Therm-a-Rest - Z Lite Original
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Last updated: Aug 27, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
7
0
"it's puncture proof."
"my OG zlite has been through a lot over the years - it ’s beat up but still in service"
"If you really want to prevent these sort of punctures, you honestly need a Z-Lite or equivalent CCF pad underneath. ... durability for use as a sit pad & ground protection is probably >100 times greater than the 1/8". ... In my opinion to protect from punctures you really only need a torso length section since that is where all your weight is going when sleeping on the pad and sitting up on it."
5
0
"If however I might end up on rocky ground or am climbing something where a bivy isn't intended, but is a possibility I bring my z-lite as I can use it anywhere."
"During the day, it ’s a sit pad and at night it’s her bed."
"can double as a seat pad in most environments ... can also be used in canoes as a seat padding or knee padding."
12
8
"I've slept on frozen ground with an air temp of 10⁰f and humidity of 90% (pacific northwest at sea level) with just the Z Rest under me, in my clothes with a light weight patrol bag and was comfortable for the few hours I had."
"Layering a closed cell pad like a Z Lite would keep you much warmer"
"Also with the z light if the inflatable pops a hole I'm still good."
8
5
"They’re much better for side sleepers"
"they don’t ever wobble or bottom out."
"they don’t ever wobble"
7
1
"Reason I use it is it's easy to quickly deploy and pack up."
"It’s 100% packable because you keep it outside your pack (ideal for lunch breaks) and it’s folded up."
"it adds just a little more comfort for a low weight penalty. Both pads together weigh 9 oz."
Disliked most:
0
4
"Sleeping on a Z-Lite was a no-brainer, and I was comfortable on it. Now, I'm tickling the upper limit of the normal weight range, I have to arrange my legs in a certain way to avoid knee pain, have one shoulder prone for a nerve getting pinched, and one elbow that won't go straight."
"The Goodnight Eva interacts with rocks and lumps differently than the zsolite, because their difference in stiffness. I assumed it would make for a worse sleeping experience with G. EVA, compared to the zsolite. But it turned out to be the opposite."
"I use my trowel to scrape a depression in the duff at my hip and shoulder spots. ... This doesn't work at high traffic campsites or spots that are compacted"
10
11
"its too cold it too cold!"
"Whereas a z-lite weighs 14oz and has a R value of 2. Even if we assume that foam pads perform above their stated r value you would still need multiple to match the warmth of a single inflatable. ... I know when I had first gotten my sulo I took it down to 22F on snow with just a nemo switchback because that's all I owned and could very easily feel the cold from the pad"
"a pretty low r value so in colder temps you are going to want to use it in conjunction with an inflatable insulated pad."
1
3
"Completely agree with you."
"It's bulky"
"Downside is the bulk"
2
1
"a bit more pricey"
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