Reddit mentions of Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest SOLite Mattress

• I had no idea what kind of gloves I needed. The only time I've needed them is when I hiked in the Smokies for three days, and it was below 27 the entire time. I had leather driving gloves, and they were adequate. But wool seems way more practical.
  
  
• What do you think about Peanut Lighters? Bics would probably be more available, and I'd be able to stock up in towns with them. I want reliability, so I may compromise and take one of each.
  
  
• I was thinking of durability, which is why I first jumped to Nalgene. That being said, the 1L Platypus (stand-up bottle, not a hosed one) I've owned for 6-7 years has been fantastic, and weighs virtually nothing. Also, bonuses for you for the straw-hydration system. I chose the 2L pack, for it was 2c cheaper than the 1L, though I don't plan on completely filling it up unless there are time constraints, etc.
  
  
• GONE! I haven't read Winton's book yet, but I'll add that on my to-read list.
  
  Aside - I'm an Eagle Scout, so I'm going crazy with "Be Prepared" and "pack lightly" conflicting.
I wouldn't imagine there are too many emergency situations though, given the high volume of traffic.
  
  
• Wow, a big thanks for that heads up. That's what I always used on backpacking trips, but they were never more than a few days. I did acquire a taste for the iodine flavor, somehow. I think I'll get over that.
  
  
• I was planning on purchasing the knife anyway for general camping, but may end up just taking my old, basic Swiss Army instead.
  
  
• I was somewhat wary of a $15 backpacking stove, but with 48 reviews giving it a 4.6/5 rating, I was pretty much sold. The reviews are raving, and the pictures show that the little stove is able to put out some serious heat. But yes, testing is in order waaay before I hit the trail.
  
  
• Duly noted on the shorts.
  
  
• Got rid of both the other jackets, and am rather eager to try out the Patagonia down.
  
  

• HOLY SHIT, that is quite the behemoth at 55 oz. It had a perfect 5* rating with 19 reviews, was fairly cheap, and everybody praised it for the comfort. Comfort comes at a price. Here's a table of the pads I've compared.
  

  
  

  Name|Weight (ounces)|Size|Price
  

  ---|:--:|:--:|---:
  Thermarest Luxury Map Air|55 ಠ_ಠ|Regular|$81.53
  Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Air |14|Regular|$149.95
  Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Trekker|26|Large|$99.95
  Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Trekker|20|Regular|$96.83
  Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Trekker|???|Large Torso|$81.54
  Therm-A-Rest Trail Lite|39|Large|$63.95
  Therm-A-Rest Trail Lite|28|Regular|$59.95
  Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest SOLite|19|Regular|$21.95
  Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest SOLite|19??|Large|$29.95
  
  

• Though I am a fan of the pad you selected, the price seems a bit too much for me. I might be able to shell out almost $100 for the Regular sized NeoAir Trekker (20 oz). Though I'm probably going to be a cheap bastard and go for the slightly less insulating RidgeRest SOLite series (Large - $30, 19 oz; Regular - $22, 19 oz).
  
  
• And I posed some questions earlier in the comments, but I was wondering what you thought about footwear - should I bring just boots,
  just trail-runners, or both? And should I bring my 0* mummy and/or 50* fleece bags?
  
  Thank you so much for your insight thus far, you've already helped me literally take off pounds in my pack.
  
  EDIT - FORMATTING

I use a very thin Thermarest air mattress camping, like this and it's pretty comfortable. You can let some air out once you are on it so you sink in better, or make it extremely firm. This style is similar to an egg crate, and collapses into a rectangle shape when not using, so that can be handy, it's more foam than air, so some people like it more, some less. Lastly, this style is just semi-hard foam, and rolls up for storage. It's about the same as the egg crate one, but with a different foam pattern. There are also some ultralight Thermarest air ones that break down really small and light, but they are pretty expensive.

I've slept on all of them and I'd say for comfort, the air inflating one is the most comfortable, and I've had mine for 5+ years with no issue. I have a patch kit for it, and (thankfully) haven't had to use it yet. If you are just going for budget, Wal-Mart and other sporting good stores sell blue roll up foam pieces for around $10 that are decent too, it gives a bit of padding and and some insulation from the floor at a great price.