In my little world, there are a few pieces of gear I truly love. After hiking the Triple Crown (and a few more after that) I’ve managed to whittle my setup down to the essentials aka. what I actually need to stay comfortable and efficient (which is a big step up from when I started).
One of those essentials is my sleeping pad.
This thing has been with me through thick and thin…though at this point, it’s mostly thin. I just can’t seem to part with it. It’s more than a bed. It’s been with me on all major trails and everything in between and after. It’s the perfect companion when I stop and don’t want to sit in the dirt or on wet ground.
Inviting
One of my favorite things to do when stopping for a break or to refill water is to pull out my old faithful sleeping pad and invite other to sit on it. I’ve learned that a soft place to sit is one of the nicest luxuries in the back country, especially when everything else is hard, sharp, or wet.
Bombproof (Well, Almost)
After over 14,000 miles of long trails, this pad has been there for all of them. I’ve dragged it over thorns, sharp rocks, gravel, and plenty of other uninviting terrain. Not only that but it has literally saved my butt from more scratches than I can count.
Somewhere in Montana on the CDT, I dragged it through a nasty blowdown and a branch finally took a chunk out of the middle. That’s when it earned its trail name: Shark Bite.
The best part? It still works perfectly and technically, it made my pack a tiny bit lighter.
Keeps Me (Mostly) Clean
Beyond saving me from thorns and giving others a place to sit, this pad has become part of my back country hygiene system. Not that I super clean after doing a hundred miles of dust, blood and sweat, but sitting on it instead of the dirt has definitely extended the life of my clothes.
Therm-a-Rest, if you ever happen to read this, thank you for making gear that keeps the miles coming and the trail stories alive.