLite while sleeping next to someone on a standard 20-inch-wide (51 cm) non-tapered sleeping pad, and this is one instance where using the TorsoLite got a bit tricky. I finally figured out that angling the TorsoLite so that it touched the other pad along its length was the best way to go. This did require that I curl up in contact with my co-sleeper, but that was the entire point of the arrangement and so it presented no problems. I also had the chance to use the TorsoLite for four nights in a tent with a siliconized nylon floor. Alas, it slipped just as much as my co-sleeper's pad did - it didn't seem prone to terrible slippage, but both the TorsoLite and my companion's Therm-a-rest Prolite migrated in the tent the nights we used them together. The migration wasn't really a problem; I would wake for a moment, realize I had moved, and shrug myself back to my companion and sleep. When I was on my own, it hardly mattered. I admit that I didn't give the TorsoLite a fair test in regards to using it as the frame in a frameless backpack. I tried it at home in both my GoLite Breeze and my Granite Gear Virga, but because of its tapered shape I could never get it to fold in a way that I was satisfied with. It always looked a little bit lopsided and I gave up on it after a few tries. I'm still hesitant about using frameless packs, so it was easy to say "uncle" and go back to my trusty framed packs. I never really used the accessories that came with the TorsoLite. The hook-and-loop strap that came with it was far too long to be useful, and the stuff sack seemed unnecessary when I was carrying it in my pack. I just rolled it up and stuffed it in the pack - it packs down so small there was never any need to carry it in an outside pocket. I never had any need to use the patch kit. After 6 months, the TorsoLite looks great. There is no fraying at the edges of the seams, all my drool spots cleaned off nicely, and there are no visible scuffs anywhere on the pad. I don't baby or beat my gear, but occasionally do treat it thoughtlessly. I'd consider what the TorsoLite went through with me to be "normal" use (with the exception of my son's abuses to it). Conclusions: This pad is a keeper. For any trip when I don't expect temperatures to drop close to freezing, the TorsoLite will be my first choice (well, after I have the baby). It's a great piece of gear - functional, comfortable, and minimalist. Thanks so much to both Bozeman Mountain Works and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test this delightful pad. Tester Name: Colleen Porter 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 > Long Term Report | |||
