Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting ThermaRest Z-Lite

I've never been a fan of the blaze neon yellow color that Therma uses for the Z-Lite. Would rather not have that color strapped to the outside of my pack. While shopping on-line at Cabela's, it looks like they are offering the Z-Lite in Coyote brown. Other places like REI are only showing the neon yellow, but Cabela's has it in Coyote. Just a heads up for anyone who's wanted one, but not in neon yellow.

Looking forward to trying this under my BA Insulate Air-Core for extra warmth in the winter, as my only pad (leave the BA at home) in the summer.

http://www.cabelas.com/sleeping-pads-therm-a-rest-z-lite-sleeping-pad.shtml

Good head's up.

Mine is the old orange color which I actually prefer during rifle season.

Are they really that much better than the blue $5 closed cell pad you can get at Walmart?

Good question DP4. Someone who's had both - care to chime in?

not $30 dollars worth. Walmart one is very warm for weight and size.

Kevin

I can't speak for the the z-lite, but my old z-rests are just that: old. The cheapo blue foam ones from K-mart that were purchased for our boys are already torn/ripped/holed. They're about a year old.

TANSTAAFL

Scott

I have read that the durability of the Z-Lite makes it worth the $$$. Scott seems to back this up.

I have used both--the z-lite a lot. My Z-lite probably has 70-80 nights on it and is still going strong.
I used a blue foamy on a one night marathon u.l. trip because I wanted a 50 inch pad to save weight but didn't feel like hacking up a Ridgerest. I shivered myself to sleep for a few minutes at a time during our 5 hour rest stop and will never do that again. I started out using my pack for my feet and ended up with my pack under my torso and the blue pad under my feet. I came home, cut up a Ridgerest to spec. and they all lived happily ever after.
I use the walmart pads for glassing seats but nothing else.

Three years on ours(2) no signs of wear yet, except where the fire burned it

At least you can now buy it in a non-bright color, but it is still only 20" wide and 72" long. Maybe some day they'll wake up to the fact that tall guys like to camp, too. Where do NBA players buy camping sleep-gear?

Big Agnes

I'm sure they know tall guys would like pads too...but there's not enough tall guys to make it feasible to produce pads/bags longer than 6'6". I think Western Mountaineering produces sleeping bags up to 7'. I don't know of any pad makers though. There are several companies that will custom make these items for you (although at a slightly higher cost). Of course, if you're looking for a closed cell pad like the z-lite or ridgerest you can just make one yourself by buying a regular and a small and putting them together. Problem solved!