The weight of an inflatable pad is a little off-putting - add in the weight of a chair kit for it, and it's even moreso. However, when I finally admitted that my hips would no longer go peacefully into that good night unless they had some cushioning, I found a way to have my chair and sit in it too, so to speak.

I now use a 3/4 length Thermarest Prolite 3 pad (13 ounces), and I also carry the 20" Trekker chair kit (11 ounces.) This gives me a soft, supportive bed and a warm, dry place to sit. The chair also keeps the pad (and, by association, my tent floor) clean. This combo replaced the 11 ounce Z-lite pad I had been using. So, how do I justify almost an extra pound?

Easy. I replaced my Granite Gear Vapor Trail pack (34 ounces) with a Granite Gear Virga (20 ounces.) The pad and chair do double duty as part of the suspension of the Virga. In fact, this is a very effective virtual suspension; the chair kit adds the benefit of stays, and lightly inflated, the pad is fairly rigid. It's so good that I've found it raises the load that I can comfortably carry in the Virga from the 20 pound manufacturer's rating to 25 pounds. Since my load for a 4-night trip (including food, warm clothing, and a quart of water) is only 20 or 21 pounds, that leaves enough capacity for hauling two extra quarts of water over a dry stretch, or to a dry camp.

Since I "need" the pad and chair to make my pack work, I don't feel at all guilty about lounging around in it at night. (Next to compound interest, the ability to rationalize may be humanity's most amazing invention!)