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Camping & Hiking | Home » » Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Mattress | | | | | | Colors: | | | | | Description: | | This is our lightest and most compact closed-cell pad with all-new foams - softer on top for more comfort and denser on the bottom providing better durability. It's the best choice for people seeking sleep-any-where, on any-thing durability and comfort | | | Features: | |
• Ultra-light camping mattress for high-speed, low-weight camping
• All-new proprietary foam construction is soft on top and dense on bottom
• Closed-cell foam is incredibly durable, providing excellent value through the years
• Accordion-style design packs smaller than any other closed-cell foam mattress
• Comes in small (10 ounce) and regular (14 ounce) sizes; 0.75 inches thick
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Weight:
| 18.0 pounds | | Package Length:
| 20.1 inches | | Package Width:
| 15.0 inches | | Package Height:
| 15.0 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.0 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 41 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 41 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
70 of 71 found the following review helpful:
Good for what it isAug 09, 2010
By Kara Stenberg
"Howlsthunder"
I own both this and an inflatable Therm-a-Rest and have used other inflatable sleeping mats in the past. The Therm-a-Rest Z Lite is a bare-bones sleeping mat intended more for insulation from the ground than for comfort, at the lightest possible weight. As far as insulation goes, I felt it worked great - warmer, even, than an inflatable mat if only because your body doesn't have to heat any contained air so it has that "instantly warm" feel that foam tends to have. Comfort, though, is minimal. Its better than one of those thin blue mats but not as comfortable as an inflatable Therm-a-Rest - which, really, is a small margin. The foam is light but dense with little give - don't let the egg-carton texture fool you, it is not soft and squishy.
I use my Z Lite for backpacking, where extra weight matters. In this context the mat performed admirably. It was great that I didn't have to worry about puncturing it so I was able to sit and lay on it around the campfire while my friends with inflating mats had to do without. For fastidious folks, though, the "egg carton" divots are great at collecting bits of bark and dirt. I slept well, though stiffly, but was glad for the light weight when I had to carry it around. Lastly, many people have issues with the self-inflating Therm-a-Rests being slippery with nylon-type bags (which I agree with) - I had no such issue with the Z Lite since its not made of the same material.
PROS:
- very lightweight
- provides decent ground insulation
- no worries about punctures as with inflatable mats
- not slippery for nylon-type sleeping bags
- cheaper than inflatable models
CONS:
- minimal comfort
- only folds into brick; fold seams can become weak points for ripping over time
- divots are good at collecting debris
CONCLUSION: You can get more minimal than this for backpacking but you'll start losing comfort points so I recommend it for backpacking where weight AND a degree of comfort is an issue. For shorter distance trips or if weight isn't as much of a concern I would suggest looking at a self-inflating model of Therm-A-Rest.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
 Basic but well madeJan 08, 2010
By P. Karpenko
Well, this is a very basic foam mat so there's little to be said about it. The mat serves its purpose well, it is very lightweight, it folds into a reasonably small brick and the amount of padding is about right (not too much, but enough). Manage your expectations; this is really just a foam pad - comfort is very limited, but for a minimalist backpacker this pad is the way to go. I like that there are no valves to fail and there's no skin to puncture - no matter what, reasonable padding will be provided.
23 of 26 found the following review helpful:
Light, Compact, Insulated and Economic!Aug 01, 2009
By Happy Squishy
I had used air mattress before. It is not very convenient when you have to car pool with your friends and your stuff takes most of the space. So I decided to get something small. I bought this Z-Lite closed cell sleeping Pad at Scheels. I was not so sure about my choice because it was the cheapest sleeping pad I can find. Others are too expensive for me at this time. But I was surprised with how well it worked for me. It is extremely light, easy to pack, it is well insulated so I did not feel the cold ground at night. I am extremely happy with this sleeping pad. I love it so much that later I spent $13 on the sack for my trip to Boundary Waters.
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
Camping in AfghanistanMay 19, 2011
By K. Holly
Lets start at the begging, I purchased this sleeping pad with the sole purpose to replace my military issue THERM-A-REST air pad.
First thing I noticed when I pulled it out of the Amazon box was how light it was. The next thing was the bulk when folded up. Not really "bulk", but more like a big rectangle. This isn't a huge setback just something to consider.
I did a couple size comparisons with standard US military gear. This pad doesn't work very well with the GORE-TEX bivy, mainly because it is a little too long and also likes to fold back on itself when trying to enter the bag. Next I tried using it with a standard cot. The pad fit very well and comfortable.
The main reason I enjoy this pad is that it does not slide around like air pads do. Next I will list some observations that will help out any buyers.
First, I would recommend using a sheet or placing this under your bag. I have tried it without a sheet and found the feel of the foam against the skin is a little uncomfortable. If you are using this outside the wire or keeping your clothes on when you sleep than a sheet is not needed.
Second, there is no retention straps that come with this pad.
I would highly recommend this pad to anyone whether deployed or camping.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Must have for hikingJan 07, 2010
By April Kellywright
Part of my lightweight backpack set up. I bought the small (I am 5'4") and my 6'4" hubby has the regular. They've been wonderful and make a huge difference in comfort after a long day of hiking. Day 2 is met with a lot less aches!
See all 41 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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