I was very suprised not to see a Z-rest reviewed here yet so I had to add it...Still like the closed cell foam pads the best...super light, super durable...Many emergency uses as well--imprompto casts and such...I have used both the z-rest design and the roll-up design as well and I like the accordian style better as it folds up and will stay folded up on its own and not un-roll...a seemingly simple product but this is the best design/construction I've come across so far...
I use my Z-lite regular when I want extra insulation. It is not cushy enough for me to use by itself but it is dynamite at adding insulation and thus keeping me warm when I use it with my Therm-rest UL or Insul Mat Max Thermo during the colder months of the year.
It isn't as comfortable as my inflatable therma-rest but it is a lot lighter and works. I slept with it on frozen ground and only got cold when I wiggled off of the pad, so it keeps you warm. Not the most comfortable, but if you hiked hard enough that shouldn't matter, right?
I've taken my Z-lite out on 2 multiday trips. It's not terribly comfortable but I can live with that. I like the way it folds up in a snap, and unfolds and lays perfectly flat. However, at 15 ounces it's 1/3 heavier than the standard blue polypad that REI sells. The accordian design is nice, but it is worth the extra 5 ounces? Does the egg carton pattern really make it warmer?
Egg carton pattern keeps air trapped between your body and the pad. Air is one of the best nature's insulator and this design benefits from it. Air insulation has many applications, one example could be the PVC windows.
i was given the full length version for my birthday and immediately cut it down to 3/4 size. i use my backpack for my feet an sleep on the pad, this not only is comfortable (well comfortable enough), but also saves the extra few ounces of extra pad.
mine looks like it's been though a couple of wars as it is torn and scratched and dirty, but it still keeps going. it's been though too much devils club and side alder to be around still but somehow it defies the odds.
this is the best pad you can get for your money. the blue pads might be lighter but these seem like extreme comfort compared to those, and the few extra ounces are worth SOME comfort to me. for summer time or spring when you know you'll be camping off snow, this is the best pad there is, for the weight that is.
dspal - Nov 13, 2004 8:27 pm - Voted 5/5
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