Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Therm-a-Rest Camp Rest > Therm-a-Rest Camp Rest by Ron Martino

Therm-a-Rest Camp Rest
reviewed by Ron Martino
yumitori@montana.com

After years being a 'real backpacker' and sleeping on a 3/4 length ensolite foam pad, it finally came time to retire the poor thing. After all that use, the foam had compressed to roughly the thickness of cardboard, and was about as comfortable. There was no way I'd convince my wife to move from car camping to backpacking if it meant giving up a good night's sleep.

When I started hiking, the choices were simple - air mattresses (the less said the better - kids may be reading this), open-cell (near zero insulation, extremely bulky, but moderately comfortable), closed-cell foam (adequate insulation, fairly compact, and, well, did I mention it insulated pretty good?), and finally, a new upstart - the self-inflating air mattress. Viewed with deep suspicion in some quarters, this new invention by Cascade Designs entered a field in which the opinions of the various options could approach religious fervor. The general consensus was that it would never survive extended use in the field. So, of course, Therm-a-Rest is a dominate choice today.

Their line has expanded from a couple of options to at least a dozen and a half, and runs the gamut from ones best used for car camping to extremely lightweight models that would give my old ensolite a run for its money (in more ways than one). So, with the available selection, choosing the proper pad has become much less easy. After having dealt with inadequate padding for long enough, it was time to see how a little thicker mattress would work, and the Camp Rest seemed a good way to ease Peggy into the world of lightweight pads, and a perfect opportunity to feed my gear habit!

Of course, lightweight is relative. The Camp Rest will win no prizes from the ultralight folks - at a listed weight of 4 pounds, 2 ounces (my scales read an ounce lighter than that), it is definitely heavier than most of the other mattresses in the Therm-a-Rest line, much less closed-cell foam. That's understandable, however, since it measures 77 x 25 x 2.25 inches. The 77 inch length is enough even for me to stretch out on (no more propping my feet up on my pack for insulation). At 25 inches wide, we can't fit two inside our tent without some definite overlap. But the 2+ inches of thickness - I think these pads are more comfortable than my futon at home. No morning stiffness, no attempting to curl around the rock you couldn't avoid setting the tent up on... There's no way I'm going back to ensolite. Even the overlap has been unnoticeable in the night. The surface is advertised as non-slip, and I've found that to be true. Even when sleeping under the stars on a less-than-level rock ledge, I haven't had to wiggle my way back onto the mattress in the middle of the night like some gigantic worm, unlike past experiences with other pads.

Still, there's that weight... Long-term, I don't see us continuing to use the Camp Rests for backpacking. They will continue to serve quite well as back-up beds when we have a house full, for car camping, and even the short trips to a favorite spot near the trailhead. Eventually. For now, a couple extra pounds is worth the quality of sleep gained, and the ability to start out the next day feeling rested and ready to tackle a few more miles.

Tester Information

I'm a 40 year old student in computer science, living in Missoula, Montana. My earliest backpacking and hiking trips started with the Boy Scouts; then I began regular outings 20+ years ago, with my school backpacking club. Over time I have covered sections of the Appalachian Trail & the Continental Divide Trail; and have taken numerous trips in the Northeast, Midwest, northern Rockies, desert Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest. My most common backpacking areas these days are in western Montana, including Glacier NP. Trip lengths vary from overnights to multi-week expeditions. Some of my other outdoors activities have included cross-country skiing, orienteering, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, horseback riding.

Ron Martino

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Therm-a-Rest Camp Rest > Therm-a-Rest Camp Rest by Ron Martino