Therm-a-Rest Vesper 20 and NeoAir UberLite Sleeping Pad

Everyone likes a nice lightweight setup. Therm-a-Rest never disappoints with their uberlight sleep pads and quilts you will certainly have a great night sleep. Every once counts and you can bet Therm-a-Rest has you covered. 

Just the Facts:

Featuring unrivaled packability and featherweight design, the Vesper 20F/-6C quilt provides no-frills camp comfort. The quilt uses thermally-efficient box baffled construction to maximize warmth and comfort for a high-performance, ultralight piece. The Vesper was designed with high-quality materials and Therm-a-Rest performance features like a SynergyLink

• 900-fill Nikwax Hydrophobic Down^™: Stays drier and maintains loft 60 times longer than untreated down.
• Unrivaled Packability: Lightweight materials and precise design allow for a smaller packed size than ever before.
• Box Baffled Construction: Uses mesh walls to maximize loft and minimize cold spots.
• SynergyLink^™ Connectors: Integrate the bag with a mattress for optimal efficiency and comfort; removable for versatility.
• Draft Protected: Perimeter side baffles, snap neck closure and insulated footbox eliminate unwanted drafts.
• Responsible Down Standard Certified: Certification that ensures that the waterfowl in the down supply chain are treated humanely.

Tech Spec:

NeoAir UberLite Sleeping Pad

As the absolute lightest insulated air sleeping pad available, the NeoAir UberLite is the top choice for thru hikers and ounce counters, setting new standard for ultralight comfort for a handful of ounces. The unrivaled Triangular Core Matrix offers the best warmth-to-weight ratio of any air sleeping pad construction, creating a 2.3 R-value for a featherweight. The construction gives the 2.5 inch (6.4 cm) thick pad superior stability, boasting the most inches of weld for maximum camp comfort. The ultralight sleeping pad features the high-performance WingLock valve, allowing the pad to inflate three times faster thanks to a larger opening and one-way inflation. Like all Therm-a-Rest pads, the NeoAir UberLite is made in market to ensure quality and minimize environmental impact. The pad includes a breath-saving pump sack, compact stuff sack and field repair kit.

• Featherweight: Weighing just north of half a pound, the UberLite sets a new standard for ultralight comfort.
• Minimal Pack Size: Shrinks down smaller than any NeoAir® ever.
• Big On Comfort: 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) of cushion provide luxurious rest during your fast and light activities.
• Reliable NeoAir® Construction: Built using our trusted Triangular Core Matrix™ to maximize your rest during long, backcountry objectives.
• WingLock™ Valve: Our intuitive and dependable valve maximizes air flow for easier inflation and quicker deflation. Wings toggle for one-way inflation to save breath.
• Pump sack, stuff sack and repair kit included

My Story:

I love lightweight quilts. I just love them and I’m not ashamed to say it. When it comes to light weight and comfort the good folks at Therm-a-Rest know a thing or two about that. Therm-a-Rest has been providing quality sleeping bags and quilts for a number of years and quality sleeping mattresses and pads for even longer. The point is, they know what they are doing.

I have had the privilege of testing a variety of Therm-a-Rest sleeping bags in the past but this was my first quilt. The Vesper has been on some serious adventure with me over the past year and I feel very confident in this long overdue review.

My first use of the Vesper was as an additional layer of warmth on a backcountry elk hunting trip. My past experience with my zero degree sleeping bag was that it was not enough and I froze my butt off. So, I needed to supplement my system but I was not sure how to make that happen with both weight and space in mind. The Vesper became my working option and it was a huge success. The 1.3 lbs of additional weight was very manageable and the warmth that allowed for a full night sleep was worth every once. I just tucked the Vesper into my other bag and I slept like a baby even though it go down to 6 degrees.

The next testing was during an early season backpacking trip. I was going to use my hammock and I wanted to run the Vesper as it’s weight to warmth ratio seemed to fit my needs perfectly. With expected low temperatures to get into the upper 30’s I felt confident in the choice. I want to note that advertised temperature settings are extremely subjective and not something that I often critique as there are so many variables that impact the rating. As I stated above, I have a zero degree bag that I have frozen in 20 degree weather. It was not a Therm-a-Rest bag and that may be the problem!

Anyway, my backpacking trip went wonderful and the Vesper kept me warm and comfortable the whole trip. I love the additional space that can be provided while using a quilt and I found it to be my new favorite set up for this type of adventure.

The last testing area was actually for my oldest daughter to try. We drove our boat up the Snake River and found a great beach for camping. She popped out the Vesper and the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite Sleeping Pad and made her bed right on the sand. She inflated the UberLite and added the Vesper to the mix by way of the included retention straps that hold the quilt to the pad. She did comment on how nice the valve was as it allowed for fast inflation. After 4 nights of adventure she was also a huge Vesper fan, which is a problem because we only have one to share. Guess I know what to do for her birthday!      

So, I know I just popped an Easter egg in here about The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite Sleeping Pad. This pad is just another example of Therm-a-Rest’s innovative design backed with their lifetime warranty is a solid homerun. So lets talk about that before we wrap up this review.  

When it comes to a sleeping pad there is not a huge amount of fancy story telling that can be used to promote it. It either works or it doesn’t. This pad just works. It’s 8.8 ounces and 2.5 inches of thickness are out of this world. I mean, it’s almost too good to be true.

The UberLite does what it should do, it fills with air and provides a comfortable base for a wonderful night sleep. If it has any downsides it would be that the lightweight comes at a small cost as the material appears to be a bit fragile. I would not want to put this pad directly on the ground for fear of puncture holes. This is the trade for the weight savings and if kept in mind when setting up camp it should not be an issue.

Some people make mention of the sound of the pad, complain that it is too loud. I don’t find this to be an issue and certainly not one that I would use to downgrade the review of the pad or it’s functionality and comfort. Overall this is just a fantastic sleeping pad that is almost impossibly light. I think you are going to love it!     

Find it Here:

https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-bags-and-quilts/fast-and-light/vesper-20f-6c-quilt/vesper-20.html

https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/neoair-uberlite-sleeping-pad/neoair-uberlite.html

What can be done better?

As of right now I would not do anything different other than attach the retention straps permanently to the quilt. I have managed to lose one already and I think that is a bit of a bummer.