Therm-a-Rest - ProLite 3 Sleeping Pad
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Based on 1 year's data from Mar 28, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
15
4
"I’ve done the cdt, azt, and at all with a thermarest prolite(far more durable)"
"Definitely worth it ... I think I only made one repair."
"I'll hype my Thermarest self inflating pad. ... I've used it many times over 30 years and it's still working well."
12
4
"I’ve done the cdt, azt, and at all with a thermarest prolite(far more durable)"
"Definitely worth it ... I think I only made one repair."
"I'll hype my Thermarest self inflating pad. ... I've used it many times over 30 years and it's still working well."
5
1
"I've never been cold on it even in sub freezing"
"provide good ground insulation for those chilly Alpine nights"
"for that i'm using the therm-o-rest, which is crazy good"
5
2
"Well if you need quality, comfort and light easy portable one… term a rest is just the best in the market."
"When I was younger I got a 3/4 length therma rest sleeping pad for a backpacking trip to save on weight. It worked it was fine for the trip"
"switched to the thermarest which is lighter"
7
4
"I can even sleep on my side without hip pain."
"The comfiest pad I’ve used is the old school thermarest prolite."
"warm and comfy!"
Disliked most:
4
6
"My arm goes dead without fail sleeping on the Thermarests"
"My hip needs 10cm. At the minimum."
"with the mummy shaped pad I often found myself halfway off the pad in the middle of the night."
1
2
"Was bulk and weight that chased me away from self inflators years ago. ... I find the selfinflating foam so comfortable, more so than than air mats, but it's 790 grams, very bulky and just 3.8r. Can't justify it."
"they take up nearly twice the room in my gear"
But it’s logical and functional. I can’t recall exactly if I had a foam pad on the pct, but I’ve done the cdt, azt, and at all with a thermarest prolite(far more durable) and six panels of an accordion pad.
Thermarest pro lite short with six panels of a foam pad. Perfect balance between inflatable and durability. I’ve used this set up for the cdt, azt, and at. Used the full length version of the prolite for the pct. Only leak I ever had was on the azt when I accidentally set up on a prickly plant so no pad would survive that.
shoots, I have an OG prolite short and my LP lists it at 13.2. I might need to re-weigh to verify and possibly make myself a new one if you got yours down to 10.5. the self-inflating torso pads have been one of the few things I can catch some Z's on.
yes. mine is 1". it's wild that your's is thicker and lighter. I also use 6 panels of z-lite under mine as well. it's a heavy setup, but it's the only thing I've found that gives me relatively comfortable sleep. I can't do inflatables.
After trying pretty much everything, I tried the thermarest prolite XS for fun. For some very strange reasons I sleep very well on such a minimalist pad. And that’s the thinner discontinued version not the prolite plus. I only sleep on my side. Other pad that I really like is an exped 3r size S. The rectangular one.
We use Thermarests or their equivalent from like REI. ¾ sized ones to save some bulk.
When I was younger I got a 3/4 length therma rest sleeping pad for a backpacking trip to save on weight. It worked it was fine for the trip, I'm really short anyway and didn't notice. 12 years later I used it again and let my bf use the full body one because he had never gone real camping before. Oh man, I can sleep through a lot and pretty easily. That was the most uncomfortable I've been in years sleeping on the ground. Get one. You'll regret it.
I'll hype my Thermarest self inflating pad. I think it's 3/4". It was expensive when I got it, but I've used it many times over 30 years and it's still working well. It could be more comfortable. But I carry it on a pack. It's worlds better than not having it.
I personally prefer a more durable sleeping pad for the weight penalty. Self inflating pads make the perfect frame for frameless packs. I’ve had great success with the old prolite that wasn’t as warm or thick.
I went with the S2S ether light XT wide. I think it is 4" / 10 cm thick whereas my previous thermarest prolite was 5cm... My hip needs 10cm. At the minimum.
Was bulk and weight that chased me away from self inflators years ago. The Prolite does make an excellent car camping mat or for out & back ~20m. (my backpacking pack is the size school bag, but I also own a ‘64 Kelty ex frame and it still gets occasional use.
The comfiest pad I’ve used is the old school thermarest prolite. Thicker isn’t always better. It’s heavy though. Great for short hikes or boat/car based stuff