[at-l] Ridgerest vs. Thermarest

[Phil Heffington <phil.heffington@oc.edu>]

Just my .02 cents worth on this topic.  I carried the 3/4" Ultralite Long
Thermarest for the first 300+ miles of the AT northbound last year and this
year, and have used it on many other hikes before.  I switched to the
Ridgerest in the middle of my section hike between Hot Springs, N.C. and
Damascus, VA this year.  My observations:

1.  I had no loss of comfort in changing from the Thermarest to the
Ridgerest. I am 52 years old, weigh 200+ lbs., and am fairly picky about my
sleeping comfort.

2.  The Ridgerest is half the weight of the Thermarest (approx. 1 lb. vs. 2
lbs.)

3.  The Thermarest is more "packable" for carrying inside the pack.  The
pack size when collapsed is about half that of the Ridgerest.

4.  You don't have to worry about puncturing the Ridgerest since it is a
closed cell pad.  Thus, in the middle of the day you can throw it down on
the ground, in the shelter, etc. and have a decent cushion immediately
without fear of damaging it. 

5.  The Ridgerest is about 1/3 the price of the Thermarest (about $20
compared to about $60).

6.  I don't have as much trouble with my synthetic sleeping bag sliding
around on the Ridgerest as I do on the Thermarest.
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