my wife and i both use thermarests (between the two of us, we've got 4--two 3/4 ultralights from the backpacking days, and 2 full length mid-weights that we use paddling).

i should also say that i've never actually had a leak myself, but my wife seems to be able to induce a leak in either one of hers about every third trip. i'm pretty adept at fixing them, she's not (not surprising, as i'm an avid year round cyclist/commuter/tourer as well as a paddler, so i can fix a flat...).

i like my thermarest well enough, but i slept on one of the new mountain hardware pads about a month ago, and it's very comfy and essentially maintenance free. what's more, you can take the cover off and wash it, if you like (although that's not a big deal for us, since we have custom-sewn flannel covers for our thermarests).

as for the gloves...i wear a pair of lightweight wool fingerless gloves with nubbly palms for most of the cool weather paddling. i want the neoprene for the cold weather paddling. by this, i mean winter. i paddle year round (and i live in madison, wi) on whatever water around here doesn't freeze (wisconsin river below the sauk dam, columbia lake, a section of the yahara river in town, the wisconsin river between rhinelander and the hat rapids dam, etc.) one's hands always get wet. wet's ok, as long as it's warm, and neoprene's the only way i've found to make that work.

Posted by j-stroke on October 31, 2001 at 09:21
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