Therm-A-Rest Lite Seat

[David Kuchtrczyk]

Not a sleeping pad, but a medium sized inflatable square to sit on when in the snow. Can be used as a headrest / pillow or to extend a short sleeping pad.

Very aggresive die cutting on the interior foam makes for a compact size when deflated. Will fit inside the diameter of a mug or inside a 600ml cookpot. You can also suck the air out and just lay it flat inside a pack.

Excellent insulation. Have never been cold when sitting on the snow, even for hours at a time. Only takes a few seconds to inflate / deflate.

[Darrell Bibby]

Ah, the ‘Things We Carry.’ Well, this is a luxury item to be sure, but it’s so nice to have a comfy place to sit while at camp or on the trial. It inflates/deflates very quickly and compresses into a small size. Weighs just 3.2 oz. I carry it in the side web pocket of my pack for quick access. Great to use when filtering water at the creek, having lunch on the trial, rain or shine and prefect when sitting around the campfire, uh, I mean stove. The Therm-A-Rest Lite Seat is worth its weight… to be sure.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

I have the Prolite ladies sit pad in hot pink. It weighs in at about 3 1/2 ounces, so yes, it is a luxury to bring along.

I find I carry it most on dayhikes and snowshoeing trips. It has handled mud, snow and water well.

It is worth the money if you like a padded warm seat, but not a great deal of weight or bulk.

[James Pitts]

Works great and is light but very comfortable. It takes quite a beating and will eventually get a hole in it. I have had to make two repairs to mine. I use it to extend my sleeping pad setup when I sleep.

[Dave Weston]

This pad is great for sitting around camp or taking a break while hiking. I keep mine in an outer pocket for easy access. Works good on wet cold surfaces. Very durable, I ofter notice after use that I had placed it on a sharp rocks or sticks.

[Travis Leanna]

I originally wanted to try the Lite Seat as a pack frame for my frameless pack. Its 1.5 inches thick when fully inflated, and weighs 3.5 ounces. Thermarest claims 3 ounces, but my scale says differently.

I loaded the seat into the backpanel of my SMD Swift, and loaded the pack with 25 pounds. The seat is rigid enough to brilliantly sustain these weights and transfer the load to my hips while staying comfortable.

And hey, it doubles as my camp seat!

But wait! There's more!

Take the camp seat and open the valve and let it fully inflate (5 seconds). Fold it in half and place it under your head as a pillow. If you let your head sink in a bit and close the valve when its most comfortable, the seat sustains a slight depression that gently and comfortably cradles your head. The material is also soft enough to be used against your face (but I have some facial hair, so my skin on my face may be less sensitive than others). It works for side sleepers, back sleepers, and inflation adjustment is super easy because the seat is self inflating. This works brilliantly as a pillow!

So, yes, a 3.5 ounce inflatable camp seat is a luxury for an ultralighter, but given its full potential, this becomes a valuable piece of my kit.

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