[Review] The 2-Person Sleep System by Therm-A-Rest

Our new Therm-A-Rest Sleep System has taken our camping game to a whole new level. There’s nothing quite like sleeping outside but so often we compromise our comfort and a full night of sleep so we can wake up with the sun outside. This system has not only made us sleep more comfortably, it has also helped to regulate our temperatures and allow us to spoon in the wild. If you and your partner (or bff) are ready to cuddle up in the tent, this is the system for you.

Perhaps the greatest feature of our sleep system is the ability to adapt it to single sleeping. While you’re spending money on a 2-person set up, it can also be used for a one person set up so that you can take it out on solo adventures. There are a few moving parts to the sleep system so we’ll break it down for you.

The first part of the sleep system is the sleeping pad or pads. You can either use two single pads or purchase Therm-A-Rest’s NeoAir Camper Duo, which is a 2-person mattress, or you can use two sleeping pads of your choice. It is important that you note the sleeping pads must be rectangular and a size large in order for a precise fit. We went with the NeoAir Venture Mattress for a few different reasons.

First of all, we wanted to get two single pads instead of the double so if we were either heading out with some friends or on solo trips, we wouldn’t have to take the double mattress pad. We love being able to have gear that doesn’t have to be assigned just one use. Secondly, the NeoAir Venture is lightweight and compacts nicely yet is still affordable. We knew we didn’t need the lightest weight pad out there as we don’t do any real long self-supported backpacking trips.

An added bonus to the NeoAir Venture is the WaveCore^™ construction which provides twice as much warmth as a non-insulated pad but is not bulky or hard to pack down. It’s also of course worth mentioning how comfortable the NeoAir Venture pads are, at 2 inches of loft. These pads fit perfectly into the Duo Mattress Coupler which comes included with the Ventana Sleeping Bag.

The Ventana Sleeping Bag is the next part of the equation and is another piece of gear that can be used as either a solo sleeping bag or stretched out as a quilt in the sleep system. As mentioned, the Ventana Sleeping Bag comes with the Duo Mattress Coupler, which is really key to this whole system. The Duo Mattress Coupler is a PERFECT fit, extremely soft and comfortable, and keeps everything in place throughout the night. It’s light and also packs into its own pocket. It was hard to believe that this sheet fits better over two sleeping pads in the wilderness than my sheets do on my own bed at home.

The Ventana (used as a quilt as we have here) is warm, comfortable, and zips effortlessly into the Duo Mattress Coupler creating a seriously draft-free zone. Being that it is built with synthetic insulation it is not only affordable, it also retains loft and warmth in wet conditions.

There are two cinch points on the bag (that work really well either solo or double) and help to minimize drafts coming in from the top. I think Therm-A-Rest is doing this in most of their sleeping bags but I really love the baffle that is placed near the very top/head portion of the bag. It’s nice and cuddly and helps keep cold air from leaking in around your head throughout the night. It’s an extra level of draft security that helps put me to sleep at night.

The last part of our sleep system – and remember these are all separate parts so you can purchase one, some or all – is the Double Vela HD Quilt. I am a cold sleeper, one of our main reasons for wanting this sleep system in the first place, and so I wanted to have an extra option in case we found ourselves in some cold conditions. While there is also a single Vela quilt for your solo sleep system, the double fits perfectly over our Ventana.

This is not your everyday basic quilt. The Vela is fitted so it slips over the bottom portion of the sleep system and has integrated baffles and tie-down points. The tie-down loops are awesome because if you really find yourself in the gnar, you can secure your quilt to the bottom of your sleeping pads (with included sticky loops). I’m not so sure this is something we will ever do, as Tyson is usually way too hot for a quilt anyway, but it it’s nice to have the option.

The Vela is made with 650 fill Nikwax Hydrophobic Down™ which is beneficial for many reasons. First of all, the down brings extreme warmth for how lightweight it is. This also means that the Vela compacts down nicely and is easy to pack for any adventure. Nikwax Hydrophobic Down™ is going to stay dry longer and dry faster than regular down. Those moist mornings in the tent won’t linger long into the next night.

What I love about the Vela is, while it’s a little bit more costly due to the use of down, it is going with me on every camping adventure from here on out. I can get really cold, even on not so cold nights, and I know that if I have this, those nights are over (even if I’m just in my solo bag). It’s versatile in that you can use it for anything: climbing, camping, hanging out under the stars, drive-in movies, the list goes on.

Overall this 2-person sleep system is something that once you have, you’ll have a hard time going back to a traditional bag on pad set-up. Not only does the sleep system make for easy cuddling, it’s also more comfortable than a normal bag and pad combo in my opinion. Even with the coupler sheet and the extra quilt, we’re really not packing more than we normally would and so there’s no downside unless you don’t like cuddling up to your significant other!

If you’re considering buying this sleep system, or part of it, we ask that you use this link to do so as we get a small kickback from your purchase: https://amzn.to/2KKVPo1.