Date: 2016-11-20
To: Gear Review: Therm-A-Rest Prolite+ (sleeping pad)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

THERM-A-REST PROLITE PLUS Gear Review!Weight: 16.0oz (I had size small)This is what the Prolite Plus looks like. It's a typical padOkay. So. Sleeping pads. You need them for comfort and warmth. But, of all of the gear that you will bring on the trail, your sleeping pad is the one piece that interacts most with other hikers. "But elle, what could you possibly mean?" you may be saying to yourself. Well, let me explain... not all sleeping pads are created equal. Some pads are squeaky, some are creaky, some take up lots of space in shelters, some need to be inflated again in the middle of the night because they lose air, and some are super loud when they deflate in the mornings. They make NOISE and noise is awful when other hikers are trying to sleep. Now I totally understand that cheaper "plastic pool float" style pads are the only solution for some hikers and I would never be rude to someone just because their style of sleeping pad is loud as hell, but I am very very glad that I chose a silent and appropriately-sized one and never woke anyone up.Pros:- It is SILENT. I think I explained this benefit pretty well in the introduction but I'm serious, you guys - loud, squeaky sleeping pads can be heard across campsites and through tent walls. I wore earplugs every night on the trail and I still avoided crowded camping areas because of the proliferation of creaky, plastic, pool floaty sleeping pads owned by people who never stay still while they sleep. THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE THRU-HIKER SLEEPING PAD (source)- Durable. I had the Prolite Plus. It's supposed to be more durable than the normal Prolite and all I can say is I slept on that thing every night, on all sorts of surfaces, and never had a problem. It's still in perfect shape and doesn't even smell bad.- Convenient. It inflates and deflates SUPER FAST! I know it says that it's self-inflating but I blew it up each night with a few breaths (remember, I had the small size) and I easily deflated it quietly in the mornings by rolling it up and compressing even further it once it was rolled up. Additionally, it rolls up and folds in half pretty easily (not as easily as the pool floaty pads, though! The Prolite walls are thick) so there's no need to carry it on the outside of your pack like the Z-Lite style that can only fold or roll up loosely.This is a Z-Lite- Comfortable. SO COMFY. I slept like a baby on my pad. It's squishy and soft and even though it looks thin, I never felt the ground underneath me. I didn't inflate it to the maximum because I liked it to have a little bit of "squishy give" to mimic a mattress (can't do that with a Z-Lite). Plus, I was very warm in the cold seasons because it gave me an excellent heat trapping air-filled barrier between my butt and the earth. I tried out some other peoples' pads and never found one that I liked more than my own. Plus, uh, did I mention that it's silent?Cons:- Short? (I did this on purpose, though.) I'm 5'8". I bought the SMALL Prolite Plus to save weight. It's only 47 inches long so (if you do the math) that means that it is significantly shorter than me. I slept on my side, usually with my knees bent and legs pulled up, and I slept with my head on a small inflatable pillow or on my clothing bag. With my pack at the bottom of my tent (I used it as a foot rest/elevator) and my pillow at the top, I didn't want or need any more sleeping pad length. If I had brought a full length Prolite or a longer style of pad it may not have fit as perfectly inside my tent. Of course, if you are taller or require more padding underneath your head or feet then this is not an option for you. - Can only use for sleeping. Some people with Z-Lite style foam closed-cell mattresses ended up cutting off one portion and using it for a seat during meals or break times. Others just put their pads on the ground and sat on them. The Prolite Plus can't be put in the dirt or on rocks/roots/etc unless you want a dirty and probably punctured sleeping pad. It's hard to clean if it gets dirty (no simple wipedown like the plastic or foam styles) and stays damp for a long time if it gets wet, but I thought it was easy to avoid both of those things. - Weight. It's twice as heavy as the NeoAir (Therm-A-Rest's pool-floaty-style offering) and a few ounces heavier than the previously mentioned Z-Lite. It's not an ultralite option.Do I recommend this gear? Yes, but only if you sleep like me. I don't like noise when I sleep. I don't need a full length pad and I'm not super tall to begin with. I needed extra heat-trapping ability because I "sleep cold" (I don't make a lot of my own heat and I get cold easily). I wanted it to be durable and I didn't care about having a portable 'seat' or being able to sleep on literal dirt piles. I don't think that this is the perfect gear choice for everyone but it worked very well for me and I'd choose it again. (PS: ALWAYS THOROUGHLY TEST YOUR SLEEP SYSTEM BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR HIKE.)Any questions!? Think I should add more info somewhere? Feel free to email me at elleoutdoors@gmail.com!Disclaimer: I did a LOT of research before starting my thru-hike but my Gear Review series is about my personal experiences with my choices of gear and everything might not be true for everyone! Decide carefully, my hiker friends, and get things that work for you