Therm-a-Rest Trail Comfort – Field Report

Personal biographical information:

• Name:  Josh Cormier
• Age: 26
• Gender: Male
• Height: 5’ 11” (1.80 m)
• Weight: 175 lb (79 kg)
• Email address:  swifteagle1 at hotmail dot com
• City: Los Gatos, California
• Date: 11-Sept-06

Backpacking background:

I started backpacking with the Boy Scouts when was 11 and have been camping and backpacking ever since. I’m now geared more toward challenging trips ranging from week-long to weekend in mountainous areas covering from 7-14 miles a day. I would classify my gear as mid weight although now I am trying to move more toward lightweight. I now go backpacking at least once a year in the Sierra Nevada Mountains as well as monthly car camping trips with the Scouts.

Product Information: (information taken from Therm-a-Rest website)

- Item Description: Therm-a-Rest Trail Comfort Mattress (Long)

- Listed weight (long): 3lb 3oz (1.45 kg)

- Measured weight (long):  3lb 2oz (1.42 kg)

- Listed Rolled Dimensions (long): 26 x 5.1in (66 x 13cm)

- Measured Rolled Dimensions (long): 26 x 6in (66 x 15cm)

- Listed Dimensions (long): 77 x 25in (196 x 63cm)

- Measured Dimensions (long): 77 x 25in (196 x 63cm)

- Listed Thickness: 2 in (5cm)

- Measured Thickness: 2 in (5cm)

- R-value: 5

- Material: 150D ripstop polyester

- Manufactures web site: http://www.thermarest.com

- Year of Manufacture: 2006

- MSRP: $79.95

Field Use:

I had the opportunity to take this mattress on a backpacking trip to Emigrant Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The elevations ranged from 6000 to 9000 ft (1829 to 2743 m). The terrain was rugged granite mountains spotted with trees with some meadows and sandy spots for camping. The temperature fluctuated between 52 F (11 C) at night to 89 F (32 C) in the daytime. There was usually a nice breeze blowing and the sky was clear and cloudless the entire (4 day, 3 night) trip. The area I slept on was usually granite covered by dirt, sand or small rock chips.

The first night I set up the mattress after hiking all night, it was 2:00 in the morning. We were located on a sandy flat piece of ground on the side of a granite mountain. I placed the mattress in the tent I had just pitched and opened the valve to allow it to begin self-inflating. After I had stowed my gear and taken care of my food which took about 7 minutes, the mattress was self inflated as far as it would go. I gave it two more breaths and closed the valve. Laying on my side I slowly opened the valve and allowed my shoulder and hip to sink into the mattress, closing the valve before my hip touched the ground. This was the perfect way to set up the mattress for me, it allowed my body to sink into the mattress without touching the ground. With my mattress adjusted to what I thought was the best firmness for me I slept through the entire night. Not bad for the first night of camping.

On the third night of backpacking, my side of the tent was pitched over a small rock sticking out of the ground. Laying my mattress over the rock I was dubious that it would be comfortable. After allowing the mattress to self inflate and giving it two extra puffs of air, I adjusted it to my desired level. Lying on top I could not feel the rock at all unless I was on my side trying to find the rock with my hip. The extra thickness of the mattress allowed me to sleep comfortably over the rock rather than on it.

I never rolled off the mattress or felt like I was going to “fall off” during my entire trip. I tend to toss and turn so this was a concern for me. Packing up the mattress each morning was as easy as opening the valve, folding the mattress several times, removing the extra air and rolling up the mattress. I still have not been able to get the mattress to roll small enough to fit in the original packaging.

I also took the mattress on an overnight trip to Oregon. The elevation was 1100 ft (335 m). The terrain was a flat grassy area behind my Grandparents house. The weather was clear and cloudless with some moisture in the air overnight. The temperature fluctuated between 40 F (4 C) at night to 100 F (38 C) in the daytime.

The mattress was placed inside my tent before dark and allowed to self inflate. As the sun began to set I gave the mattress two more puffs of air and placed my sleeping bag on top of it. The ground under the tent and mattress was a grassy lawn that was soft and comfortable in and of itself. I slept comfortably on the mattress with minimal tossing and turning and no falling off. I could not feel any coldness creeping up from the ground through the mattress nor could I feel any lumps or bumps from the lawn.

After my backpacking trip I noticed some discoloration on the top of the mattress. I believe this came from oils in the fabric of my clothes or sleeping bag. Once I got home I washed the mattress outside with dish soap and a soft brush as the instructions stated and the discoloration disappeared. To wash the mattress I allowed it to self inflate then gave it a few more puffs of air and closed the valve. Then I rinsed it off with the garden hose and spread some dish soap on top. Using a soft scrub brush I worked over the entire top of the mattress and rinsed the soap off. Laying the mattress on its side I folded it into a V shape to make it stand on its edge and let it dry in the sun. I had to keep an eye on the mattress to make sure that the air inside did not expand too much in the direct sunlight causing the mattress to pop a seam. This warning is stated in the instructions that came with the mattress.

To date I have used the mattress 6 times. Besides camping I have used the mattress when sleeping on the floor in my room as well as camping out in my front yard. All the seams have held up well on the mattress, I have not had any leaks or tears. There is some fuzzing of the material around the edges of the mattress where the material was cut in the factory. The valve is easy to open and close and still seals well. I have thoroughly enjoyed testing the Therm - A- Rest Trail Comfort mattress although I spend most of my testing time asleep. :0)

In my final report I will answer the following questions:

Dependability:

Does the pad hold up well to use?

Does the pad develop leaks easily?

Does the valve develop leaks?

Efficiency:

Does the pad keep me warm at night when sleeping on cold ground?

Does the pad keep me comfortable when sleeping on uneven ground?

Does the pad keep me from touching the ground when I lay on my side?

Ease of Use:

Does the pad self inflate as it should after being rolled for a while?

Is it easy to inflate the pad by mouth?

Does the pad keep me from sliding off during the night?

Is the pad wide enough that I won’t roll off during the night?

Does the long version of the pad fit in standard 2 person backpacking tent?

Is the pad easy to pack up and stow away?

Thank you, to Therm-a-Rest and BackpackGearTest for allowing to me test this great item.

Josh Cormier