Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest Classic Foam Camping Sleeping Pad

The Therma-a-Rest RidgeRest has been a staple for backpackers and campers for decades. There are no moving parts, no inflation needed. It is very durable, very lightweight, easy to roll up and I just tie it up with a bit of twine or paracord, and usually attach it to the bottom of my backpack. I had one for years and years, and the material never wears out. I happened to lose it eventually, so I replaced it with the exact same model. It provides just enough padding and insulation to make for a more comfortable night's sleep against the little bumps of rocks and twigs and bumpy cool earth under your sleeping bag. Granted it's not rated for sub-zero Mount Everest type of snow camping, but for that type of camping, you know what you need. I've used the self-inflating type of sleeping pads, but they are cumbersome to pack, and I prefer the simplicity of this firm corrugated foam style that I can just roll up, tie up, and which is essentially indestructible, and lower cost than anything else.

The media could not be loaded. It is meant for sleeping on the ground while you are camping or hiking, or exploring in the outdoors or in the wilds, but I find that it is good to just put on my small camp cot as a "mattress." I live in a small apartment and I prefer to sleep on a small folding camp cot. This Thermarest mat just fits the cot as perfect as possible.This style of Thermarest is different from another I ordered ( from a different company) which had one side colored green and the other side was silver like aluminum foil supposedly to keep you warmer. This one the "Classic" has both sides colored gray. I like both styles but I have no if one would keep you warmer. I have not tried either for that purpose. I just used them to put on my camp cot. These mats have indentations in them and if you put them on the ground it might not do much to provide padding from the hard ground especially if you are a side sleeper, but again I have not used them for that purpose. The indentations might feel uncomfortable to certain people since the surface of the mat is not completely smooth. But I find that I am able to lie comfortably enough on the mat without putting a sheet or blanket on top of it .I don't know yet about the long term durability. It does seem it would last long if treated properly. If anyone pokes the material with a sharp object, of course it would get damaged.The material reminds me very much of the "Poly pad" that I used to have when I was in the military and which I had to use as an exercise mat. However the Thermarest is significantly better. It is a closed cell type of mat so naturally it is not like an inflatable sleeping mat. I have not gone camping with it , or not yet, but I have heard that it may be better to get a closed-cell camp mat like this Thermarest than an inflatable sleep mat because it is overall more practical. An inflatable can become completely useless once it is punctured. The Thermarest mat may not fold up compactly enough but it is lightweight and if you tie it properly with rope it should not be very hard to take it along with you tied to your rucksack. It also will not self-inflate like certain inflatable mattresses would because the valve just does not prevent accidental self-inflating. So I guess I would prefer the Thermarest foam sleeping pad to an inflatable mattress if I were to go camping but it can depend on anyone's preference or needs.Anyway , I think this mat is good.

Bulkier than expected, it is a thick foam that you roll up. It’s pretty lightweight, but would seem too much for backpacking. We car camped this past weekend, so weight wasn’t a factor but it was another item that takes up space and it doesn’t compress at all. Weather was 30 degrees this weekend and I was sleeping with a two/three season tent with a sleeping bag rated for 10 degrees. I got really cold the last time we camped and I didn’t want to experience that again. I placed the ridgerest over a air mattress, below my sleeping bag and then put a couple of quilts on top of me. I tossed a few hot hands into the bag and they were still warm by morning. I slept in one layer of thermal underwear and a thin fleece jacket. I never got cold and did not have cold spots under me on contact spots with the air mattress like I usually seem to. I’m not sure if this product had the intended effect as my husband didn’t have one under him and did not get cold either. The product did not slip around as I had expected it to and stayed in place. I thought it would be uncomfortable to sleep on but it wasn’t at all and I couldn’t feel it. We are backpacking next month and I’m debating taking it since I won’t have the luxury of a mattress, however because of the size/shape seems like too much for my pack.

I purchased this product as a sleeping mat for my dog on a deep winter backpacking trip. I only used half the mat for that. I ended up replacing the back/ sit pad of my Gossamer Gear Meraposa pack with a section of this pad that I folded in half. That turned out to one of the best last minute decisions I've ever made. It was light weight and comfortable as a backpack pad. I slipped it under my Thermarest X-Therm sleeping pad for extra R-Value and puncture insurance while sleeping at night. Most importantly, it was a fantastic sit pad that kept my body warm and comfortable sitting or kneeling on snow, ice, frozen rock, whatever. Sometimes I would sit on my X-Therm and put my feet on the RidgeRest to keep them warm or stand on it while changing cloths. I guess that torso sized section could have served as an emergency sleeping pad if my X-Therm broke in the night. It would probably be a suck night, but I'd live. My dog was happy with it as a sleeping pad too. It's surprisingly warm for as thin as it is.