Reviewer Information
Name: Chad Fike
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 10” (1.77 m)
Weight: 150 lb (68 kg)
Email address: abnersdonkey@hotmail.com
City, State, Country: Oakland, Maryland, USA
Date: October 17, 2005
Backpacking Background: I have gone camping, usually very close to home, for over 15 years, but only started seriously backpacking about 3 years ago. I do mostly weekend trips and often take day hikes. My backpacking experience has been mostly in West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia, including parts of the Appalachian Trail. Each trip has been a learning experience about techniques and equipment. I try to balance weight, durability, and cost with my gear choices.

Product Information
Manufacturer- Therm-a-Rest, a brand of Cascade Designs
Year of Manufacture- Approximately 2001
Web site- www.thermarest.com
Listed weight (2005 Z-Lite model)- 15 oz (440 g)
Weight as delivered using a kitchen scale- 14 oz (397 g) including stuff sack

Product Description
The Therm-a-Rest Z-Rest is a closed cell egg carton style sleeping pad. The bumps and depressions that form the egg carton design are about the size of a fingertip. The overall thickness of the pad is .75 in (2 cm). The actual foam itself is only about 3/8 in (9.5 mm) thick. When the pad lies flat it measures 20 x 72 in (51 x 183 cm). The pad does not roll up, but instead folds flat. Fourteen connected panels fold together accordion-style to produce a packed size of 20 x 5 x 5.5 in (51 x 13 x 14 cm). The listed R-value is 2.2 The model tested is green. The Therm-a-Rest web site shows that current models are bright orange and named “Z-Lite”. Other than the name and color the other product information seems consistent between the new Z-Lite and the older Z-Rest. A nylon stuff sack was included with the tested product.

Field Information
I have owned the Z-Rest for around four years. I have used it on numerous camping trips. Most of these trips have been in forested areas of Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. I have never used the pad on snow, frozen ground, sand, or solid rock. I have rarely used the pad at temperatures below freezing. Most of the time the nighttime temperatures have been between 40-60 F (4-15 C).

The Z-Rest has proven to be very durable. My initial impression was that it looked rather flimsy. To allow the pad to fold flat, the pad has thirteen “hinges” between panels where the foam is less than 1/8 in (3 mm) thick. I worried that these areas would not hold up to abuse and might tear over time. However, after many uses I can see no real wear on the pad. I use the pad to sleep on and also as a pad to sit on around camp. The pad can be folded in half or thirds to use as a seat. When I sit around the campfire I like to use my backpack as a backrest. I usually spread out my sleeping pad over the ground and against my pack to make a little camp recliner. Other rolled pads I have used tend to try to roll back up when I do this, but since the Z-Rest folds rather than rolls it stays in position. I like the fact that I do not have to worry about punctures or tears with this pad. It is simple and maintenance free.

I have rarely used the Z-Rest in temperatures below freezing so I am unsure how it would perform in those situations. In the lower temperatures I have slept on it, I did not notice the cold through the pad. The Z-Rest is light enough that I would not mind carrying it as an extra pad for added insulation in cold weather use.

My favorite aspects of the Z-Rest are its very light weight and storage size. The pad folds into a very compact rectangle with no wasted space. My other closed cell pads that roll up always have some wasted empty space in the middle of the roll. The pad is small enough to pack inside of my larger backpack. I usually attach the pad to the outside of my smaller backpack. The weight is small enough that it does not affect the feel or balance of the pack. It is compact enough that it does not catch on obstructions. I have caught the cord of the stuff sack on branches a few times, so I am careful to push the excess cord into the sack.

The downside to this light weight is that the pad is thin. The pad does not provide as much cushioning as thicker, but heavier, pads I have used. I purchased this pad mainly because of its light weight and design so I knew I would be making this compromise. Considering the thickness of the pad I am pleased with its comfort. To compensate for the thinness of the Z-Rest I try be very careful to choose a sleeping site free of rocks and roots. I own a self inflating mattress that I use for car-camping and I sometimes slide around on it. This has never been a problem with the Z-Rest. I have considered purchasing a thicker self-inflating mattress to achieve some more comfort, but I am not yet sure I want to trade the light weight and compactness of the Z-Rest.

One negative to the pad is that condensation sometimes forms in the finger tip sized depressions of the egg carton design. I have not been able to determine exactly when this will happen. My last trip was around 40 F (4 C) with a heavy dew and nearly everything in and out of the tent showed condensation the next morning, but the pad did not. Other times I have been rather surprised to find condensation when I did not expect it would form. I suspect it has more to do with the temperature of the ground rather than the air. This moisture is an annoyance more than a real problem. It seems to collect in the depressions only and not soak into my sleeping bag. I usually just shake the pad to remove most of the condensation at camp and leave the pad out to dry at home before storing it. I am concerned that the pad may soak up some moisture if it were used in these conditions and put away damp several times on a multi-day hike. Since I usually only do weekend trips this has not been an issue, but on a longer trek I would try to remove as much moisture as possible before packing the pad. I would not want to arrive at the next day’s camp with a damp sleeping pad or put a damp pad inside my pack if I happened to be carrying the pad internally.

Summary
I have been very pleased with this pad. I have had it for several years and it has been durable and reliable. It is lightweight and very compact when folded. A certain amount of comfort is compromised due to the thinness of the pad.

Likes
-Compact
-Lightweight
-Durable

Dislikes
-Not as comfortable as thicker pads
-Condensation sometimes forms in the pad’s depressions