TreeLineBackpacker

I found myself unhappily sitting on a wet tree that had fallen in the woods. My butt was wet, uncomfortable, and not particularly happy about it. From the corner of my eye, I could see it. The small, yellow, childish apparatus that Laura, who was sitting next to me, was using. Her butt was dry, comfy, and quite content. Then the realization hit me. The thought that this silly device that I was just making fun of, was actually making me jealous.

Not every piece of gear has to be vital. Not every piece of gear even needs to be fancy. I give you, the Thermarest, Z seat. Short and simple, it’s a foam mat for your bootie. It folds up, it folds out, and you sit on it. And I love it.

About the Pad

The pad rings up at 15 bucks or so, and weighs a minute 2 ounces. It packs up to  12 x 2.75 x 2.5 inches, and lays flat at 16 x 13 x .75 inches. It has a fancy metallic finish that reflects your body heat back to keep you warm in the winter too.

What I like about it

It’s a good, cheap, super light way to keep your butt happy. It packs up easily, and should fit in just about anyones day pack. After a rain, it will keep your butt dry and give you a somewhat padded place to rest after a long hike. It makes even the toughest, hardest rock, a formidable butt stump. It fits pretty easily into a pack, and unfolds instantly. I can’t imagine it ever going bad…I mean. You can’t really break it right?

What I didn’t like

It does noticeably wear after just a few nights use. It doesn’t affect the performance in any way, but it does look a bit rougher for wear after a week of hard use. While it weighs almost nothing, it can take up a decent amount of space in your pack.

Overall

It’s not something you’ll need…ever. It’s not something you really even want…until you try it, and someone else has one. You’ll find yourself greedily, jealously eying their much happier cheeks. Give it a go. You won’t regret it.