Therm-a-Rest  BaseCamp Sleeping Pad

Overall this pad is exceptional. I am just getting started into the world of backpacking, and I consider myself a minimalist who chooses his battles, and one area that I didn't go minimalist was my pad. This pad's weight and size aren't too much greater than the more minimalist options, but it provides a lot more comfort. I ended up just strapping mine to the outside of my pack and it worked quite well. I did find myself slipping around on it a bit at night, but not so much that it hindered my sleep. I highly recommend this pad if you don't mind a little bit of extra bulk, and you like getting a good night's rest.

Picked this guy up at the garage sale with the complaint on the tag "too big and heavy". At the risk of irritating the ultralight guys, I don't see how. Although it doesn't pack up as tiny as a superlight pad, it's small and light enough to strap above my tent on the outside of my pack, and waayy more comfy than those minimalist pads. I like to let it self inflate and add a couple of puffs of hot air to give it a little extra loft. Very comfy to sleep on and easy to inflate/deflate. I recommend buying a couple of 24" buckle straps to cinch down and tether, as the "stuff sack" could fit a couple of these pads.

This pad is amazing! I was looking for a good balance of weight to comfort, and this fits the bill perfectly. It falls in the same weight and price range as most of the common outfitter pads, but it is 2" thick and (as with most Cascade Designs products) made in the U.S.A. That extra .5 - 1" padding makes a huge comfort difference over the ultralight pads when sleeping on rocky terrain. This is a very comfortable pad that will keep you insulated from the ground for a good night's sleep. I use it for backpacking when I am only going for one or two nights, and for all of my car camping trips. Five stars!

I was issued this exact pad by the U.S. Army. It works. I have used the pad directly on snow, concrete, carpet, dirt, sand and mud. It creates a great thermal barrier. I have noticed a difference in the temperature in my sleeping bag when using this and when stuck without it. The only issue that this pad has is that it is very large. The self inflating air cells inside obviously don't allow it to roll up paper thin but I do think the extra space that this WILL take up is worth the advantages of a sleeping pad. I have not had the privilege of using another brand of sleeping mat so I am unsure how it stacks up against other manufacturers.

Took this out for some October tenting on its first use. Wasn't too sure about it when I first unrolled it. It just sat there, flat. Hmmm. But it eventually inflated - I gave it a few extra puffs before lying down. It was a cold night and the ground was not soft. I expected to wake up sore (I don't do real well with hard sleeping surfaces.) I felt fine in the morning! I got up and was ready to hike the hills right off. Slept on it four nights without a single complaint (and I'm known for my ability to complain!) This is my first experience with this sort of sleeping pad. I didn't have high expectations for it - I was just hoping it would be 'sufficient'. I was pleasantly surprised.

I purchased this in town at [...], I was really struggling between a few pads. The NeoAir was loud and crunchy, some of the ultra lights felt like they would pop. This mat is perfect! I travel a lot with the Marine Corps, and needed something that would hold up, and let me sleep tight when sleeping in places where there is no beds. I also wanted something for backpacking, and this baby is nice. I consider it light only 2 1/2 pounds about, for extra comfy nights rest. I would carry another pound any day so that my back does not hurt the next morning. Don't think about it just buy it!

We went car camping for a week and these were perfect. Kept us warm and comfy. We had some cold rainy nights and didn't feel any of the cold ground under our pads. Inflate on their own but require a few good puffs to really fill them up. It's work to deflate them and takes a bit of time. I would think these are too heavy for backpacking, but were perfect for car camping when you want to still feel like you are roughing it. They slid around a little while we slept but over all no complaints from anyone.

So far I have only taken this pad car camping, but I'm planning on getting into backpacking a little further down the road. I got this pad because of other reviews which list it as large, but worth the weight for a good night's sleep. So far so good, in that regard. After the first initial inflation it inflates very well all on its own. It's super comfy and doesn't slip on the floor of my tent and only a little on back of my sleeping bag.

I've been a loyal (and happy) Thermarest customer for over two decades, and have had great performance from three different Thermarest pads - from the original rust-colored one, to a Camp Rest and then a (2011 model) Base Camp L (25" wide), which I bought from REI in January 2012, and which I have used a lot and love. Two days ago, I bought Thermarest #4, a Base Camp XL (30" wide), and REI promptly delivered it (local stores didn't have it in stock). I noticed when I unrolled it that it looked a bit different than I remembered from my other Base Camp - this one had "pock marks" (cutouts in the interior foam). But I didn't think much of it and inflated it for a good night's sleep. But, unlike my previous Base Camp, this one feels stiff and is noisy/crinkly. Every time I moved it made "crumpling" noises and I had a rotten night's sleep. I called Thermarest this morning and they confirmed that the Base Camp had been redesigned in January 2012, to lighten it. Bits of foam were removed (the "pock marks") and then to keep the R-value some sort of aluminum (?) or foil type layer was added, which the Thermarest person said was probably making the crinkling noises. He mentioned that other people had referred to it like crumpling an empty potato-chip bag - yes that's it exactly. He did mention that in time it would reduce (but not go away entirely), but I have no interest in suffering through any more nights with it, especially if it will never really go away. Personally, this change doesn't make sense to me, because if I want a light backpacking pad, I'll buy one of Thermarest's other models which are meant for that. If I'm using a 30" wide Base Camp, I'm not trying to save a half ounce (or whatever) -- I'm car-camping and I want comfort and not crinkling every time I move a muscle! I sure hope they change it back, but unless and until then I'll be returning it and seeking another product (sadly). (I did try to find a "leftover" older model from prior to 2012 but was not successful, although REI Customer Service was very helpful in trying to find one for me.)

I am a first time user. We camp in a trailer. I am a very picky sleeper. When my husband and I decided to go with friends on a 4 day canoe trip in Sept to the Adirondacs my first question was what am I sleeping on. My friend showed me her Thermarest mattress and I was not convinced but we bought some anyway. This new style (hers was older) was easy to use and comfortable to sleep on. I DID NOT feel the ground at all. No bumps or lumps, not even the cold (it was about 40 at night). In the morning it rolled up and we moved on to the next site. It is a bit large when rolled, about the same as our 3 person tent but we were able to pack it into our canoe and that's what was important to us. It seems very durable, something that will last a long time. The mud washed right off. We did inflate it and store it from time of purchase til use unrolled as suggested. We are already planning another trip.