I remember the anticipation as I patiently waited for my 15th birthday when my mum was to take me out to buy my  first “real” Therm-a-Rest. Having grown up as a “blue-foamy” camper, the Therm-a-Rest was the ultimate ‘Simmons Pillow-top Mattress’ of my camping world. Backpacking was my main outdoors pursuit at that time, so naturally I went for the “ultralight” series. Now, almost 10years later I decided to upgrade to the Women’s ProLite4. The ultralight had seen many a night’s sleep through(and some not so sleepy night’s), however I knew that I could be sleeping even more comfortably than I was.
            First, I must address the color. As one of my co-workers fondly refers to this phenomenon in the outdoor industry as “Shrink it and Pink it”, it rings true here for the color. I think that coloring it pink is more for the Men so they are not mistakenly seen looking at Women’s gear in embarrassment!?. I admit, the occasional night out with ruffles, glitter, and girly cocktail drinks make for a good time, but when it comes to my gear Pink is not a priority. Personally, pink would be almost my last choice, however I had to get over this quickly in order to find comfort in this case. I find that the length of the large women’s mattress is perfect as it gives me just enough length without extra bulk in order to keep my toes from going off the end of the bed! I haven’t lost a lot of weight in my pack by this upgrade, however I have increased my warmth at night. In the last few years I have been camping further and further into the side seasons, winter included and so for me warmth was becoming an issue that I had never had before. This four-season mattress has added insulation at the feet and torso, increasing the warm where women need it most, and it really shows.
            The ProLite 4 inflates quickly, and rolls up into it’s stuff sack relatively easily, allowing for a quick morning turn around when you want to enjoy every last minute of your warm sleeping bag before hitting the trail again. Remember that the little luxuries count, especially when it comes to sleep comfort. Not somewhere I want to cut corners. Be sure to “invest” in a Trekker Chair to get the most out of your Therm-Rest for both sleeping and lounging!