Reviewer: Rick Dreher (bio at end of report)

Manufacturer: Cascade Designs

www.cascadedesigns.com

Product description: Self-inflating, foam-filled camping mattress

Version: 1997 (approx.) model

Current retail price (US): $65

Manufacturer’s weight (model tested): 1 lb, 9 oz (710 g)

Measured weight 1 lb, 9 oz (709 g)

Manufacturer’s dimensions (model tested, inflated): 20x47x1.5 in (51x119x3.8 cm)

Measured dimensions (outside seams excluded): 20x46x1.5 in (51x115x3.8 cm)

Rolled dimensions (approx.): 21x4.5in (53x11 cm)

Materials: Coated polyester, top; coated nylon, bottom; open-cell foam fill

Version note: As of this report date (10/02), the Standard model specifications have been modified. The present model (listed by Cascade Designs as “now thicker”) is 1.75 inches (4 cm) thick, weighs 1 lb, 12 oz (770 g) and has a claimed R-value of 5.8. Extrapolating from this information, based on thickness the older model in this test should have an R-value of about 5, presuming the foam used has remained the same.

Introduction: The Therm-a-Rest Standard self-inflating pad (part of their “Classic” series) is the most direct descendant of their original pad. It’s neither the lightest, most compact, nor the heaviest, most luxurious Therm-a-Rest (T-rest) model—it fits in between those extremes. The ¾ length pad is intended to cushion and insulate your torso; most users will want to use some kind of pillow and perhaps some extra clothing underneath their lower legs and feet while sleeping. Being six feet tall, I do both and find the ¾ fits my needs while keeping pad weight and bulk down. The polyester Staytek top fabric has a rough surface, which is intended to keep your sleeping bag from sliding off. Compared to the original T-rest pads, the newer fabric is indeed less slippery.

How to use: All T-rest self-inflating pads work in the same way. To inflate, you simply loosen the air valve of the rolled up pad and let the foam expand, drawing air inside as it does. In a few minutes the pad will be *mostly* inflated. You will likely as not want to add additional air by blowing in the valve—the more air the firmer and thicker the pad becomes. Too much air and it can be uncomfortably hard, too little and you’ll hit the ground while laying on it. The best strategy seems to be to inflate it as fully as you can, and gradually let air out while you’re laying on it until it feels just right. To stow away, open the valve and roll the pad up starting from the opposite end. When I’ve rolled it up completely. I lean forward, trapping the pad in my abdomen and forcing out the last bit of air, and then I close the valve. If carrying the pad outside my pack, I stow it inside a very lightweight nylon sack to protect it against scrapes and punctures.

A note on altitude: If you put your T-rest in its stuffsack at sea level and take it to 10k feet, remember to open the valve before trying to get it out of the sack. It will have expanded quite a bit!

A note on moisture accumulation: Inflating the pad by mouth will add a certain amount of moisture inside. In theory, this could reduce the pad’s effectiveness in the cold. I try to keep moisture to a minimum by allowing the pad to self-inflate as much as possible before I “top it off.”

How well it works: I’ve tried a host of sleeping pad and mattress combinations, including a plain air mattress, air mattress plus foam pad, plain foam pads (ensolite and EVA foam), bubble pads, self-inflating pads and no pad at all. The most comfortable option is an air mattress plus foam pad, which not coincidentally is the heaviest and bulkiest. I discarded this method twenty-five years ago in favor of a plain foam pad, which while as warm as the mattress+pad combination is far less comfortable in all but the most favorable conditions (sand or duff). After gazing at the original T-rest pads on the store shelves for a couple of years, I sprang for one (orange, metal valve). What an improvement! With a couple of notable exceptions, it’s what I’ve carried ever since. Because I tend to be a side sleeper, the T-rest’s extra thickness over a foam pad is magnified compared to what a back sleeper will feel.

I’ve rarely been cold sleeping atop a standard T-rest, although they’re not necessarily the best option for snow camping. Also, I’ve never had much luck using one in a Hennessy Hammock, and cannot recommend using anything other than a fairly thick foam pad in one. The T-rest would *not* stay underneath me in the hammock no matter what I tried. Actually, a foam pad works better at half the weight, so there’s really no need for a self-inflator. In comparing the standard T-rest to the UltraLite, it’s noticeably more comfortable and warmer. Cascade Designs gives the present version of the UltraLite a 2.6 R-value at 1-inch (25mm) thickness. The UltraLite has the advantage of less weight and much smaller packing size than the Standard, but to me is far less comfortable. In between the two is the GuideLite, which I’d be interested to try some day to see whether the comfort is close to the Standard, considering its reduced weight and bulk.

With the Staytek non-slip top fabric, I find that my bag doesn’t slide off the pad on less-than-level ground like it would off my original pad. However, this pad’s bottom fabric, a slicker nylon, will slide on certain ground cloths (e.g., poly sheeting), and is probably the main reason the T-rest squirts around inside a hammock. I suppose there are times it would be nice to have Staytek on *both* sides; but I don’t consider slippage to be more than a minor and occasional problem.

Wear and tear: My original pad developed air “seeps” after perhaps fifteen years; these were numerous tiny airholes the result of abrasion of the fabric cover. I wasn’t successful in sealing them up, so mailed the pad to Cascade Designs along with a check for repair ($15 per pad, I believe was their flat repair fee at the time). Along with mine I mailed my wife’s T-rest UltraLight, which had been sliced open like a trout along its edge, probably on some tree branch. Two or three weeks later we received a box from Cascade Designs with her repaired mattress and a new one as replacement for mine. That’s how I ended up with this particular model. I applaud Cascade Designs’ customer service and commitment to keeping their products out of the landfill.

I didn’t baby my original pad, and suspect the leaks came from using it for lounging on granite slabs. I’m a little more cautious with my new one, but believe that at least the Staytek top fabric is probably tougher than the original pad’s orange nylon. The plastic valve is also a lot better than the metal one was, as it has greater airflow and is less affected by dirt.

Other uses: A T-rest makes a decent float toy. Coupled with a chair kit it makes a great…chair. You can slide one on snow. I suppose you could press one into service as a splint.

Conclusions and Recommendation: I decided long ago that sleep deprivation stinks, and I’ll usually do what I have to, to assure a comfortable night’s sleep in the backcountry. If I’m going to be sleeping on the ground, for the last twenty years that has meant using the Therm-a-Rest Standard inflatable pad. It works exactly as it is meant to, providing both comfort and warmth, without consuming huge amounts of pack space. The Standard is a good middle-of-the-pack choice among self-inflatables: it’s warm and comfortable while not being excessively heavy or bulky. Compared to the minimalist’s trimmed-down six-section Z-Rest it’s positively sybaritic; compared to a down-filled air mattress it’s something less than luxurious, especially in ¾ length. (It may not work especially well in frameless packs that rely on a pad to form their suspension, but I don’t have any experience with that variety of pack. )

Rick Dreher

10.27.02

Email: redbike64(at)ziplip(dot)com

Stats

Male

H: 6 ft (1.83 meters)

Torso length (approx): 22 inches (55 cm)

W: 175 lbs (79 kg, 12.5 Stones)

Age: 48 (288 dog years)

Location: Northern Calif.

Years backpacking experience: 35

Skill level: mid to advanced

Brief Backpacking Bio: I learned camping and hiking in Boy Scouts, tramping the Washington Cascade foothills (lugging Trapper Nelson and BSA aluminum-canvas backpacks, kapok sleeping bags and always an axe). From these beginnings I eventually learned backpacking as a singular pursuit and became at home in the Cascades and Olympics. Today, most of my hiking is in the Sierra Nevada, the trips ranging from overnight to weeklong excursions. The last two or three years I’ve been shedding pounds and ounces from my pack for several reasons: traveling easier and farther, freeing myself from as many trappings as I’m comfortable with discarding, and extending my backpacking career. My total pack weight for three-day summer excursions, including food and water, is now generally about 30 pounds (14 kg).