After 23 years (it had a pretty easy life) my old Thermarest guidelite finally failed so I looked into all the options. I ended up with a Rab Stratosphere 4 from Hyperride with 25% off boxing day sale, only just arrived today so it's only had a cursory try out. Seems luxurious and spacious compared to the Thermarest. My second choice would probably have been a Klymit Luxe but they don't come with an inflation bag, have an arguably lower R rating and are thinner denier material. I'm a bit taller and wider than average and I value a decent night's sleep so I don't mind a bit of extra weight on its occasional forays.
My daughter spotted me looking at a comparatively tiny Torpedo 7 one in the shop, I had ruled it out but bless her she thought it would be a great Xmas present. It's ok but a bit narrow and a bit too short and my shoulder blades can just feel the ground through it so it can be a spare or more likely hers to use.
I am sure the Thermarests are the benchmark, I just couldn't justify the outlay for something I'm only using a handful of times a year
Bookmarks