Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Therm-a-Rest Guidelite > Usage and abusage of this 2 pound air mattress

Date: 1/25/2002

Name: Heather Martin

Age: 18

Height: 5’7"

Weight: 160

Location: Central Vermont

Product: Cascade Designs’ Thermarest Guidelite

Manufactured: Sometime in 2000

URL: http://www.cascadedesigns.com/

Background:

My camping equipment is usually in almost constant use from the day it is bought until the day it dies.

I usually travel around 6 months of the year, every year. My gear has seen the cold, snowy winters of Vermont, the rocky lava fields of the west, to the beaches and barrier islands of Texas and North Carolina. When I’m not traveling, I’m usually camped out in the woods working on a conservation trail crew. My gear takes a beating, and my Thermarest Guidelite is no exception.

Usage:

My Guidelite is just cushy enough to be comfortable, but not so thick that it’s too heavy. I bought the long model, which is 20x72x1.5in and weighs two pounds, according to the manufacturer. I have tried the Ultralite (The next lightest in their line) but found it much too thin to be comfortable. I figure if you’re going to buy something that thin, you should buy a closed cell foam pad instead and pocket the change. Foam is a lot cheaper! My Guidelite cost $70.

I bought my mattress in the spring of 2000, and promptly worked on 3 month-long trailwork crews back to back. While lying too close to the fire one night, an ember jumped out and lighted on my mattress, burning a little pinprick hole. A little duct tape over it lasted almost a year with no deflation problems.

This summer (2001) I drove out to Montana to work on trails out there. On the way, I started having problems with deflation. I patched the hole with Cascade Designs’ patch kit, but kept awaking each morning to a flat pad. I covered the entire mattress in soapy water and found – 4 holes! Patched them up with the kit and haven’t had a problem since.

The holes are most likely from fire and not abrasion. It’s still disappointing to have to patch holes, especially with the expense of their patch kit! It costs 5 dollars and is good for two repairs. It has a variety of different colors and size of patches, but only 2 tubes of Hot Bond, their adhesive.

$35 dollars a year (so far) is not a bad expense for 2 years of comfortable sleeping. With an inflatable pad you can pretty much sleep anywhere – just toss your mattress over those rocks and roots, and go to sleep. With a foam pad you have to be more selective, clearing away the debris underneath you at times. However, the inflatables can puncture and flatten, while the foam can not. Repairing holes with Hot Bond adhesive (Cascade Designs sells kits) requires boiling hot water to heat the glue. If you don’t have a stove and you’re out in the woods for a few days sleeping on a deflated inflatable, it can make you feel like a living zombie. Duct tape works well, then fails after a while, requiring you to patch it right.

Overall:

Overall, I’ve been pretty pleased with my mattress. I would buy it again if I were back in that backpacking shop in 2000. It’s been pretty lightweight for the comfort level, and durable when I haven’t done stupid things like sit close to the fire. J

When my mattress finally does die though, I’m thinking of buying a closed cell foam mattress instead. They’re lighter, cheaper, and don’t deflate. I’m young and tough now, but when I get older and creakier I’ll definitely be going back to inflatables.

Choosing a mattress is about finding the one that has the most of what you want and the least of what you don’t. You’re bound to make a compromise sometime for your back, wallet, or bones.

Heather Martin

(Royalepain@aol.com)

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Therm-a-Rest Guidelite > Usage and abusage of this 2 pound air mattress