Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Mat Inflatable Sleeping Pad

Likes

1) This pad is incredibly lightweight for how thick and comfortable it is. I measured the size regular at 12.56 oz. on my home scale, plus 1.4 oz. for the stuff sack, which doubles as a pump sack to fill the pad with air. 2) The stuff sack which doubles as a pump sack is a really cool feature. I really appreciate pieces of gear that are multi-purpose. 3) "Regular" size backpacking pads are usually 72 inches long by 20 inches wide. This pad in size regular is actually 21.5 inches wide, and the extra 1.5 inches in width is very noticeable and much appreciated. I can actually rest my elbows on the pad while lying on my back. With 20 inch wide pads, my elbows fall off the sides of the pad, which is very uncomfortable. 4) This pad is incredibly comfortable, especially when you let some air out and allow your body to sink into the pad. The fact that this pad is so thick at 4 inches means you can let out a lot of air without hitting the ground. Most backpacking air pads aren't as thick and so you can't let out as much air without hitting the ground.

Dislikes

I wish the stuff sack/pump sack were a little bigger. I counted 7 bags full of air in the pump sack that are required to fully inflate the pad. If it were a little bigger, it'd be possible to inflate it fully with fewer bag-fuls of air. Of course, then the stuff sack/pump sack would be a little heavier, which it'd be a slight drawback.

Likes

Got this to replace my sea to summit comfort light pad. It is thicker yet lighter and packs smaller while still remaining fairly durable. Sea to summit has the best valve design on the market. Very comfortable.

Dislikes

Slight squeaky noise but not a deal breaker for me