View Full Version : Torso length pads
I currently use a Thermarest Prolite full length pad that weighs 16.8 ounces and I am thinking of moving to a Thermarest Prolite Small for three season use. I am 6'1" so the XS is likely too small for me. I like the fact that the Prolite is only an inch tall so the dropoff would not be that noticeable. The question I have is whether it would be necessary to put something under my feet from an insulation perspective. I currently place my empty pack as well as an exped UL pillow below my head while sleeping. So using my empty pack under my feet might require some changes to my sleep routine. I'm curious what others have used beneath their feet, if anything. I can save about 5 ounces by moving to the torso length prolite and the small is frequently on sale for about $50 which seems like a decent cost/ounce savings to consider. I don't have a big budget for gear changes for next year so only interested in getting a big bang for the buck for any gear changes.
4eyedbuzzard
12-25-2013, 11:25
You will want something under your feet and lower legs for both insulation and comfort. And I know that I can feel where a 3/4 pad leaves off - it leaves your legs hanging a bit uncomfortably, and putting the pack there doesn't quite feel as good as a full pad the same thinckness. Try it by lying on your full length pad first letting your legs hang off.
I have tested it out on my full length prolite and seemed ok with the drop off. However, I have not yet actually spent a night in that configuration. That's probably something to test out at home in the near future.
Feral Bill
12-25-2013, 13:33
I use a 3/4 length Thermarest in moderate to warm weather, with a fleece or some such under my feet. It works just fine.
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daddytwosticks
12-25-2013, 16:14
I have both of the pads you mentioned. An older 3/4 Prolite 3 (13 oz.) and a newer full length Prolite (16 oz.) I first started out with the shorter pad and for years, used a sit pad for my lower legs/feet, or went without lower padding in the warmer months. The minor leg drop-off was not a problem. The hard shelter foors on my feet/ankles were bothersome at times. In my old age (and with a healthy REI dividend and sale), I got an extra large new-fangled Neo Air Xlite. What a luxury. However, I was scared to death that I was going to puncture it. Then there was the noise issue. Plus, it was a pain in the but wrt inflation/deflation/roll-up/etc. I traded it for my current full length Prolite. Rugged, comfortable, yet relatively lightweight. Wish it was wider. I have more of a problem with the drop off of my arms/elbows now. I'll probably not go back to anything other than a full length pad. The sight weight issue is not a probem for me. :)
CarlZ993
12-25-2013, 16:25
Depending on the sleeping pad, the weight difference between a 72" & a 48-51" pad can be very nominal: ~4 oz or so. I prefer to use a full-length (I'm also 6'1"). However, I hiked off & on w/ a guy on the AT from Waynesboro VA to ME who used a short, Z-lite closed cell foam sleeping pad & he was at least 6'5". He used the pad under his torso & his ULA Circuit pack underneath his legs. I don't know what he used in the colder days.
.... of the pads you mentioned. .... Neo Air Xlite. .... Then there was the noise issue. ....
The noise issue was HUGE for me! I barely slept; plus, it even woke up my hiking buddy. My husband was very excited when we got home since I gave the pad to him. He used it only once, complaining about the noise. One of my younger sons uses it - the one who sleeps as if in a coma...
MuddyWaters
12-26-2013, 00:22
I have a Prolite Plus (1.5") in regular and short, and a Neoair Xlite in regular and short.
You just seem to accumulate gear over time.
When using the short pads, I usually have some CCF foam to go under my legs. When its cold you can feel the heat radiate back from it.
Ive used 1/8", and ~5/8" CCF quite a bit. CCF only weighs about 2.7 oz, and is used for support in the pack sometimes.
The drop doesnt bother me that much, keeping my knees on the pad is a little troublesome during the night, the Xlite short is very narrow at the bottom, much more than the prolite. Then again, it only weighs 7.6 oz.
Sleeping on full length pads is much more comfortable. Especially the colder it gets.
I have no issue with inflating and deflating the full length xlite. Takes 1 minute to inflate, and less to deflate.
Noise isnt an issue with earplugs.
capehiker
12-26-2013, 02:24
I have the Prolite 3 small and use a Gossamer Gear pad underneath.
peakbagger
12-26-2013, 09:29
I used to use a 3/4 pad for weekends for no issues but once I was out for 4 or 5 nights my hips started bothering me due to the 3/4 pad. I switched back to a full length and never looked back.
rusty bumper
12-26-2013, 09:52
I use 6 sections of a Therma-Rest Z-Lite which gives me padding from shoulders to hips. It weighs 6 ounces. I use my almost empty pack under my feet. The Z-Lite also serves as the back pad in my Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus pack.
Thanks for all the feedback. I have some options to consider now. I think that a torso pad could be a viable option if I use my ULA Circuit under my feet and come up with some other solution to prop up my head. It could be workable but maybe not worth it to save five ounces. Will have to experiment a bit.
daddytwosticks
12-26-2013, 14:48
Thanks for all the feedback. I have some options to consider now. I think that a torso pad could be a viable option if I use my ULA Circuit under my feet and come up with some other solution to prop up my head. It could be workable but maybe not worth it to save five ounces. Will have to experiment a bit.
Oh, I forgot about the head issue. I'm 6 foot tall. W/the 3/4 length pad, my head was off the pad on a pilow and my legs dangled off. With the ful length pad, no "danglige" at all, except for those pesky elbows. :)
The noise issue was HUGE for me! I barely slept; plus, it even woke up my hiking buddy. My husband was very excited when we got home since I gave the pad to him. He used it only once, complaining about the noise. One of my younger sons uses it - the one who sleeps as if in a coma...
For me the noise issue with the Neoair Xlite dissipates after a couple of uses. After that I never noticed it nor did I get any comments when I slept in shelters and I'm a very active sleeper (left, right, left, right, etc). It lasted my thru hike without any issues. I cut a large size down to torso length and used a 3/8" sit pad for my feet. However, my hips bothered me some and I think it may have been due to the height differential between the Neoair Xlite and the 3/8" sit pad. I have recently purchased another large Neoair Xlite and have cut it for my full length (didn't need the full 77") and can't wait to try it.
I started with a torso-pad last year but changed out to a full length pad. I would try sleeping with a torso pad a night before bringing it out on a full hike. I found that it is worth the extra weight to carry a full pad and sleep better (at least for me).