It’s not that I needed a new sit pad; my long-suffering Thermarest sit pad is doing just fine (it is so old, it is a prototype that fell off the wagon into my backpack and became a forever piece of gear). Still, as I walked past an endcap of Klymit gear at the local hardware store (yes, we have unusual stores on our island), I saw the tiny package for the Klymit V Seat. It got me thinking, and I picked one up to try. The boys need new sit pads, so I’d be trying out their new pads, right?
Locally, the hardware store was selling them for $19.99. They are cheaper on Amazon and on the Klymit website, but I had a $5 off coupon from the store, so it made it around $17 with tax, which actually made it less than Amazon. So, it was a win for local shopping for once.
And let’s be real here: the Klymit pad is less than half the cost of a Thermarest sit pad. That alone can make a huge difference if one buys gear for multiple people.
After opening up the package, it is a tiny roll, weighing in at 2.6 ounces.
It took about 2.5 puffs to blow it up, so unless you smoke a pack a day, you should have no issues quickly inflating it.
We tried it out while taking a hiking break, and I found it to be very comfortable. Being it isn’t a smooth surface (a block of air), one’s butt settles in nicely. If you are a man, I cannot speak for you; I am a size 12-14 female for size reference.
But here’s the thing: It was more comfortable than my 15+ year-old Thermarest pad. It probably isn’t as durable, for sure, but I have a permanent lower back injury I gave myself about 20 years ago. Anytime I don’t feel compression on my lower left side, it is a win. I sat there and felt no pain. Nothing was being compressed.
It quickly deflates and can be rolled back up into a tidy burrito.
We shall see how it holds up this coming summer, being used on rock surfaces.
~Sarah