FULL REVIEW
Therm-a-Rest Luxury Camp Sleeping Pad
There was a day when camping meant throwing your sleeping bag on the hard ground or a pile of blankets and enduring a night of rolling around trying to find a little respite for your aching bones.  Thanks to the Therm-a-Rest Luxury Camp Sleeping Pad those days are gone.

Take the Therm-a-Rest pad out of its stuff sack, put it in your Kelty Radiant 2 Tent, open the pad's air nozzle and in a few minutes, it will self inflate.  Then you can blow a little air into it to achieve the level of firmness that works for you.  Tie your The North Face Cat's Meow +20 Sleeping Bag down to the sleeping pad using REI Sleeping Bag Slip-Not Straps, and you've got it made.

The next morning, open the Therm-a-Rest's air nozzle, roll up the pad and stow it in its stuff sack.  It adds about 3 lbs to your camping kit.  And it's worth every pound.

The only challenge I've found is rolling all the air out of the Therm-a-Rest pad to get it compact enough to fit in the stuff sack.  Even when you get good at it, you might have to make a few attempts to get the job done.  (I'm not sure why Therm-a-Rest made the stuff sack to this tight a tolerance.  But I'm sure long-distance hikers appreciate the lack of bulk.) 

Despite the packing issue, a Therm-a-Rest pad is a must-have for campers.  Focus on the good night's sleep it delivers, and it will all seem worth it.  The sleeping pads are sold in various sizes and thicknesses.
The self-inflating Therm-a-Rest Luxury Camp Sleeping Pad puts a comfy layer of foam insulation and air between you and your sleeping bag and the cold, hard ground. 
Deflated, the Therm-a-Rest pad stows in this just-over foot long stuff sack.  It can be a chore rolling enough air out of the pad to get it to fit in the bag.  Sometimes, I just leave my pad inflated in my vehicle or tent.  I don't shrink it down and stow it in the stuff sack until I'm ready to go home.
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Copyright 2009 Larry Richardson
Reviewed by Larry Richardson
October 2009
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Rugged Accessories...
  Kelty Radiant 2 Tent
  The North Face Cat's Meow Sleeping Bag
  REI Sleeping Bag Slip-Not Straps
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