Therma-rest discovery

“I just ordered a Therm-a-Rest Discovery Explorer 3/4 from REI.com. Obviously I should have consulted everyone before I bought, but I was feeling impulsive, and it was only thirty-five bucks.
Currently I am using a green therm-a-rest, it is long, pretty wide, and about 2" thick. I wanted to save some weight and space so I got the other one.
So, good or bad choice? Also, how much colder is it to sleep on a 3/4 length?”

“Hey Tahoe - I use the 3/4 with no problem. If it's really cold, I just put something under my feet, like a day pack, or a down jacket. Works great.”

“I have used a 3/4 and like Hodgeman said.”

“I slip my sleeping bag (with me in it) into my jacket and slept very warm...all the time...but, of course, I have a wiggy's 0 degree sleeping bag...not one of those frilly name brand overly expensive jobbies.”

“I stuff my extra clothes down to the foot of my sack and put my feet in/on them. Always nice and toasty. Plus I have one of those little thermarest sport seats, and I tuck that under my bag where the 3/4 ends. Never a problem.”

“Hey Tahoe, how was turkey-day? Did you get to go hiking?

I have a 3/4 and full length. The only time I take the full length is when I'm sleeping on snow... a 3/4 is not a problem at all most of the time, certainly not for the average 3-season trip.”

“3/4 for me. I build a pillow out of clothes and the top of my backpack for under my head, so I don't need the thermarest in that area.”

“How tall are you Kathy? I would be surprised if your toes hung off the end of a 3/4 Therma-rest :p
LOL! Just kidding you a bit!”

“Yeah, I got to do some day hikes up on Snow Mountain. Oddly enough, there was no snow up there!!
I got the idea of using a 3/4 mat when I went bping with you. Yours looked so small and light when it was packed up, I thought I would try it.”

“It finally came last night!! It is considerably smaller and lighter than the one it is replacing. I can't wait to try it out on the trail, or on the floor of the living room. I also need to put it in my pack and see how well it will fit.”

“I have confirmed my wifes worst fears, I am an absolute nut bag. I spent last night on the lawn in my sleeping bag and using my new mat. It works great, I put my empty pack under my feet and was plenty cozy.”

“If you dug a hole in the lawn to go to the bathroom, then maybe you qualify as a nut bag, if you went inside, your just a gear tester.”

“I went inside, digging a hole in the lawn might get me banned from the house forever.”

“The only case I could see for "nut bag" would be if you went in the house and dug a hole...the other two options seem normal to me...”

“Worry if your wife starts digging a hole, say about six feet deep.”

“i remember when i discovered that my thermarest had to be inflated. after i'd slept on it. LOL!”

“No. Not gonna do it. lol....”

“Oh heck bit, let it rip!”

“I'm just gonna sit back and watch...”

“i know, i'm slow. it was semi-inflated when i bought it, and i used some duct tape to make it stay rolled up, so i could attach it to my pack. that's because i didn't know it could be deflated either! so then when we got to the campsite, i slept on it halfway-inflated, too. wheeee!”

“Better yet, lyra, roll yourself up in it, have Tarpy duct tape it closed, then inflate. It would be like one of those blood pressure sleeves for your whole body!”

“...she can only turn me into a newt once.

Other major discoveries by lyra

Wicking socks go on feet before hiking socks

Extendable hiking poles don't have to stay that way.

"Trailhead" is the place where you park your car, not a sex act.

You can see through "no-see-um" netting.

There is no such thing as an "up" sleeping bag.



That's all I can think of right now, but it's probably enough. Looking forward to my life as an amphibian...”

“Hmmmm, I see some dark, storm clouds gathering over Alabama....”

“like, ZAP! "trailhead," LOL! remember that "Trail Sex" thread? that was funny...

Aero, shut yo' mouth! i can't begin to tell you how much Tarpy would love that. ;-) those blood-pressure thingies are damn painful, i'll tell ya what. last time i had mine done, it was so low that the woman asked if i was still alive...and i think the sleeve was so tight, it came close to killing me! LOL. i'm a wimp.”

“You'd look like one of those little "tension relief" dolls you squeeze and their eyes pop out!”

“While I was Christmas shopping at REI today, what to my wondering eyes did appear but a 3/4 Ultralite. I quickly went home, as quick as I could in the snarled up holiday shopper traffic, got my 3/4 Discovery, and promptly traded it in for an Ultralite.
The Ultralite folds in half, and rolls up real tiny. I thought it was the Discovery that did that but it doesn't. Man, I dig that REI return policy, they took the Discovery back even though I had bought it on-line. I told the guy at the counter I had slept on it one night in the lawn, and I still got the full price on the return. Maybe it helped that I had already picked up the Ultralite and was ready to buy it. Also, I had rolled up the Discovery and put it back in its plastic sleeve and had the receipt and all that.
Anyway, I can't wait to try it out.”

“Be sure to buy an carry the repair kit! Worth its weight!”