Thermarest Trail Scout Review

If you like sleeping under the stars, then you’ve probably heard of Thermarest already. The company makes a range of camping products and is a strong advocate of keeping comfortable while spending time in the great outdoors.

In fact, its mission from the start has been to create innovative products that let outdoor enthusiasts get a good night’s rest in the great outdoors (nothing takes the edge off a day’s exploration like a bad night’s sleep, after all).

Its sleeping bags, pads, and even pillows have become firm favorites among fans of the outdoors from around the globe and, with their focus on comfort, it’s easy to see why.

Thermarest created the first-ever self-inflating sleeping pad back in the 70s, and since then has strived to bring innovative new designs to the marketplace. Here, we’re going to take a look at one of Thermarest’s best-selling sleeping pads, the Thermarest Trail Scout.

This pad is designed for 3-season use and comes in at the lower end of the price spectrum. While comfort is almost guaranteed with any Thermarest product, there are other factors to consider too, such as portability, convenience, and durability. So, let’s take a closer look at this beloved sleeping pad and see how well it performs across the board.

Comfort

Let’s get right to it – comfort. After all, the main purpose of a sleeping pad is to provide a layer of comfort between you and the ground below so you can get a good night’s kip out in the wilderness.

The Thermarest Trail Scout is beloved by lightweight packers from around the world but has this portability come at the cost of comfort? Let’s take a look.

Materials

One of our favorite features of the Thermarest trail scout is the layer of foam padding it has at its core. This PU foam molds to the shape of your body, supporting any weak spots, and is 1-inch thick to make sure you don’t feel a thing underneath you.

This thickness makes it an excellent choice for side sleepers, whose hips might dig into the ground when sleeping on thinner mattresses.

Fear not, though, if you aren’t a fan of firm mattresses – the inflatable nature of this pad means you can let some air out if you prefer things a little on the saggy side.

Finally, the mattress also features a stretch-knit fabric on the top, so you won’t have any tough fabrics rubbing on you in the night, winning.

Fit

Although mattresses have remained slim to keep the weight down, they certainly aren’t too slim. The regular-sized mattress is long enough for anyone up to 6ft, and there’s a larger model available too for any taller folk, so you really can get the size that’s right for you.

Overall, the foam padding does an awesome job of keeping things coy while keeping the weight down. What’s more, we love that you can adjust the firmness of the mattress by letting some air out, and it’s always good to see more than one size option available – so a great job all-in-all!

Durability and Warmth

So we know that the Thermarest Trail Scout is nice and soft to sleep on… but does that mean it’s too soft for life in the great outdoors? And does it really live up to its name as a 3-season sleeping pad?

Durability

If you do your research, you’ll find that this pad features a 75D polyester exterior… but what does that actually mean? Well, deniers (D) are how we refer to the thickness of fibers – the thicker it is the higher the denier.

Obviously, thicker equals tougher, and not all fabrics are created equal. Nylon and polyester are the most common materials used for sleeping pad shells, and polyester is the thicker (and heavier) of the two. Sleeping pads can be found with Ds ranging from 20-100, and there’s typically a trade-off between durability and weight.

Sure, this pad might be lacking some of the fancier features you see in more expensive models, such as the use of ripstop fabric and reinforcement on the bottom, but this is what’s helped it to remain an economical option.

What’s more, with a shell constructed from high-denier (75D) polyester, you can rest assured that this pad can handle a few bumps and scrapes in the great outdoors even without those fancy touches.

Warmth

This pad is designed for 3-season use and has an R-value of 3.1. R-values refer to how well a pad can resist heat loss, and 3-season pads typically have R-values of 2-4.5.

So, with an R-value of 3.1, this pad might not win any awards for warmth, but it’s certainly warm enough for all but the coolest 3-season camping trips.

Portability

Okay, so now we know that not only is the Thermarest Trail Scout super comfy but it can also stand up to life in the great outdoors.

What you’re probably wondering now is whether this comfort and durability have come at the cost of reduced portability – after all, if you keep stuffing a pad with insulation and lining it with tough materials, you can make any pad touch and comfy – but it will weigh a tonne too. So, let’s take a closer look at how well the Trail Scout performs in the portability department.

Weight

Despite not being designed specifically for super minimalistic backcountry adventures, the Trail Scout has managed to keep its weight surprisingly low. This is largely due to it being an air pad, which reduces the need for heaps of heavy padding to keep you comfortable – it simply lets the air do this for you.

With an overall weight of just 23 oz (for the regular size), this pad is definitely light enough for backpacking adventures, despite its comfort and durability – well done Thermarest!

Dimensions

Another advantage of air pads is that they fold down nice and small due to the lack of heavy padding, and the Trail Scout is no exception. The foam itself compresses exceptionally well (and opens up again when you need it), making it very easy to fold away into a compact bundle.

In fact, this pad even comes with a handy stuff sack for you to transport and store your pad in – and the longest side is shorter than a standard ruler, so it can definitely fit in most packs without an issue.

So, all things considered, this pad is surprisingly portable despite its warm, comfy nature, and this is largely thanks to its air-filled design.

While it might not be as ultralight and compact as bags designed purposefully for backcountry adventures, it’s far more portable than most entry-level pads, especially at this price point.

Convenience

Convenience is often overlooked when it comes to sleeping pads because they aren’t as complicated as other bits of gear, like tents. Yet don’t underestimate the amount of time that can be wasted on an inconvenient sleeping bag, both during set-up and when packing away.

The Thermarest Trail Scout has been designed with beginner campers in mind, so you’d expect it to be intuitive and easy to use – but is this really the case? Let’s have a look and see.

Inflation

Don’t you just hate sitting around your freshly made-up camp huffing and puffing over an air pad that seems to take forever to fill? Not only is it boring, but for anyone that suffers from lightheadedness, it can even lead to fainting, especially in hot climates (believe me, it’s happened to me a bunch of times).

Well, the good news is that the Thermarest Tail Scout has been designed to inflate all by itself – yay. To fill up your pad, simply crack open the valve and let the pad do its thing (this should take around 10 minutes). Once ‘full’, you can add a couple of breaths of air to reach your ideal firmness and, hey presto, you’re done – it doesn’t get much more beginner than that!

Deflation

The WingLock valve makes deflating a breeze too – simply open the ‘wing’ on the valve and turn the valve counterclockwise. Then, all you need to do is press the air out of your pad (which you can do by simply rolling it up).

Oh, and another thing we love – the large pads come equipped with TwinLock valves that allow air to escape five times faster than ordinary valves, you won’t have to hang around camp waiting for the air to drain.

Stuff sack

Although we like that this pad comes with a stuff sack included, our only gripe in terms of convenience is that fact that getting your pad in your bag can be a bit of a pain – we definitely recommended getting a buddy to hold the bag open for you the first few times so you can keep the pad tightly bundled.

Overall, however, this is one ultra-convenient pad that packs away nice and small and even inflates itself – perfect for both beginners and experienced campers.

Value for Money

The Thermarest Trail Scout has been designed as an entry-level 3-season camping pad, but how well does it compare to other pads in its price range?

Very well, actually. Without breaking the bank, you can get yourself a pad that’s not only comfortable but is highly portable and durable too. What’s more, it’s super convenient too, so you really are getting a lot of bang for your buck.

Rating

With an overall score of 92, the Thermarest Trail Scout has performed well against our rating system, with high marks across the board.

It’s lacking some of the extra features you’ll find in more expensive models, such as some added durability touches, and the stuff sack could be a little better. However, all things considered, this bag offers great all-around performance and can be used for 3-season camping trips whether you’re backpacking or have a vehicle with you.

What’s more, for the budget-conscious of you out there, it comes with a limited lifetime warranty too, so you don’t need to worry about purchasing one and it falling apart on you a few trips in (although we highly doubt that would happen anyway!).

Verdict

So, to sum it all up, the Thermarest Trail Scout is an excellent entry-level sleeping pad for 3-season camping. It’s light enough to be carried around on your back if needed, yet it’s also comfortable and will last you a while. What’s more, it’s super convenient and comes with a  lifetime warranty included.

If you’re new to the world of camping, and you aren’t sure if you want to go all-out in terms of comfort (and add to the weight) or go ultralightweight (for backcountry trips), then this pad is a great starting point to find out what you really like in a pad.