Last year when I attempted my first tour, the idea of a sleeping pad came to mind. But with my budget way over what I thought it would be, I decided its something I could do with out. I have some hobo friends who say cardboard works great- you can find it anywhere and you don’t have to take it with you.

As I lay shivering in my sleeping bag on top of wet cardboard I realized I was learning a lesson the very hard way. So when I set out on tour this time, I made sure to have a sleeping pad. Therm-A-Rest was kind enough to send the Trail Pro to me to test out.

My first impression is that its big- even deflated it seems big. At 77 inches long and 25 inches wide it is big, but I'm a tall guy so it makes sense.

Weight-wise it didn’t seem bad. It weighs in at 2 lbs 11 oz, so not too bad. The pad is self-inflating and has 2 inches of pad, plus you can always huff and puff and add a little more air if you want.

It strapped fine to my rack- it hung off the back a bit, but not too bad. I use the JandD expedition rack which has a little more length and it seemed like a good fit.

At camp with a twist of a valve I had an instant bed. The first night we got a great spot on some nice grass, but day two was all stones and I never felt them (maybe Brandon will tell us if he felt the rocks or not (nope- I found a patch of grass the size of my sleeping bag! -B)).

This pad is deluxe. I was really surprised how comfy I was. the temperature was hot so getting cold because of the ground was not really and issue, but I'm sure this pad would provide plenty of insulation.

In the morning I would simply open the valve and roll the pad up and it would compact pretty good. I think I could get away with something smaller and maybe half-length, but im torn. I feel a good nights sleep is important on tour, and this pad will give you that for sure.

If you are looking for pad that will let you sleep well, this is it- but be prepared to make arrangements for its size.

(You can see it rolled up and packed on my bike on my tour story.)