Inertia O Zone sleeping pad

[Bill Reynolds]

Anybody try one of these yet? http://www.klymit.com/index.php/products-1/sleeping-pads/inertia-o-zone.html. I have the x frame for summer use but the comfort is marginal compared to my neoair. But this one looks very interesting. For 2 more ounces they have the same model without the holes.

[Ian Schumann]

Wow, that is … a weird looking pad. Granted the whole Inertia series has been "weird looking" from the start. But somehow this one looks even more funky than what has come before it.

I'd be curious for anyone's feedback on this one, when somebody has a chance. It does seem to split the difference between the high-void X-Frame style and the more solid Static V.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

Interesting pad. I like the shape of it and 12.2oz is reasonable. Those side rails and the round holes are likely quite comfortable. The pillow is a bit of a gamble but it looks promising.

I would really like to see Klymit incorporating some sort of insulation into their pads (not counting Argon) to make them a viable 3 season option for quilt users.

[McDowell Crook]

I pre-ordered one when I heard about them, because it seemed to offer a lot of comfort for a side sleeper/toss & turner. I've used it on about 6 trips now and am very pleased with it.

One advantage it has over the X-Frame is no pump. You can inflate it easily with your mouth (or a mini pump in winter if you're worried about condensation) with just a few breaths and still get the firmness needed to sleep in shelters or hard ground. I can just about put it anywhere and sleep fine (watching for sharp rocks, of course). It is very comfortable as long as you don't happen to line up your hip on one of the holes in the pad which just happens to line up with a rock or root. I have slept soundly every time I've used it.

I also like that the pillow is attached, and that it has a centered baffle which holds your head in place. Previously I've used a flexair pillow and found my head scooting off of it at night. The only drawback is that the O-Zone pillow isn't very much higher than the mat itself, so my head isn't supported as high as I'd like. This is just a personal issue, I suppose. I just fold the pillow over onto the mat and it lifts my head up just right (although this sacrifices a few inches of pad space for my feet).

Overall, it seems to me a good compromise between the comfort of the Klymit Inertia XL and the light weight of the Klymit Intertia X-Frame (both of which I've used). It's only .2 ounces heavier than a regular-size Thermarest Neo-Air Xlite.

The weight is reasonable, it packs very small, and as a dedicated side sleeper I'd have to say it's one of the most comfortable I've used. I've taken it on a trip to the Smokies in freezing temps and it handled the cold well, or at least didn't seem any colder than my old Neo-Air Xlite.

Hope this helps.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

How does the comfort compare to the NeoAir Xlite?

[McDowell Crook]

I personally think it's just as or more comfortable than a NeoAir Xlite. Before getting the O-Zone my pad of choice for several years was a size small Xlite, paired with a flexair pillow (or spare clothes). The O-Zone sleeps a tad bit firmer than the Xlite but it distributes your weight better, I think. And it feels more stable, less balloonish (bouncy? air mattress-y? Not sure how to describe it) than the Xlite.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

Thanks. I'm in the market for a pad but I'm a quilt user. I like the design of this pad from a comfort stand point, but I don't see a practical way of keeping myself warm on cold ground short of carrying a second CCF pad.

[Steven McAllister]

I might mention that I had durability issues with their pads.
They are made of a very thin fragile material.

My Inertia X Wave popped the first time I laid on it and it was not over-inflated.
It ripped out a whole panel to the point that it would be difficult to repair with a repair kit in the field.

I went back to a Neoair Trekker torso L because I know it holds up well(but weighs 4.5 ounces more).

From my experience, a Neoair would not fail like that and would probably only develop a smaller hole that could be easily repaired if punctured.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

Was it the seam or the fabric itself? I believe Klymit is using 30D fabric on the top and 70D on the bottom, which should be more durable than the NeoAir Xlite (30D both sides as I recall) and a bit less than the trekker (70D both sides I think).

I posted some photos of a T&E prototype on my facebook page awhile back. Worth checking out.

I found, as a side sleeper, the Inertia O Zone just did not work out for me. Kept bottoming out. But, for a back sleeper, I think it could be pretty dang sweet!

[Valerie E]

I camp mostly in the desert (lots of prickly things), and I have a Static V by Inertia. I've used it for a few years with no problems. The two things I like about their pads are:

1. The higher side rails — they REALLY work to keep the body on the pad, even for a rotisserie sleeper like me; and
2. The quieter material (MUCH more so than either Exped or Xlite).

My only issue is R Factor — when I'm going somewhere colder, the Static V is not good. Last summer in the High Sierras, I could feel the cold rising up right through the pad, even with a 15F sleeping bag.

[J-L]

Has any one else used one of these? How does it do on warmth? Klymit advertises it working down to 10F, which seems optimistic.

When used with a sleeping bag, I am not sure if the "loft pockets" concept is pure marketing or if it actually works.

[J-L]

Well I bought one of these pads and have used it a couple nights now. I ended up cutting off the pillow at the top because I didn't like it. Every time I used it was with a 20 degree down mummy bag.

With night-time lows around 40 degrees, the pad felt plenty warm. As a back and stomach sleeper, I thought it was pretty comfortable. Side sleeping was actually okay for me but required inflating it up pretty firmly. With a night-time low of around 30 degrees, however, I could feel the cold coming right up through the ground. Yes, the "loft pockets" did seem warm. But they can't make up for the many uninsulated parts of the pad. After a few hours, I put a piece of 1/8'' foam on top of the pad and slept OK the rest of the night.

I was sleeping in the mummy bag on top of the pad. I don't think it would be much warmer (if at all) if I had the pad inside the bag.

As you would expect, the pad folds up pretty small

[Chad B]

Jonh, two questions. What was the weight of the pad after you removed the pillow? And I see there is a valve on the pillow and one on the pad, so were you able to salvage a working pillow after cutting it off?

[J-L]

The pad in its original condition weighed 13.3 oz. Without the pillow, it now weighs 11.3 oz.

I did end up with a working pillow.

[Nick Smolinske]

I wonder how easy it is to cut one of these down? Since I would probably pair it with a thin foam pad for protection and R-value, there's no need to 72" length. Anybody tried heat sealing with an iron?

[J-L]

Without the pillow, the pad is about 60'' long. If the weight of the pad scales linearly and you trim it down to 36'' long, then it would weigh about 6.75 oz. I am not sure if that weight is worth it, but the packed volume would be pretty small. For comparison, my Prolite XS is 36'' long, weighs 8.2 oz, and is insulated.

Aaron Sorensen seems to own a trimmed version of this pad, as seen in his post here:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=97264&skip_to_post=825517#825517

He lists its weight at 8.1 oz. I'd be willing to sell you my pad if you want to try.

[Nick Smolinske]

Intriguing. Well, I'm currently using a 40" convoluted torso pad and that's enough to do shoulders to knees (I'm 6' tall but usually sleep curled up a bit). So that would be a reasonable pad, I think. Very minor weight penalty over my 5 oz convoluted pad.

I'm tempted by your offer . . . send me a PM and we'll talk. Currently the O Zone is going for under $60 new on Amazon, so it would have to be cheaper than that.

[Nick Smolinske]

Can confirm: The O Zone heat seals quite easily with a household iron (I used the hottest setting and held it on for about 5 seconds in each spot, sloooowly moving it along a metal ruler to get a nice clean edge).

I'll post back after I've slept on it a few nights, which might be a while – it's not going on this next trip because I don't trust it to be warm enough, yet.

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