Thermarest Self Inflating Mattress

[sweetspiritpamh]

My son really wants a Thermarest Trail LARGE self Inflating Mattress, he is really sold on it but it is very pricey. Does anyone have suggestions to find one at the most reasonable cost possible?

[Twocubdad]

Therm-a-rests are proof that God loves us and wants us to sleep well on campouts. (Apologies to Ben Franklin)

 

When you say "large" what are you talking about? The big-honkin' 3-inch thick deal? Probably overkill. I have a 1-inch Therm-a-rest and have way over 100 nights on it. It's great. Mine is full-length, but both my boys have the 3/4 length pads. We bought them when the boys first joined the troop and they were perfect for them, of course now they're short. (The 3/4 length pads are for the hard-core backpackers who are trying to cut out the extra weight and don't care if their feet hang off the end.) If I had to do it over again, I'd probably get them the full lenght pads to begin with.

 

Over the past few years many of the bigger suppliers like Campmor and REI have their own brand of self-inflating pads a good bit cheaper than the Therm-a-rests. And the Therm-a-rests have come down in price too. Still not as cheap as a closed-cell foam pad, but I'll make the case that they're worth the price and they last for ever.(This message has been edited by twocubdad)

[OwntheNight]

AMEN Twocubdad!!!

 

I bought a Thermarest Trail-Lite (Large) for myself and a Trail-Lite(Regular)for Scoutson last year and absolutely LOVE it! When scoutson and I were in Cub Scouts, we took the portable air mattress with us on campouts (due to my pension for lower back pain) The first time we took the Thermarests' out with the Troop, I expected to wake up stiff and sore. Much to my surprise..Nothing, NADA, Zippo.

No pain, and I slept great. I make sure that pad is the first thing I have ready to go before any campout. Scoutson has dragged his everywhere and it still works wonderfully.He'll even pull it out and use it in the living room on hardwood floors for sleepovers or movie night. While the up front cost is steep, think about it years down the road when your using the same one, and how much money you saved by not having to replace it every couple of years. You definately get what you pay for.

 

"You can pay me now, or pay me later"

[DancesWithSpreadsheets]

ALPS Mountaineering offers their 45% scouting discount on their self inflating pads (www.scoutdirect.com). I have an old Thermarest (not sure of the model) but I ordered an ALPS one for my son. My son decided he liked the color of my Thermarest better so we traded. The ALPS is every bit as comfortable as the Thermarest, comes with a nice carry bag and repair kit too.

 

Regards,

DWS

[Chug]

For years I resisted buying a Thermarest, I thought they were weakening to moral fibre or quite possibly Communist. I only bought one two years ago after freezing my arse off on a winter camp, and I have to say I'm a complete convert. If you think Thermarest's are a tad pricey (they are), there are plenty of cheaper alternatives on the market.

[sbemis1]

I got a 3/4 one over a year before going to Philmont to save space/weight over the 'egg-crate' style I'd been carrying and it works as well. Convinced my son to try one (full) before leaving also and he too is now among the converted. He had stopped carrying the blue foam one as he said it did nothing useful for him.

 

I got one on sale at REI and the other on sale at campmor.(This message has been edited by sbemis1)

[Brian85]

I still have my therm-a-rest from 1983. It is about 20x48x.75 and it works as well today as it did back then. I have three original items from my days as a youth: Eureka Timberline-2 tent, a JANSPORT Duffel bag, and my therm-a-rest. Everything else has been replaced(even my SVEA 123 stove, circa 1985, but it still works). The tent has over 1000 days of camping, the duff has been around the world twice(most recently two months ago), and the therm-a-rest has been on every camp-out, plus it has made every(11) deployment over my military career.

 

You get what you pay for.

 

[WestCoastScouter]

You can try Cabella's www.cabelas.com for slightly cheaper in house brand of self inflating pads.

 

You can keep your eye open for discount sale prices at www.campmor.com www.backcountry.com www.rei.com or other discount sites.

 

My advice... find what you want, then go to google shopping and find it cheap, with free shipping, and no sales tax.

 

 

[Basementdweller]

Alps pads are fine and they can be had for $30 on steepandcheap.com. They offer one deal at a time but for up to 95% off sometimes it can be worth the wait. I purchased a 4" alps for 80% off from them, the blasted thing weighs 10 pounds.

 

 

[SR540Beaver]

Buying a self inflating pad for a scout is a scout by scout kind of thing. Some boys will not care for them properly and a deflated pad does little good. Some boys take care of their gear. We are a troop that does a hugh adventure trip every year and we always recommend the Thermarest Z-Rest. It is light weight and does not inflate. You just unfold it and lay down. Our guys love them. Now us older guys with bad backs, necks, shoulders, hips, etc., we NEED our self inflating pads, the thicker the better.....and preferrably a cot.

[Knot Head]

I own a pricey thermarest and leave it at home in favor of the blue closed cell foam pad I got at Wal Mart for about $9. My 14 YO scout won't use it either. The blue pad is easy to take care of and feels better to me than the thermarest. YMMV

[eagle90]

Check out the Big Agnes blow up pads. Very durable, very comfortable, and they fold up surprisingly small, about the size of a Pringles can.

[NC Scouter]

I'll second the comment that the Thermarest Z-Rest is great for scouts.

 

I've found that it is very difficult for young scouts to do a good job rolling up a self-inflating pad so that it is nice and compact. For older scouts with bigger hands self-inflating might be fine, but my older scouts don't see the point and are happy to continue with the Z-Rests. It's just more simple.

[Buffalo Skipper]

Eagle90, can you comment more on the BA pads? I am looking at the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Mummy Pad. This is a 2.5" pad and weights only 18 oz, which is more than double the thickness and 1/4 less weight than old my Therm-a-Rest Backpacker.

 

I am moving toward a lighter backpack arrangement. I was between 40 and 45 lbs total, and I am working to get that down to a base weight of 18-20 lbs (minus food/water), while retaining a particular degree of back comfort and warmth/insulation against the cold. (Floridians can freeze to death at room temperature, you know...)

 

Any info would be good.

[Eagle732]

I have a Thermarest NEO, a bit pricey but man is it comfortable.