Owner review - ThermaRest Guidelite Long

 

I reluctantly purchased a guidelite, but only because I am tight with the purse strings.  It had been a few years since I slept on hard ground during frequent hiking trips when I was a kid.  Boy, what a difference a few years make.  Call me soft, but my first (and only) night out without a sleeping pad was the worst.  I purchased a guidelite at a local outfitter promptly upon my return.  I use the sleeping pad in combination with a Marmot Wizard sleeping bag and have never been more comfortable.  I especially like the non-slip texture of the guidelite since I don’t have a sleeve in my bag for the pad.  Another positive, since I don’t like to lash things to the exterior of my pack, is that the pad fits quite nicely into the "kangaroo" pocket of my Bora 80 (review forthcoming).

 

Aside from comfort, which was my primary objective, I have also been "saved" by my use of the guidelite in cold weather.  I was most impressed during a spring hike in the Smoky Mountains when temperatures reached single digits.  Even though I used a 15-degree bag, I was still comfortable since I was kept off the ground.  Also of note is that I had no problems with the

 

In terms of ease of use, the pad seems to re-inflate faster and more completely if I leave the pad inflated overnight before leaving.  Even by doing this, though, I generally have to manually inflate a bit since I like a firm pad.  I have never had a problem with leakage, and the pad has proven to be quite durable.

 

Bottom line, the guidelite was a great purchase for me.  If they just weren’t so expensive...