Weather Conditions: (During test) Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thunderstorms, wind up to 25 mph, light precipitation. Snowfields presents, overwise dry and rocky ground with some vegetation- alpine tundra.

Test Area: Backcountry unestablished campsite along Byer's Peak trail. Site chosen for extremely rocky conditions and exposure to above timberline weather. Some scattered krummholtz, and treeline on either edge of the pass. No water. Elevation: 11,123.

Performance:

This was a spontaneous trip to a randomly selected location chosen only with the criteria of rocky, high-altitude camping in mind. The approach hike was from the Byer's Peak trailhead in the Fraser Experimental Forest. The trail was steep and rocky, but short and I reached treeline after about 1.5 miles. Since I had started late, I wanted to camp quickly. There were absolutely no decent camping spots and though I found flat areas every one was chock full of rocks, roots, and pinecones. I chose a slightly sheltered area beneath the saddle and set up my Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight. The pad arrived safely fastened under the compression strap of my 1980's EMS pack. I used the pad to sit atop the rocky saddle and cook dinner and it seemed to offer signifigant comfort.

I examined the pad before chucking it into the tent to make sure there were no signs of scratches or rips from the hike up. Though, I had brushed against many trees, there were no nicks to be found. The temperature dropped from the high sixties to about 45 as I unrolled my North Face Cat's Meow and tried to make room for the long pad, my gear, and the dog. As the dog seemed to be particularly "Princess and the Pea"-like about the rocks, he soon started sneaking his way onto the foot of the pad. I had a comfortable pillow of fleece clothes and was sleeping in my long undies. I fell asleep very quickly and soon found myself waking to try and find a comfortable position. I found that the small rocks and bumpy ground were really affecting me, and I was continually tossing from one side to the other. If I remained on my back the pad was quite comfortable, but I have trouble sleeping that way all night.

Later in the evening there was a rain shower and some lightning, which probably did not help me relax back in a deep slumber. (Does this thing insulate if a bolt comes my way???) I did sleep comfortably for a few hours on my stomach, using the sleeping bag as a cushion. I must say that for a Worst Case Scenerio Test, which was the intention of this field test, I slept well. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate my night's sleep a 5. That is not bad for a worst case test. In comparing the Mt. Washington to the Ridgerest I used occasionally on the East Coast, I would rank the Mt. Washington above that pad. I think that it is more comfortable in harsh conditions. It does not beat the Therma-rest, but that is another beast altogether.

In the morning, I felt slight soreness in my lower back, in a concentrated area where I could not avoid a particular rock from hell. All in all though, I felt I had rested and was ready to summit the peak. On the hike up to the top, I appreciated the light pack I was able to carry, but felt that I must find a lower profile way to pack the pad. It kept bumping into the side of the mountain and as mentioned before, caught on a few tree branches on the way up.

My impressions at this point are that: I can definately live with this pad. I would never recommend this pad to a brand-new backpacker because there are certainly much more comfortable (and relatively light) pads out there. But, for someone like myself, who has logged plenty of nights on the trail and is unlikely to whine about hard ground- it is a very suitable piece of gear.

My long backpack is August 6-13 in Montana and I will then be able to report on the endurance of both my back and the pad over time. It seems to insulate well, and I am happy with how easily I have become accustomed to it. I never thought I could convert from an inflatable pad, but in my attempt to ever lighten the load this maybe a step in the right direction. I think if you are going to jump to this level of comfort, you have to be committed to the complete ultra-light "way". It is going to be very hard to convince car campers and weekenders to use this pad when they are going to be sore and grumpy on their one weekend in the woods. But, for long-distance backpackers and for the seasoned outdoorsperson, this is not a huge compromise. For those immersed in Light is Right, this pad will be perfecto along with carrying a cat food stove, homemade sleeping quilt, mesh bag with straps- and all the other efficient, light, yet slightly wacky-to-the-mainstream gear choices out there. And the benefit of this pad, (unlike, not carrying any rain-gear), is that no matter what, its a light choice that doesn't actually put you in danger- it just may be a little less comfortable.

Next question: What about mating two pads? My husband, if he should choose to rise to the challenge of transcending the Therma-rest, will want to be able to snuggle close on those cold nights!

Test Plan:

Cold and wet! Let's go to the extreme to test warmth and insulation.
Repeat nights, a long distance hike and the endurance factor need testing
Maybe a night in a shelter/hut to test it without a tent on a hard surface. Can it stand up mice? :)

Next on the board:

A long trip in August featuring at least one night in a shelter. Rain/snow is possible as well... Stay tuned!

Respectfully Submitted,

Cory Lampert

cory_crosscountry@yahoo.com

7/3/01

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