View Full Version : POE Max-Lite vs Therma-Rest
Has anyone tried Pacific Outdoor Equipment's Max-Lite pads? They seem to have more R value for the weight than Therma-Rests and I am wondering whether to switch.
gardenville
01-18-2004, 14:25
Has anyone tried Pacific Outdoor Equipment's Max-Lite pads? They seem to have more R value for the weight than Therma-Rests and I am wondering whether to switch.
Are you a female? I think that sleeping pad is made for the female body whatever. I expect you know that. BackpackGearTest.org has 3 ladies testing that pad at this time. You might want to look at the Test site and see if they have posted a review yet.
I'm female but the women's pad is a bit of a disappointment. REI's website said it weighs 1lb 6oz, 2oz less than my 3/4 Therma-Rest and is just my size. That sounded really great until I actually looked at one and discovered the real weight is 1lb 10oz. :mad: Bleah! The regular one is 1lb 5oz, which would save me 3oz and give me a full length pad, but I'm wondering if it is worth it.
The testers have only looked at it at home, so no help there yet. :(
gardenville
01-18-2004, 16:05
I'm female but the women's pad is a bit of a disappointment. REI's website said it weighs 1lb 6oz, 2oz less than my 3/4 Therma-Rest and is just my size. That sounded really great until I actually looked at one and discovered the real weight is 1lb 10oz. :mad: Bleah! The regular one is 1lb 5oz, which would save me 3oz and give me a full length pad, but I'm wondering if it is worth it.
The testers have only looked at it at home, so no help there yet. :(
I can get one of the testers email addresses if you want to ask her direct. I am a Male, so was surprised when I found out that company was doing these pads. We are made different and I thought it was nice they were trying to make a pad for the female body type. What ever that means (this would be a good place for one of those smiliely things). My comfort is worth a few onces, maybe more. I use a hammock and do use a pad in it. I can extend my comfort range to 30 degrees with 2 pads and a decent sleeping bag. I also make a lot of my gear and it is all much lighter than the stuff it replaces.
I tried a women's Max-Mtn full-length. It was actually a gift and I returned it. It weighs about 2 lb 5 oz, is 1 1/2 inches thick, and is supposed to be usable in winter. I found that it couldn't be blown up hard enough to provide good insulation. I slept on it one night on my deck in 20 degree weather. It was quite comfortable, but when I laid on my side, my hip was too close to the ground and got cold. So the pad was clearly not usable by itself on snow, at least for side-sleeping. If I have to carry a closed cell pad for insulation in winter, I'll supplement it with a short ThermaRest, not a full-length one.
tarbubble
01-22-2004, 21:00
Hi, i'm one of the BackpackGearTest testers for the POE Women's Max-Lite. i wish i could be of more help but i've only slept 3 nights on the pad so far and what's EVEN WORSE - those nights were on only semi-hard packed sand. but i have to say i was surprised at how comfy it was. i've used a Therm-a-rest ultralite in the past (same thickness) and i honestly expected the Max-Lite to be as uncomfortable as i found the Thermarest UL to be. i'll be spending a few more nights on it in February (January has been a total loss for backpacking, my whole family got the flu and i'm STILL coughing), and will be filing a Field Report at the end of February.
by the way, a tester's email address should always be found in their reports on BackpackGearTest. i think most of us are happy to answer questions about the gear.
tarbubble
04-09-2004, 19:35
as a follow-up to my earlier post in this thread, i've now been using the Max-Lite for over 3 months and have spent about a dozen nights on it out here in the Southwest. again, i have to say i'm amazed at how comfortable it is. even my husband (who is most definitely not female) thinks it is a very comfortable pad (we camp with our son a lot and sometimes have to switch sides at night to swap off tending to him). it is definitely not a cold-weather pad - the one time i used it in sub-freezing temps i could feel myself losing heat through it. if you visit backpackgeartest.org you can see my full Field Report on it. hope i can be of any help!