Initial Report: P.O.E. Women’s Edition Max-Lite 1.0 Petite Sleeping Pad

E-mail: bpskids@charter.net
Name: Jodi Cornelius
Age: 41
Height: 5'4"/1.6 m
Weight: 160 lb/73 kg
Gender: Female
City: Derrick City
State: PA
Country: USA
Date: December 15, 2003
My area of the country: Northwest Pennsylvania near the Allegheny Mountains

Product Information:

Manufacturer: P.O.E. (Pacific Outdoor Equipment)
Website: http://www.pacoutdoor.com (note, make sure if you type the URL in, that you do NOT type pacoutdoors – it is a completely different website!)
Product: Women’s Edition Max-Lite 1.0 Sleeping Pad
MSRP: $54.00
Year of Manufacturer: 2003
Size: 20 x 66 x 1.0 in / 51 x 168 x 2.5 cm
R-Value: 3.0 ~ 4.0
Weight: 26 oz. / 725 g.
Color: Wasabi / Larix (also known as pea green and steel gray)

The sleeping pad arrived via the brown clad Santa at noon today.  It arrived in a plain brown box, with a piece of cardboard on the top and bottom of the box; I assume, to keep one from accidentally cutting the pad when opening the box.  It’s a nice little pad, in its own stuff sack (which is also Wasabi – pea green in color).  Inside the stuff sack is a repair kit that fits inside a little pocket on the bottom of the sack.  I thought that was quite handy.  The repair kit is inside a zip-lock type baggie with instructions on its use along with the material needed for the repairs in both colors of the pad, the adhesive for the material and a Velcro strap for ease of carrying the pad.  The instructions also tell you how to inflate and deflate the pad for the best use of the self-inflating feature.  One thing I really appreciated was the fact that it informs you, both on the pad and in the instructions that the first time it inflates, it could take as long as 30 minutes to inflate.  I didn’t know that when I purchased my Therm-a-Rest Ultra Light ¾ self-inflating pad and was concerned that I had a defective pad – at which time I blew it up and learned that about self-inflating pads. 

The pad is a “coffin” shaped self-inflating pad designed for women.  Per the website it was designed and built for women wanting the lightest, least bulky, gender specific, self-inflating pad money can buy. Die-cut Matrix foam provides outstanding insulation for minimum weight under the body, with high R-Value Basix foam under the feet and body supporting Dot foam under the hips.  The women's edition Insulmats puts a layer of warmth and comfort under your sleeping bag and protects from the cold hard ground after a day on the trail.  This pad has a solid brass valve with a black plastic cap that is weather-safe and impact-resistant which is good when being carried on the outside of a pack.  There is a DWR (durable water-repellant) finish that protects the mat from wetting out and picking up stains.  One of the positives that I like about it is it has an anti-fungal treatment to help prevent bacteria and fungi from growing inside the pad.

First Impression:  First thing I did when I got home was to open the valve and let the pad inflate.  My initial bit of curiosity was to find out if it fit me with my height being 5'4"/1.6 m.  I found I fit perfectly on it.  I’ll be curious to see how well it works in the cold.

Overall, it appears to be perfect for a woman’s figure, regardless of her shape.  I am looking forward to testing this pad.

Test plan:  I plan on using this pad in my Hennessey Hammock during some cold weather testing and am interested in how well it stays put in the hammock.  If it slides around, I will put the shower grip things (whatever they are called) on the bottom of the pad and see how well that secures it to the hammock.  I am also a side sleeper – along with being a restless sleeper – so I wish to find out how well it works for me in that respect.  I am also going to test it frequently at home while sleeping as I sleep in a hammock every night.  The hammock at home is of the Malaysian style and am not sure if it will work in that type of hammock, but if it does work, I’ll sleep on it at least 1 or 2 nights a week and will probably sleep on it for a month straight to “simulate” being in the field for that long.  I also am interested in seeing just how well the pad works in the cold – do my hips and feet stay warm?  Can I tell the difference between it and my Therm-a-Rest pad?

Initial likes:  I love the fact that they tell you right on the pad not to be surprised that it takes up to 30 minutes to inflate for the first time.  It also tells you that for best results inflate and deflate many times before actual use.

Initial dislikes:  None so far.

My Background: I have been backpacking for 2 years now and before I camped quite a bit. I consider myself somewhat new to backpacking and am on my way towards becoming a lightweight packer. I have mostly been a 3-season backpacker but enjoy the winter months and am working toward doing more hiking during the cold weather.