BACKPACKGEARTEST REPORT

 

Report #1 for High Country "Mt. Washington" sleeping pad

Cory Lampert

cory_crosscountry@yahoo.com

 

 

Date: May 5, 2001

 

Product Info:            Today, I received High Country's Mt. Washington sleeping pad via UPS.  It arrived in good condition, with pad, straps, and one informational tag attached.  The pad I received is a blue, full-length, pad made of (as per High Country) Evazote foam.  It is egg-shell contoured on one side and flat on the other with some sort of fabric "to add softness".  The informational tag states that the pad has "excellent insulation properties" and claims the weight to be 7 oz.  It also states that, "the Mt. Washington is also environmentally friendly; only nitrogen is used as a blowing agent instead of the more common carbon dioxide". It is exactly as I imagined after viewing the High Country's website.  The dimensions are as follows: .625x20x60". The manufacturer can be contacted at (800) 304-4442 or www.highcop.com.

 

First impressions:            This pad feels incredibly light.  According to my calculations, this pad comes out around 9 oz. with the straps.  It seems remarkably thin and upon initial inspection, I wasn't quite sure which side was meant for the sleeping side.  The softer side is the flat side and it is my impression this is the sleeping side and the egg-shell side is the ground side.   The pad seems dense enough to offer good insulation and to my estimate, the pad looks water-resistant, if not waterproof.  The materials seem strong and durable and the straps are of your usual compression-type seen commonly on most gear.  I have doubts as to the comfort of a pad this thin.  I also question if a sleeping bag will slide off of the surface. I am eager to test the insulating qualities in some cold weather.  The pad seems easy to roll up and attach outside a pack, it is also an appropriate size to carry within most backpacks. 

 

Tester notes:                I am a devout Therma-rest user.  I have never been converted to a foam pad because I require a certain level of comfort when I sleep.  I like a decent layer of insulation, and I don't mind the extra weight if I can get to sleep easily in most situations. I also hate sliding off of my pad while sleeping and that will be a major consideration in testing this pad. I am attempting to transition to a lighter weight backpacking style and this pad will be a welcome addition if it satisfies (it is about 8 oz. lighter than my current pad- the Therma-rest Staytek Ultralite). I am planning an initial quick test this weekend in a Front Range Denver location, probably less than 9,000 foot elevation.  I'd also like to take this pad on an ascent of a fourteener, on my trip to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument (for warm weather testing), and on an extended trip where weight and durability can be tested under strenuous conditions (possibly my Colorado Trail thru-hike in September-IF I like it!)   I like the idea of it being an "environmentally friendly" pad, though I admit I was unaware of NON-environmentally friendly pads.  Perhaps I can find more information regarding this subject.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Cory Lampert

cory_crosscountry@yahoo.com

5/21/01