3rd Report

                     Backpack Gear Test Report

Manufacturer:   High Country Outdoor Products
Web Site:       http://www.highcop.com/
Product:        Mt. Washington Sleeping Pad
Item Number:    65600
Tester:         Gerry Gladu

Test Number     3
Date Of Test:   May 25, 26, & 27, 2001
Location:       Pemigewassett Wilderness, New Hampshire

This test took place the weekend after receiving the pad. I tested the pad's packability, campsite comfort, sleeping comfort and threw in a bout or two with a Hennessey Hammock.

Hammock Test:

Date:        May 25, 2001
Location:    Base camp, Pemigewassett Wilderness, NH
Test:        Hammock Test
Night Temps: 40 F
Altitude:    2000'
Weather:     Partly cloudy & drizzle

This portion of the field test took place at the trailhead base camp so I decided to try it in a Hennessey Hammock since I wasn't planning to pack the hammock into the wilderness area.

Like all other sleeping pads I've tried in the hammock, this one lacked the friction necessary to keep it in place and it had the "burrito effect" where it would eventually end up wrapped around my waist 90 degrees perpendicular to the hammock.

When I awoke later that evening, I decided to slide it inside a Mountain Hardwear StormLite bivy to prevent that from happening only to wake up later for a nature call to the "luge effect" where I was in a position not unlike what one would find while maneuvering around the apex of a hairpin turn in a luge sled.

Lacking the experience necessary to disembark a luge sled in the midst of a hairpin turn particularly while zipped inside a bivy sack and swaying in a cocoon, it took some time to wrestle myself free and go muttering off into the woods to attend to business.

When I returned I gave the hammock a quick scowl and decided to finish off the night sleeping on the ground where I enjoyed a booby-trap free sleep for the rest of the night.

In all fairness, the pad is not intended for use in a hammock but I decided to test it in there simply in the interest of science and, well, since I tried every other pad I have in there already. It was more than adequate as insulation while hanging in the air at 40 F.

On the ground I found that the insulation was more than sufficient. I felt that it was pretty comfortable for a foam pad, but that's all relative when compared to whatever odd entanglements my gear decided to entrap me with during the previous portion of my night's sleep. The real test would be how the pad fared on the second night.

Pack Frame Test:

Date:        May 26, 2001
Location:    Pemigewassett Wilderness, NH
Temps:       60 F
Altitude:    2000-3000'
Weather:     Sunny

As part of my home test I tried to configure the pad as a pack frame for a Kelty Vapor 45 pack (3500 C.I.) and I could not get it to conform easily or provide adequate space for 17 pounds of gear, food and water. But after sleeping on it for one night I found that it was much easier to fold into a pack frame and it allowed considerably more free space than it did right out of the box.

It performed well enough as a pack frame with a 17 pound total load and the comfort was comparable to carrying the same load with a ThermaRest 3/4 UltraLite or 3/4 Z-Rest.

On the plus side, it is half the weight of the UltraLite and 1/4 pound lighter than the 3/4 Z-rest and longer than both. The negative is that the Z-Rest is easier to work with as a frame and the UltraLite is probably still my frame of choice due to it's minimal use of space and it's variable rigidity.

As a pack frame it works well enough for the minimalist who has the extra pack room to handle it. It is probably not the best foam pad for this purpose, but with use it will compress more to allow more space in the pack. Whether or not it holds it's comfort and insulation value over time when doing this remains to be seen.

While using a sleeping pad as a pack frame is not a mainstream use for a pad, it is somewhat of a minimalist sleeping pad and ultralight backpackers, climbers and skiers might be interested in how it fared with that purpose in mind.

Camp Chair Test:

Date:        May 26, 2001
Location:    Old logging road, Mt Lafayette, Pemigewassett Wilderness, NH
Night Temps: 40 F
Altitude:    3000'
Weather:     Steady Rain

I've spent a lot of time over the years holed up under a tarp or other shelter in bad weather and I like to pack a 10oz ThermaRestr to make camp life easier when waiting out a storm. So I included this as part of my test. The pad fit into the chair quite well and was pretty comfortable but a little bit unstable. Of all my foam pads this one probably works the best over all. The ThermaRest UltraLite is still the winner here, but it is not a foam pad.

Sleeping Test:

Date:        May 26, 2001
Location:    Old logging road, Mt Lafayette, Pemigewassett Wilderness, NH
Night Temps: 40 F
Altitude:    3000'
Weather:     Steady Rain

I selected a flat campsite under a tarp in a hemlock forest with soft forest duff interspersed with 4 tree roots for my sleeping surface. I specifically selected one with roots to test the comfort of the pad. I am a side sleeper who changes sides 2-3 times a night and I slept quite well all night long and did not feel any of the roots (although I wouldn't really notice them anyways).

As far as foam sleeping pads go, I find both the 3/4 Z-Rest and 3/4 Ridge Rest to be a bit more comfortable than the Mt Washington pad even with the pad's extra comfort points for length. That said, I did sleep quite well and comfortable enough so it is really only a factor for me when I am awake and able to notice it.

Summary:

At 7 ounces, the Mt Washington pad is very light for a near full length sleeping pad. It is somewhat of a minimalist sleeping pad and slightly less comfortable while sleeping when you compare it to other foam pads such as the 3/4 Ridge Rest and 3/4 Z-Rest.

However if you can handle sleeping on a Ridge Rest or Z-Rest, you can sleep on this pad, too. I would recommend it for lightweight backpackers, climbers and skiers or for any one who wants to save weight and doesn't mind sleeping on a foam pad. In winter or for mountaineering, doubling this pad with a ThermaRest 3/4 UltraLite would make a decent lightweight combination particularly if you have a ThermaRestr chair to use while waiting out storms.

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Mt. Washington Foam Pad > Gerry Gladu > 3rd Report