Review: Thermarest Z-Lite SOL

TL;DR: This was one of my favorite pieces of gear I started using last year, it adds so much comfort for so little money and weight. Add it to your sleeping setup.

Longer story; I first went backpacking at the age of 13, all the guides had these orange inflatable Thermarests. When I got back from that amazing trip, I spent my lawn mowing money for a purple Thermarest ultralight pad. I used it for maybe 20 years until I got a Neo Air X-Therm. I never used a Ridgerest or Z-rest. They just seemed too bulky compared to the sleek inflatable Thermarest.

Last year or so I had some really cold nights in the desert, now for years I camped in the snow with the Neo Air X-Therm and never had an issue. Maybe rock and sand absorb more heat? Anyhow I finally decided to add a Z-Lite SOL to my setup. I’ve never slept so comfortably in a tent in my life. The Z-Lite SOL adds a ton of warmth and comfort.

The Z-Lite really helps smooth out bumpy sandstone and protects your inflatable Thermarest from prickers and other desert hazards .

The combo of these two in freezing temps is unbelievably comfortable. I use the Thermarest UberLite in the summer and it is just as comfy.

The combo of the Thermarest Z-Lite, Neo Air X-Therm and Antares is dreamlike. At 14oz what it adds to your comfort is so worth it. I can’t believe I skipped over this pad for so long.

Thermarest says: https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/z-lite-sol-sleeping-pad/z-lite-sol.html

Always a favorite of the ultralight elite, the Z Lite SOL expands upon the utralight performance of the Original Z Lite by adding our reflective ThermaCapture coating to capture radiant heat and increase overall warmth by nearly 15%. Factoring in the system of heat trapping dimples, the Z Lite SOL has an R-Value of 2.0, making it perfect for use on its own in warmer weather or layering under another pad for extra warmth in the cold. The proprietary foams are softer on top for extra comfort and denser on the bottom for extra durability, making the Z Lite SOL an idealclosed-cell foam pad for those in need of an ultralight, highly compact and super-reliable sleep system.

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