| |
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
|
|
Long-Term
Report:
Therm-a-Rest Prolite 3 Short Sleeping Pad
|
Date: August 21, 2004
 Summary
I used the Prolite 3 Short pad on 14 backpacking trips and found it to
be an excellent product. It has some distinct innovations and
improvements over its predecessor Therm-a-Rest Ultralight ¾. The most
obvious is weight, at 13 oz (370 g), the Prolite 3 short weighs 5 oz
(142 g) less than the Ultralight. It weighs just 2 oz (57 g) more than
the Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite closed cell foam pad, and provides a lot more
comfort. Thanks to new materials, the Prolite has good slide resistance,
is sufficiently durable for extended backcountry use, and rolls to a
compact size for packing. Its insulation value is sufficient to avoid
getting a cold underside when sleeping on cold ground or using a
top-bag. Since the Prolite 3 is a minimalist inflatable pad, it is not
as comfortable as a standard Therm-a-Rest, or even the previous
Ultralight, but it does provide enough padding to get a good night’s
sleep in the backcountry. From an ultralight backpacker’s viewpoint,
it would be nice if Therm-a-Rest came out with an even shorter version
of the Prolite to pad only the torso area, which would trim a little
more weight.
Manufacturer
Information
Name: Therm-a-Rest
Website: http://thermarest.com
Product
Information
Product Tested: Therm-a-Rest Prolite 3 Short Self-Inflating
Sleeping Pad (Fast & Light Series)
Year of Manufacture: 2004
Fabric Description: The top fabric is 100% polyester rip-stop
with a 100% polyurethane coating. The bottom is 100% nylon Super-Grip
fabric with a fine (1/16 in/1.5 mm) grid pattern of polyurethane
microdots.
Filling: Die-cut 100% polyurethane foam, which gives the pad a
distinctive diamond texture.
Color: Orange top/charcoal bottom
Size: ¾-length; 20 in (51 cm) wide x 47 in (119 cm) long x 1 in
(2.5 cm) thick
Rolled Size: 3.5 in (9 cm) x 11 in (28 cm)
Weight Listed: 13 oz (370 g). Filling weight is 5 oz (142 g);
fabric and valve weight is 8 oz (227 g).
Weight as Delivered: 13 oz (370 g)
R-Value: 2.3
MSRP: $70 US
Product
Description
For 2004, Therm-a-Rest has reorganized and redesigned their line of
outdoor sleeping pads. The Fast & Light Series (6 different pads) is
the lightest and most compact. Of these, the Prolite Pads represent the
biggest innovation. To make the pads lighter, the polyurethane foam core
has been die cut into a matrix of four-cornered stars. The lighter core
and lighter/tougher top and bottom fabrics make the Prolite 3 Pads 28%
lighter than their predecessor UltraLite Pads. The
Prolite 3 Short (¾ length) at 13 oz (370 g) is the lightest of the
Prolite Pads and is 5 oz (142 g) lighter than the UltraLite ¾ it
replaces.
Intended uses are 3-season backpacking, mountaineering, bike camping,
and boat touring—wherever minimum weight and compactness are desired
features. The Prolite’s orange top makes it easy to distinguish from
the bottom, which is charcoal-colored. The top has a slip resistant
finish so a sleeping bag will stay put. The bottom has a fine grid of
gripper dots to minimize sliding on a tent floor or groundsheet. The
Pad’s top/bottom edges and corners are rounded. A plastic valve is
used on the Prolites, which is easier to use and more reliable than the
previous metal valves. Therm-a-Rest pads have a lifetime warranty from
Cascade Designs.
Test Locations and Conditions
I used the Prolite 3 Sleeping Pad on 14 backpacking trips totaling 39
days during the six-month test. All of the trips were in New Mexico,
Utah, and Colorado USA. Sleeping systems used were: under the stars on a
Tyvek groundsheet, under the stars in a bivy, in a single-wall tent (Tarptent)
with a silnylon floor, in a double wall solo tent with a PU-coated nylon
floor, and in a double wall 2-person tent with a PU-coated floor. I used
a 15-degree F (-9 C) sleeping bag at the beginning of the test (March
though June), and a 32-degree F (0 C) bag in July and August. On my last
trip I used the Prolite pad with a 32-degree F (0 C) top-bag. Ground
conditions under the pad were: sand, clay, rock, smooth vegetation, and
lumpy vegetation with rocks and roots. Nighttime temperatures ranged
from 25-50 F (14 to 10 C). Camp elevations ranged from 6000 ft to 12000
ft (1829 m to 3658 m). Extreme weather conditions encountered included
rain, hail, snow, and high winds. I used the Prolite as a back pad in a
frameless pack on seven trips, and as a back pad in a lightweight frame
pack on six trips.
FIELD TEST REPORT
Usability—The pad does not self-inflate like previous Therm-a-Rests,
but it inflates quickly by mouth—only five full breaths required. It
deflates just as easily. When deflated it is very compact and packs
easily. I like the
orange top color that makes it easy to see, especially in dim light. I
also like the fact that the top and bottom are distinctly different
colors so there is no question about which side is up. The width of the
pad is sufficient so I can turn over without moving off the pad.
Comfort—My bony body needs an inflatable sleeping pad in order
to get a good night’s sleep in the backcountry. I found the ProLite
pad to be up to the task. The adjustable comfort range is from full
inflation (hard) to the point where my hips begin to touch the ground
(soft). I found it to be most comfortable at slightly less than full
inflation. I would rate the comfort level at a 6.5 on a scale of 10. A
standard Therm-a-Rest would rate a 10 and the former Ultralight would
rate about a 7. Considering the weight factor, the ProLite is an
adequately comfortable pad with minimal weight. I don’t think they
could cut any more foam out of it without seriously sacrificing comfort.
A closed cell foam pad weights about 6-10 oz (170-283 g) depending on
size, but it is murder on my hips and would get a rating of about a 3.5.
So the ProLite 3 Short pad at 13-oz (370 g) provides a lot of extra
comfort at minimal extra weight.
Slide Resistance—The top surface holds a sleeping bag in place
quite well. The amount of resistance seems to be just right, so I can
turn over without moving the pad. The bottom surface did not easily
slide on a polyurethane coated nylon tent floor. It slid easily on plain
silnylon, but stayed in place nicely in the Tarptent with anti-slip
strips of silicone painted on the silnylon floor. The top surface of the
pad resists sliding on silnylon more than the bottom surface. The pad
also did not slide on a Tyvek groundsheet. I had no problems with
sliding downhill on the slightly sloped surfaces I slept on.
 Use
As A Pack Backpad—Folding the pad lengthwise then into thirds (six
layers) fits best in the sleeping pad pocket of my GVP Gear G4 pack.
Folding it into five layers works best in the ULA Fusion Pack I am
currently testing. In this folded configuration the pad provides
excellent back padding. When I use the pack for a day hike from camp I
leave the pad in to provide a back pad. The ProLite 3 as a backpad does
not contribute much structural rigidity to develop a “virtual frame”
in a frameless backpack for effective transfer of weight to the hips. I
found that a closed cell foam pad works much better in that regard.
Durability—The weight
of the top and bottom fabrics are a good compromise between durability
and lightweight. Folding the pad as described above puts a crease
in the pad, which disappears when the pad is inflated. I have folded the
pad several different ways and many times, and there has been no damage
at all from the repeated folding. Over 13 backpacking trips, the pad has
been used on a variety of surfaces, always with a groundsheet or tent
floor under the pad, and there has not been any damage to the pad. On
several occasions I pitched my tent on a mix of granite gravel,
protruding rocks, and lumpy vegetation and there was no damage to the
pad.
Insulation—Following afternoon hail or snow showers, I camped
on ground that was near freezing on several occasions. The Prolite 3 pad
provided sufficient insulation so that I did not get cold on the bottom
side. On six sub-freezing nights I did not have any problems with being
cold on the bottom side. I used the Prolite pad in a top bag on one 28 F
(-2 C) night and had no problems with being cold on the underside.
Water Resistance—When I received the pad I placed a spoonful of
water on the top surface and found that the fabric is easily wetted, as
is the case with previous Therm-a-Rests. The same test revealed that the
bottom surface is highly water resistant. On my backpacking trips, the
pad was exposed to condensation in a tent and rainy weather on the
trail. Under these conditions the top surface of the pad absorbed some
water, which increased my pack weight. It dried out quickly.
Suitability for Ultralight Backpacking—The pad at 13 oz (370 g)
is delightfully light. It strikes a good balance among durability,
functionality, and lightweight.
Recommendations for Improvement—The Prolite is a big step
forward to lighten inflatable sleeping pads with little loss of
performance, but I would like to see Therm-a-Rest take it a step further
and produce a pad with a little less weight and a little more comfort.
Term-a-Rest should experiment with alternative designs to tweak the
anatomical placement of padding and improve the weight/comfort balance a
little more. For example, rather than uniformly die-cut the urethane
foam, why not leave solid foam panels at the shoulders and hips, or use
thicker foam in those areas? Ultralight backpackers would love to see an
even lighter version of this pad. “Three-quarter length” (47 in/119
m) is an arbitrary length for a sleeping pad; why not a
“half-length” pad? Therm-a-Rest should consider offering a
minimalist version that is sized to pad only the torso area (shoulders
to hips). Weight could be further reduced 2-3 oz (57-85 g).
Personal
Information:
Name: Will Rietveld
Age: 61
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft (1.8 m)
Weight: 170 lb (77 kg)
E-mail: willi_wabbit@bresnan.net
City & State: Durango, CO 81301
Location for Testing: Southwestern US (Colorado, Utah, Arizona,
New Mexico).
Backpacking Background: 46 years of hiking and backpacking
in the mountains and deserts of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.
I have been a lightweight backpacker for many years, and an ultralight
backpacker for 6 years. I have been retired for 7 years and backpack
frequently. My wife and I present workshops on ultralight backpacking in
our local area and have developed a website called Southwest
Ultralight Backpacking to share information with backpackers
interested in lightening up.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Cascade Designs and the BackpackGearTest Group for
selecting me to participate in this product test.
Will Rietveld |
Read more reviews of Therm-A-Rest gear
Read more gear reviews by Will Rietveld
|
