Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite SOL Mattress

I'll write this as a comparison with a point of reference I have, which is a Vango Trek 3 Standard, a cheap self-inflating mat that I had before. I spent this afternoon lying on both side-by-side in my tent...Thermarest advantages:- half the weight (410 vs 841)- slightly quicker to roll out- quicker to put away- no chance of getting punctures- can use as a small seat in folded formVango advantages:- much comfier- packs much smaller- half the price- smooth surface, so you can turn easily in your mummy sleeping bagI can't comment on relative thermal insulation, since I haven't been able to compare them in cold conditions.This model is a good option if you want a light, reliable pad for long-distance hiking. On the other hand, if you're not moving around a lot, so weight and packing time aren't important, the Vango is much more comfortable, and cheaper.I'm going away on a long trip and I'm really tempted to take the Vango: it's so comfortable that you can really look forward to lying on it at the end of the day. The Thermarest isn't uncomfortable, it's just not actively comfortable in the same way. You get used to what you have though, and I'll probably end up taking the Thermarest just for its weight-saving. You can get really light blow-ups as well, but they're very expensive.I'd also consider the thick roll-up mats you can get from Decathlon for £10. They weigh about the same as the Thermarest, and roll up to a similar size. There's also an even lighter and thinner version for £5.edit: I did take this Thermarest, and it worked quite well in keeping me warm, though it was pretty uncomfortable on hard surfaces, making it hard to sleep. The silver surface wore off quickly revealing grey foam underneath, but this didn't seem to affect performance. I did find it difficult to turn during the night, as I found I had to do several times per hour, because the lumpy surface grips your sleeping bag. So if you have your sleeping bag hood over your head, it's hard to keep your face outwards. I ended up leaving the hood loose and facing downward, and turning my body within the sleeping bag, rather than turning the whole bag. Not ideal. Will be on the lookout for a lightweight self-inflating pad for my next trip, though this one will do if I can't find one.

For the weight it is very tough and comfortable (emphasis 'for the weight')Got this to replace a blow up one that broke and I can't be dealing with fixing a puncture in the woods.No chance of this breaking!It's quite big and awkward to put on the outside of my pack but I did remove 4 sections as they were not needed which helped.I am a smidge over 180cm I think and I only need a matt to cover me from shoulders to the knees as I use a headrest like a jumper and my shins and feet weigh so little that they don't feel the hard ground.Now the only con - Due to the egg box style if you get condensation in your tent the matt fills up with water!4 weekends in a row my sleeping bag was wet underneath due to the matt collecting condensation and it's impossible to wipe dry so you have to give it a big shake outside your tent while trying to avoid spilling the water inside the tent.Even after shaking it you have to let it dry for hours in cold tempretures.One night I put bin bags over it and in the morning there was no condensation in the matts grooves but that adds extra hassle.I plan to get one of those crappy foam matts that roll up as at least it won't collect moisture but will be more uncomfortable...

I’ve owned several sleeping mats over the years, and never been able to get it right. I’m pairing this with my Exped Synmat (which i’ve not used for ages as it’s quite squeaky on my tent floor). However, squeaks gone and comfort has increased. I let out some air from the Synmat, used the yellow side of the Thermarest and i had a really decent afternoon snooze. Can’t wait to sleep tonight. Love that I can use the Thermarest as a seat; that came in really handy when i was doing some reading/research using my low coffee table. The campsite do morning yoga; so pretty chuffed that i can use it for that too!

I've been upgrading all my hiking/wild camping kit and you can't compare this bad boy to the roll out sleep mats.NOTE: I don't sleep directly on this, I use a Sea To Summit Ether Light XT Insulated Mat (game changer if you want the best nights sleep) on top of this one, this gives an unbelievably comfortable sleep system, very warm, very light and you can't feel any lumps or bumps at all, with the added super thick layers.You can fold it in half and use it to sit on outside the tent and if you leave it folded you can use it as a raised seat, it's a win, win.I attach it to my backpack so never had any issues with weight or carrying it.I give it 10/10 and have just ordered another fir my partner.

Had one for years, use mostly in winter or on a bivi.

Suffice to say, I still have this item in good working condition from the time I bought it to now.

I use this in my bivvy under my mattress and it is surprisingly comfortable and insulating. It packs large, but offers a lot of padding and is very durable. It can be hard to install into a bivvy because of its folds but it maximises padding surface volume with the egg crate so it is worthwhile anyway.

Just a Thermarest. Been around for years. The advert title is slightly wrong: the coyote/grey coloured on is not a SOL. The silver/lemon one is, though I can't see why a bit of silver coating (which, they say, wears off in time) costs £10 more! The Sol is a little bit more insulating. The much cheaper, durable, everyday closed-cell foam mats of some years ago seem to have disappeared, and only cheap tatty ones are on sale now (at least, I couldn't find a decent one).