Reader Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5

When you combine this 59" pad with the shorter torso eggshell pattern pad it works.

The thin pad protects from moisture, dirt, needles, rocks, etc. And, when combined with the torso pad keeps the legs comfortable and insulated.

I wrap mine up with my torso pad and it works great at the top of my pack carried under the hood thing. At about or less than 2 oz. it is worth the weight. Maybe this picture will show what the bundle looks like after it has been used a few times so the shape changes to conform to the packing job:



Here it is attached to my pack (REI UL 45), with the snow scoop from the BPL Gear Shop on the back of the pack and an insulated cup (which embarasses me to myself, but my partner loves it and convinced me to get one from Campmor -- I think its going, I'd rather use a styrofoam cup from Denny's or Burger King or such, if any at all ... although I love the warm sweet coffe or tea or lemon juice after a bit of snow shoeing around this place).



I have tried to velcro the two pads, the 1/8" and the eggshell torso, together so they won't slip on each other at night, but so far haven't found a good glueing agent.

All I can say is for the price and weight this is a 5, plus you get to support the UL people and deal with them.

It also provides options in different heat, weather, and terrain conditions for what I take with me because I can always shift up to the 3/8" version (or there is also now a 1/4" that is newer and which I don't own)if I want the extra padding and insulation value. I have slept on the 3/8" by itself and it works but isn't perfect -- but add the eggshell torso pad and it makes it a luxurious experience, with a good down bag, at about 5.5 oz. for the 3/8" instead of around 2 oz. for the 1/8".

Edited by bdavis on 11/30/2006 15:29:26 MST.

Rating: 5 / 5

This is a great ultra light pad to add for waterproof and hopefully puncture proof protection.

I used this pad under my Therm-A-Rest Woman's Pro 3 pad, it's function was perfect for this use. Used alone it would be way to thin for someone as old as me...lol

My only recommendation is:
Do not expose to long periods of harsh sunlight. I had it attached to the outside of my pack in the High Sierras and it melted as the photo below shows. Still works only now I have 4 rounded indents instead of a straight edge.

Edited by AlohaTink on 10/18/2007 13:20:23 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

Having used both of the above mentioned combinations(only with a Mens' Prolite 3), I heartily concur with their rating(s). It would be hard to find a piece of insulation/protection/padding that gives better price/performance IME. I did make one slight modification based on my experience: After finding that my heels tended to compress the foam to the point where my heels felt cold and uncomfortable, due to the small area of the heels relative to the pressure they exert, I cut a piece off an old Thinlite ~8" x 20" and glued it over the foot end of my current Thinlite to create a 1/4" cushion for my heels. Works like a charm-happy feet for ~1/4 oz extra weight. A bargain IMO. Near as I can tell, I'll have to replace the panel about once a season, but that is not a big problem.

Rating: 5 / 5

I will always take this pad into the woods when I camp. It gives great warmth for the weight. The insulation quality is excellent. It is durable as well. I never poked a hole in it, but it did have some abrasion. When using my Torsolite, I will always use the 1/8" Thinlite pad. I highly recommend this pad for its insulation purposes, but off course it doesn't provide much cushion at all.

Rating: 5 / 5

I've been using my GG 1/8" Thinlight both to supplement my GG Nightlight Torso and as a sit pad.

Its great with the torso pad to insulate your legs on colder nights. It provides some additional padding but that's really not what its designed for. For a shade over 2 oz, it always goes in my pack.

It also shines as a sit pad. Its super light and can be folded and rolled to be pretty small to fit in or on all of my day packs and lumbar packs. It can be left folded in quarters for a nice, cushy place to sit and eat lunch, or you can spread it out for more room and a place to nap. This pad comes with me just about anytime I go outside with a pack on.

Its also been really tough. I haven't had any tears or holes develop after many nights of sleeping on it and many day hikes and trail work outings using it as a sit pad.

Overall I'm extremely happy with my GG 1/8" Thinlight. Its usability make its small weight and small price absolutely worth it.

Rating: 5 / 5

So far I've had great experiences with the thinlight. Like the original poster pointed out, when combined with the thicker torso pad, it's hard to beat. I have yet to take just this pad, however, as I don't think it would be very comfortable and because I use the torso-lengthed Nightlight as a frame for my backpack. One thing I've noticed is that it does suffer damages when strapped to the outside of a backpack. Trailside trees and shrubs will grab the material's edges and rip it or tear a hole in it. Also, if you strap it down too tightly, the foam will hold a memory of the strap marks. Add onto that the reports from thru hikers of Evazote foam losing its loft and warmth after about 30-60 nights of use and I'm thinking maybe these are not going to last many years. Since I'm more of a weekend backpacker, who will get only a few longer trips in per year, 1-2 months of cumulative use will last me a long time. However, I'm going to keep an eye on the loft of this pad and maybe replace it if it ever seems to have lost its resiliancy. The good news is that Gossamer Gear sells these for a very low price so this is quite practical. In fact, if you do the numbers and compare this to something like the Thermarest ccf pads, cumulative price of replacing the thinlight pads vs. product lifetime isn't much of an issue at all

Rating: 5 / 5

Really like the light weight. I combine this pad with the Gossamer Gear Torso pad. I know this style of pad is not for everyone, but it works for me.

Rating: 5 / 5

It was a dark night, cold and windy at my poorly chosen campsite. Woke up cold so I moved the 1/8 GG pad from under the Torsolite to cover me inside the bivy--instant warmth. Maybe the exertion from all that twisting helped, but there was an immeditate sensation of more warmth. That is good value from 2 oz. in the pack. Might not work for all night due to condensation. The pad can also be worn in camp under a shell, by wrapping it around your torso.

Rating: 5 / 5

So far I have found several uses for the 1/8" GG Thinlight pad:

(1) Dog sleeping pad (cut to 36" long). It's just right for my 80-lb. dog who sleeps curled up in a ball. He's made a toenail indent or two but no holes. It can be folded or rolled or even wadded up to fit in his doggie pack. It's probably not enough insulation for a dog with a short thin coat, but it works fine for my Lab/Golden cross. For short-haired dogs without an undercoat, on cold nights, I'd recommend a 1/4" or 3/8" Thinlight pad and an insulating jacket. I also wouldn't leave this (or any) foam pad alone with a pup who hasn't passed the chewing stage. EDIT: After some restless nights when my dog's standing up and then turning around three times before lying down again left the 1/8" pad wadded up in a corner of the tent, I've gotten him a thicker pad. The 1/8" is a bit too flimsy for my "Robert Benchley" dog!

(2) Sleeping pad supplement for me on cold nights. I had a couple of really frosty nights (dog's water froze solid) when my POE Insulmat Max Thermo (now the Ether Thermo) was marginal. A piece of Thinlight, cut to torso length, on top of the POE pad solved the problem. It would be great as a fall/spring supplement for any type of pad. For winter, I'd probably want a full-length 3/8" pad to supplement the POE pad. EDIT--with a NeoAir, the 1/8" pad only got it down to about freezing for me. I'd get the 3/8" pad if you want to supplement a plain old air pad or the NeoAir below freezing.

(3) Sit pad--can be folded for more cushioning when sitting on hard surface (rock or log) or spread out for more relaxation. I use the leftover pieces after shortening the 59" long pad as dayhike sit pads.

(4) Backpack pad--while it doesn't provide support (I use the "optional" stays in my SMD Comet for that), it does provide padding for my back.

I plan to experiment with more possibilities (especially for the pieces left over when I've shortened the pad) and will edit this report when I've tested them out.

The 1/8" GG Thinlight pad is very lightweight, versatile and, at $9 for a 19.5 x 59" piece, quite inexpensive.

Edited by hikinggranny on 03/08/2011 16:07:26 MST.

Rating: 4 / 5

It's hard to get more warmth for the weight (or price). I like having a few pieces to add in as supplementary feet and/or torso pieces.

It is quite fragile. Do not leave this on the outside of your pack when bushwacking!