Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest SOLite

For big-and-tall types, this pad will offer you a comfortable and good night of sleep.

Brand: Therm-a-Rest

Model: RidgeRest SOLite (Large)


[best for big guys]

Many campers find an inflatable air-tube pad a bit tricky to stay on all night; they tend to bounce off. (Hint: Blow it about 75-percent full to reduce the rebound effect.) For big-and-tall types, the problem is magnified, because they’re often stuck sleeping on a slab that’s already too short and/or narrow.

Enter this gloriously mammoth mat, on which our 6’6” editor-in-chief has been getting such good sleep that he doesn’t mind carrying the extra 13 ounces compared to Nemo’s standard 72-inch air mat. It inflates in about 90 seconds via an integrated foot pump, but there’s no insulation; our tester says his comfort tipping point is about 40°F (NEMO also makes an XL version of its Cosmo Insulated; it’s six ounces and $20 more). $160; 2 lbs. 1 oz.; 80” x 30” x 3”; nemoequipment.com

A new aluminized surface makes this classic workhorse of a closed-cell foam mat warmer than before, with no extra weight, through an aluminized surface that reflects body heat back to the user. R-Value: 2.8, up from 2.6 on the original RidgeRest.

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