Metro to Mountain Journal

A few years back, our friend Mark was meeting us at a Turquoise Lake campsite near Leadville, CO. He was planning on sleeping in the back of his camper top covered pickup truck. We were feeling sorry for him having to lie in the back of his truck bed. He had been having back troubles and was going to suffer through a night in the back of his truck just to camp with us.

Then, Mark unrolled his new mat in the bed of the truck. It was a Therm-a-Rest DreamTime. The Hilton Inn did not have a nicer mattress. (Not that there was a HIlton in Leadville!) We were envious.

The DreamTime is a self inflating pad coupled with a memory foam top to give the user "decadent sleep." Well, that was exactly what we were after - decadent sleep. Our friend, Mark, maybe didn't use the word "decadent"; but he oohed and aahed as he laid back on the plush pad. We understood exactly what he was saying.

Later that night we discussed each bump we felt beneath our pads and exactly how long we were going to wait before we bought DreamTime pads.

The following Spring after we received our REI dividends we bought DreamTime pads. Never again were we going to lie awake at night and count the number of pumps poking us in the back. Ooh. Aah. Yes, the pads are that good.

And now, for a few DreamTime notes...

• The pads are big, even when deflated.
• The pads are not suited for backcountry use, unless a troop of Boy Scouts have offered to carry your gear. On longer trips when we are car camping and backcountry camping we carry two sets of pads.
• The DreamTime mats are expensive.
• An R (insulating) value of '9' is assigned to the pad. There are houses that are not insulated as well.
• The pads are 3.5 inches thick.
• A soft microfiber cloth covers the top of the pad.
• Side straps help secure two pads together.
• Often times, I went to sleep; but forgot to inflate the mattress. It was still comfortable.
• A single sized, fitted sheet perfectly covers two mattresses. On extended camping trips we use a sheet, because it is easier to wash the sheet than the cover.
• The pads come with compression straps to help with storage.
• The pads are not slippery.
• The DreamTime pads are simply the best mats for car camping.

If you have trouble getting a good nights rest while car camping, the DreamTime is the answer. It is expensive; but is still less than the price of a couple of nights for a moderately priced hotel room. Yes, it is that good, in fact the pad is "decadent."

Happy DreamTime trails.