
Nothing beats the cold, hard ground better than a Therm-a-rest*. And we were delighted to see that the US military picked great contractors for these self-inflating mats. At 20" wide and 72" long, it's a perfect mid-sized sleeping mat for backpacking.
*we have another variant made by Vinyl Technology, another contractor who made the same design under the same NSN.
While it's no inflatable mattress, a sleeping mat's main goals are to elevate your body off the cold and moist ground. Air is an excellent insulator and cushion, so by bringing you a mere inch or two off the ground, you're going to be a lot more comfortable and warm than just being on the bare ground. So why bring this instead of an air mattress? The answer is obvious - bulk. Self-inflating sleeping mats are far more packable for backpacking.
The 'self-inflating' process is as simple as opening the valve and allowing air to enter the mat. If you want you can inflate it with your mouth a little faster, but its not typically recommended or efficient. Deflation is easily achieved by opening the valve and rolling up the mat tight, forcing the air out.
Specs
- 20" x 72"
- Made by Cascade Designs (Therm-a-rest) or Vinyl Technology In the USA
- Nylon & Urethane foam construction
- Single twist-valve
- 1 inch minimum thickness
- Approximately 2lbs 5oz
Condition Guide
Excellent
- Lightly used and well cared for.
- Perfectly functional with either minor or no cosmetic blemishes, abrasions, or other signs of use.
Good
- Gear that's seen normal use, but retains uncompromised utility.
- Exhibits cosmetic blemishes, or other signs of use.
- May exhibit writing and/or markings, including rank, serial numbers, etc.
Nothing beats the cold, hard ground better than a Therm-a-rest*. And we were delighted to see that the US military picked great contractors for these self-inflating mats. At 20" wide and 72" long, it's a perfect mid-sized sleeping mat for backpacking.
*we have another variant made by Vinyl Technology, another contractor who made the same design under the same NSN.
While it's no inflatable mattress, a sleeping mat's main goals are to elevate your body off the cold and moist ground. Air is an excellent insulator and cushion, so by bringing you a mere inch or two off the ground, you're going to be a lot more comfortable and warm than just being on the bare ground. So why bring this instead of an air mattress? The answer is obvious - bulk. Self-inflating sleeping mats are far more packable for backpacking.
The 'self-inflating' process is as simple as opening the valve and allowing air to enter the mat. If you want you can inflate it with your mouth a little faster, but its not typically recommended or efficient. Deflation is easily achieved by opening the valve and rolling up the mat tight, forcing the air out.
Specs
- 20" x 72"
- Made by Cascade Designs (Therm-a-rest) or Vinyl Technology In the USA
- Nylon & Urethane foam construction
- Single twist-valve
- 1 inch minimum thickness
- Approximately 2lbs 5oz
Condition Guide
Excellent
- Lightly used and well cared for.
- Perfectly functional with either minor or no cosmetic blemishes, abrasions, or other signs of use.
Good
- Gear that's seen normal use, but retains uncompromised utility.
- Exhibits cosmetic blemishes, or other signs of use.
- May exhibit writing and/or markings, including rank, serial numbers, etc.
Good, but check your rubber
If you go the cheaper route and run vinyl tech., do be wary to check the valve; I had gotten the vinyl tech. mat and found the nipple of the valve had a growing split down the center making it impossible to cap off. Upon sending it back and getting a second one, this was not an issue, but the connecting rubber for the cap to the nipple has a small void. Across both of them though is also the fraying of the fabric at the edges, but a little bit of fire helped to melt them back to form a fore fray resistant edge. Overall, it does its job to the T, but if I had to choose I would have run the newer design.
Performance |
Rated 4 out of 5
|
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Utility |
Rated 4 out of 5
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Comfortable and durable
Carry, drop and rest anywhere you legally can on this awesome mat.
Performance |
Rated 5 out of 5
|
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Utility |
Rated 5 out of 5
|
Exactly what it sounds like
Solid condition surplus mat. Tested outside in the french F1 tent and it really made the difference between a good sleeping experience and an awful one. Great for leveling out on uneven ground. Highly recommend.
Performance |
Rated 5 out of 5
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Utility |
Rated 5 out of 5
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Works like a charm
I only find it comfortable to sleep on my sides so when I used this bad boy in the field it was amazing
Performance |
Rated 5 out of 5
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Utility |
Rated 5 out of 5
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