Q.}
Do I have to get my girlfriend a women's-specific backpack if her torso size fits a men's one? Do the shoulder strap position and waist belt flare really matter and do you wear a women’s-specific backpack?
Submitted by: Miguel - Detroit, MI
Submitted by: Miguel - Detroit, MI
A.}
No, Miguel, you don’t necessarily have to get your girlfriend a women’s specific pack. I often wear men’s or unisex packs with great success. And I know small men who have had luck with women’s packs. Forget about the gender labels and look at the pack itself, and the way it works with your girlfriend’s body shape.
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This pad performs really, really well. It's very warm - tested it during high 40s nights, and I could not believe how much warmer the pad was than the tent floor.
It's quite comfortable but I haven't tested that many other pads before so I can't really comment further. I believe you can a layer a comfort if you go for the pillowtop.
Very easy to inflate; if you're in decent shape, it'll take you ~3' to inflate it. Deflation is much of a problem, as long as you fold it neatly. The pad comes with a pouch, in which it's pretty easy to pack if you did a good job deflating it. After few times, you can deflate/fold/pack in about 5'.
The pad also comes with some extra fabric to patch and repair if needed.
It's not the lightest pad out there, but that's also what you get for the insulation...
overall, a very, very good buy. Looking around, you can score this one below $70...
Posted by Seb, Jul 22, 2011