Thermarest Ridgerest 3/4 Length

Dave,

I've been replying on the other thread regarding the GG Nightlight pad. I haven't tried the Ridgerest pad in my Conduit but I'm gonna say its too bulky. The Ridgerests are not that 'foldable', they're meant to be rolled. It would take up a lot of volume in your pack if you used the roll-up-tube method (rolling the pad up and placing it in the packbag, then letting it unfurl into a tube which is then packed with gear).

If price is your obejective, you can get a 3/4 length self inflating Pacific Outdoor pad from Campmor pretty cheap. Here's the link: http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39177287&memberId=12500226&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1

At $25 its a hard bargain to beat for a good pad, comparable to the Thermarest Prolite 3 torso length in every way I can see except weight. Campmor has it listed at 18 ounces but be warned, I weighed mine at 19 ounces without the stuff sack (which you don't need with the pad sleeve anyway). The pad fits in the pad sleeve just fine, and is fairly supportive. It's just 6 ounces heavier than the Prolite 3. But for 3 times the cost, I couldn't justify the Prolite, either.

David,
it sounds like you're looking for something that will fit in the pad sleeve of your pack, that is not inflatable, and doesn't roll up. Two choices that I've used with admirable success are the GG NightLight Torso (3.7 oz) and the Thermarest Z-Lite short (11 oz). Both are nominally 2" thick when folded; however, The Z-Lite is 2" wider and 22" longer, so there's more under you if weight is not a factor. You have to be acclimated to a hard bed though for them to work for you. If not, the Prolite 3 short (13 oz) will definitely provide a better night's rest, and it will fit in a sleeve, although the pack support may be a bit less than the other two

David,

I don't own the Relay so I couldn't say if the sleeve has the exact dimensions of my Conduit's sleeve. You could email Brian @ ULA, he'd know for sure. I can tell you that if it does, you'll be hard pressed to fit a foam pad in the sleeve. There are a few self inflaters (Monbtell, BMW Torsolite) that are close to your weight requirements. But a foam pad might still work, the aforementioned Thermarest Z Lite fits in my pack realtively well without the sleeve, there's really no place for it to move around to.

I'll have a chance to experiment with the Gossamer Gear Nighlight torso pad soon and I'll be sure to post my findings. Maybe the sleeve just isn't neccessary with the right foam pad.