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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Therm-a-Rest ProLite > Steve Nelson > Field ReportField Report: Therm-a-Rest ProLite
3 Short Pad Reviewer's Information Name: Steve Nelson Backpacking Background: As an interface design and usability consultant by trade, I'm always excited by analyzing and improving designs and processes; backpacking provides a fertile and fun arena for that. I have been backpacking since I was a kid growing up in upstate New York: we backpacked and canoe-camped in all seasons, throughout the Adirondacks and nearby areas, ranging as far as La Verendrye Wildlife Reserve, Quebec. As an adult, I've backpacked and hiked extensively in California, but also have taken trips throughout the West, from New Mexico to British Columbia, and return often to the Adirondacks. Backpacking Style: In the last year I began educating myself about lightweight and ultralight backpacking, and have been applying more and more of this philosophy to my outdoor jaunts and gear upgrades. I like moving fast, and lightening the load facilitates that. I also enjoy urban strolls, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and aviation in addition to hiking and backpacking, so my gear gets exposed to a wide variety of uses and conditions. Product information Manufacturer: Therm-a-Rest Product Overview The Therm-a-Rest ProLite 3 Short Pad is a compact, lightweight sleeping sleeping pad marketed for 3-season use by fast and light adventurers.You'll find more basic details in my initial report, which I won't repeat here. As noted in that report, the manufacturer claims online that the ProLite series pads "weigh less and pack smaller than any mattresses ever before, facilitating the kind of high-speed, low-weight experience that extreme alpinists, adventure racers, and long-distance backpackers have always craved." Of the ProLite 3 series specifically, they say it's "the lightest, most compact mattress ever." My field testing has largely confirmed this—and that it's a comfortable mattress, to boot! Field Conditions I've used the ProLite 3 Short Pad extensively in the two months since my initial report. Trips have included snow camping, backpacking and car camping, in shelters including a tarptent, hammock, bivy sack, cabin and the inside of a vehicle. Locations have included Henry Coe State Park, Yosemite and the Lake Tahoe areas, with altitudes ranging from 2,000-7,500 ft (600-2,300 m) and temperatures from the 20s-70s F (-5-20 C). Ground conditions have included soft fresh snow, consolidated snow, forest duff, a grassy field, a cabin floor and a carpeted vehicle interior. Field Observations Sleeping First, I find this pad very comfortable, perhaps surprisingly so given its thickness and construction. It provides good comfort and cushioning, and it's possible to adjust this cushioning somewhat by manually inflating or deflating the pad. The pad has been comfortable on a wide range of surfaces, from hard wood to the cradled comfort of a hammock. I also really like the length of ProLite 3 Short pad. Since I always carry a small foam "sit pad" with me, I don't need a full-length sleeping pad. The ProLite, combined with the sit pad or my empty pack at my feet and a wadded coat or stuff sack under my head, provides full-body insulation and cushioning. I get to save weight, and the ProLite pad cushions my torso, hips and knees. I find this a very effective and efficient setup. One note on my particular pad: it doesn't self-inflate well, and it doesn't seem to be able to be inflated to be nearly as firm as my older Therm-a-Rest could be. Other testers have not noted this issue, so between this observation and the crease noted below, I wonder if perhaps I received a pad with less-than-optimal foam. This is not a huge issue—I simply blow into the valve to inflate the pad, and the pad is acceptably comfortable without being inflated as much as previous pads I've used. My other observation about the pad for sleeping usage is that the grip dots on the pad's bottom are actually more slippery on certain surfaces than the material used on previous models. Silnylon in particular seems to promote slippage, and I've awakened to find the pad scooted out from under me on several occasions while using it inside my tarptent or bivy sack, both of which have silnylon floors. The dots do grip well to closed cell foam and rough wood. The top fabric works fine—it has a nice feel to it, doesn't become too clammy, and seems to be a good surface for holding onto sleeping bags and quilts without being excessively grippy. It does absorb water, but that's not caused any serious problems in the field. Insulation I've had the chance to use the pad on snow (with a silnylon floor) and in a hammock, both conditions that are well-known for sapping heat from campers' bodies. In both settings, I found the ProLite 3 to be more effective than I'd imagined based on its construction and the large holes cut into its internal foam. In the hammock, with temperatures just dipping below freezing, I was adequately comfortable with the pad alone. Still, when camped directly on snow, I did start to notice heat draining away after five to ten minutes. I figured this would be the case, and remedied it by using a closed cell foam pad between the ProLite 3 and the shelter floor. The manufacturer advertises this pad for three-season use, so this is not a shortcoming at all—in fact, I feel that the ProLite plus a closed cell-foam pad is a very effective four-season combination. So far I have never felt cold using it, and the insulation could be extended with additional layers of closed-cell foam if needed. Packing and Use as a Pack Frame The pad is fairly easy to pack. I purchased the company's stuff sack specifically made for this pad, and using it requires that the pad be folded in half lengthwise, then rolled. The pad's slippery enough that it takes a bit of care to get it to stay properly folded while rolling, but I've never had a problem getting it into the stuff sack. I have carried it that way on several of my trips, and find it a compact and effective way to pack the pad. Interestingly, the pad has developed a permanent crease down its center, exactly where I fold it for carrying in this sack, even though the pad has only been stowed that way perhaps half a dozen times, and only for partial days while hiking. I store it flat and with the valve open at home, as per the instructions, so I'm surprised that the foam has developed a permanent crease so quickly. On other trips I've used the pad as a "frame" and cushion for frameless packs (a GoLite Speed and a custom-made pack). I either fold it and slip it inside the pack against my back and/or hydration bladder, or form a "C" channel with the flat part of the C against my back and the two wings pointing toward the front (non-suspension) side of the pack. My field testing has confirmed my initial findings: the ProLite 3 pad worked best for this purpose when folded rather than rolled. In fact, I'd go so far to say that it's better at providing cushioning than support, and collapses rather easily if any weight is placed on its thin edges when it's rolled, slightly less easily if it's folded. I've found most other pads more effective at providing this support, and the ProLite 3 pad more effective at providing comfortable back cushioning. Durability So far so good, other than the creasing of the foam. The fabric remains unaffected by use as far as I can see, and the pad and valve do not appear to leak, including when the pad is bearing weight. I'll keep an eye on the creasing issue as I move into long-term testing. Long-Term Testing Plan I will continue to take the ProLite 3 pad on all of my backpacking trips in the coming months. These trips will be primarily in California's coastal and Sierra Nevada ranges, as well as in the Adirondacks and a few other east coast locations, at altitudes altitudes from sea level to 12,000 ft (3,660 m). Upcoming trip types include one last snow camping trip near Lassen, followed by numerous spring and summer overnights in a tarptent and hammock, including a trip on the High Sierra Trail, in a variety of shelters. Weather conditions will continue to run the gamut, with below-freezing to sweltering temperatures possible throughout this test, and ground conditions from snow to rock to soil. I intend to expand the ground and weather conditions under which I've experienced the pad, as well as further experiment with its suitability as a sit pad. I also may paint silicone sealer stripes on some of my silnylon shelters to see if that helps reduce the pad's propensity for slippage. Summary The ProLite 3 Short Pad is an exciting combination of high-tech materials, great design, light weight and comfort. I've really enjoyed using it, and look forward to many more comfortable nights in the field. My only concerns are with the slipperiness of the pad's underside, and the creasing in the foam and insufficient self-inflation—minor issues I'll keep an eye on during my long-term testing. Thanks to BackpackGearTest and Therm-a-Rest for giving me the opportunity to participate in this test. Read more reviews of Therm-A-Rest gear Read more gear reviews by S. Nelson Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Therm-a-Rest ProLite > Steve Nelson > Field Report | |||