# Therma Rest Z Lite or RidgeRest and other camping gear!



## matt4x4 (Aug 14, 2018)

Here is the lowdown. I want to get into hiking and back country camping. I also ride an electric bicycle. 



Primary concern is sleeping. I have searched and these two came up.



Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest SOLite
Small is 48"L x 20"W and costs $25cdn
Large is 77.2"L x 24.8"W and costs $49cdn


Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol
$43 to $58 and the foam does compress over time more so the RidgeRest.



I am 6'5" and 375lbs
Tried them self inflates but they did not work, and deflated leaving us to leave early last year. I just dont think they are made for heavier folks.



I am seriously thinking about buying TWO Small RidgeRest SOLites because they are 1.5cm thick, so doubled up thats 3cm thick for $50cdn! I dont care much about my feet/shin area, and dont need a mat under my pillow, so I think four feet is plenty for my butt and back.



The plan is to ride the e-bicycle that has a trailer and go camping in the Rocky Mountains, I know the smoke is out there hanging around with all the forest fires in BC and AB. But I want an adventure before the snow starts falling.



I do need a tent, but they are so expensive. I have looked into just making your own shelter out of tarps, which I may do, I am 50-50 on it right now.



Walmart Canada sells 

*Ozark Trail 6 Person Dome Tent*

10' (L) x 9' (W) x 60"(H)is $60 - I buy solely based on tent height.


Then I figure a metal pot that doubles into a 500ml cup, not that I drink coffee or any hot liquids, but I was thinking for soups or meats, and drinking cup. Then them camping utensils, SPORKS.


I have purchased a few knives. Bear Spray is a must so thats an extra $40.



The ride itself will be a few hours easily, with breaks to charge up the batteries at gas stations.


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## MacGyver (Jun 2, 2016)

Your sleeping pad plan sound good, but I'd be hesitant to recommend that tent. There's a reason why tents costs what they do. Quality materials and quality construction cost more. I mean, that's a lot of tent for the money, but I would worry about what _didn't_ go into making it rather than how much room you have. Something like a broken tent pole, a broken zipper, or even worse a poorly stitched seam that comes apart, can make for a miserable trip. And I've yet to see a low end tent that can stand up to rain. Being on a bicycle, you wouldn't even have a vehicle to crawl into in the event of a tent failure. I'm not saying to go out and buy a $900 Hilleberg, but maybe consider upgrading a bit to something like a Eureka, a Kelty or even a Coleman tent.

In any event, since it appears that you're just getting into camping(?), I would recommend a backyard trial before actually heading out. Get all your gear together, familiarize yourself with how to set everything up and how you'll be using it. That will minimize the chance for unwelcome surprises once you're out there in the middle of nowhere. You also might be surprised to find that you'll need things you hadn't thought about.


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