Time Zone
02-05-2019, 17:25
Just curious if anyone has noticed a change in the feel of CCF pads over the years, and if so, is it relevant in any way.
I first noticed this with the cheap blue CCF pads you'd find at walmart. Years back, the foam was fairly smooth on the surface and it was pretty squishy if you pinched it. Now, it feels more rigid, with a pebble-y (pebbly?) surface and frankly feels like the kind of thing that would harden as it ages, and then split with use. That's just a gut feeling based on other foam experiences; I don't know that it would do that, though.
Recently I picked up a Ridgerest Classic in regular size; I have a large RR Classic from as many as 18 years ago. These two feel different in the same way as above - the older one feels smoother and squishier than the new. I called Thermarest to inquire about changes in composition, but the person on the line didn't have anything to compare that far back. The SOLite and Solar feel more like the squishy stuff of old, albeit with a reflective side. But the Classic has changed.
Looking at the labels and marketing stuff, the sleeve on the old Classic lists it as being 100% polyolefin copolymer. The SOLite and Solar are listed on the TAR website as Fill Material: cross-lined polyethylene. I know almost zero chemistry, but a google search led me to info that suggests these are closely related, and if they differ, it may be in the % of vinyl acetate used. So that may be all there is to it. Those all feel very similar
For the new Classic, however, it is interesting that they leave out the "fill material" line under "Tech Specs". So I suspect it's not the same, but I don't know what it is, or if it's any good.
Wondering if any of his has bearing on performance, durability, longevity, etc. If it's not clear, I prefer the older stuff. It has lasted well, feels good, retains flexibility, etc etc.
I first noticed this with the cheap blue CCF pads you'd find at walmart. Years back, the foam was fairly smooth on the surface and it was pretty squishy if you pinched it. Now, it feels more rigid, with a pebble-y (pebbly?) surface and frankly feels like the kind of thing that would harden as it ages, and then split with use. That's just a gut feeling based on other foam experiences; I don't know that it would do that, though.
Recently I picked up a Ridgerest Classic in regular size; I have a large RR Classic from as many as 18 years ago. These two feel different in the same way as above - the older one feels smoother and squishier than the new. I called Thermarest to inquire about changes in composition, but the person on the line didn't have anything to compare that far back. The SOLite and Solar feel more like the squishy stuff of old, albeit with a reflective side. But the Classic has changed.
Looking at the labels and marketing stuff, the sleeve on the old Classic lists it as being 100% polyolefin copolymer. The SOLite and Solar are listed on the TAR website as Fill Material: cross-lined polyethylene. I know almost zero chemistry, but a google search led me to info that suggests these are closely related, and if they differ, it may be in the % of vinyl acetate used. So that may be all there is to it. Those all feel very similar
For the new Classic, however, it is interesting that they leave out the "fill material" line under "Tech Specs". So I suspect it's not the same, but I don't know what it is, or if it's any good.
Wondering if any of his has bearing on performance, durability, longevity, etc. If it's not clear, I prefer the older stuff. It has lasted well, feels good, retains flexibility, etc etc.