User Review: REI Men's Lite-Core 1.5

Pros: Compact Roll Up, Lightweight, Non Slip

Best Uses: Weekend Trips, Backpacking, Extended Trips

I purchased this pad to replace a Big Agnes pad that I thought was going to be comfy. At over 2.5 inches thick, it seemed promising, but fell short.

Anyway, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve been trying to lighten my loads, and while this isn’t the lightest pad out there, at 27 ounces, it’s far from heavy.

I recently used this pad on a Zion National Park Narrows Top Down hike. I found it easy to unroll and to inflate. Just unfold, open the valve, and throw it in the tent for a while. Come back later, add a few puffs of air and you are ready to go.

I was concerned, that with the pad being only 1.5 inches thick, I was going to bottom out and feel the ground. Didn’t happen. I sleep both on my side and back, and was comfortable in both positions. The grippy silicon on the pad kept me in place all night, too.

The following morning I opened the valve before getting up, letting my body weight force most of the air out of the pad. Getting all the air out of the pad wasn’t too difficult, something I found impossible with the BA pad. Still, it took two tries before getting it flat enough to go back into its stuff sack. But to be fair, the ThermaRest pad I use for car camping takes the same.

I’m not sure how this pad will hold up, especially considering the centerline fold. I’m considering purchasing a long stuff sack so I can roll it up without folding it. It will no longer fit inside my 65 liter backpack, but I think it’ll add life to the pad.

All-in-all the REI Lite-Core 1.5 self-inflating pad does what it was designed for, landing if firmly in the middle of the rating system, with no big flaws or extras