Motorcycle Explorer November 2016 Issue 14 | Page 32

In Focus: paul pitchfork
Thermarest Universal Sheet . This lightweight sheet slips over any Thermarest mat and is secured with
a single back strap. It packs down tiny and adds a bit of comfort to the mat if sleeping with bare skin. It
also provides attachment points for the quilt. In principle I like it, but it doesn’t always stay secure on the
mummy-shaped NeoAir; maybe the corners of a square mat would hold it in place firmer. Note that you
don’t need the sheet to attach the quilt to your mat - the Corus comes with stick-on attachments which can
be fixed directly to your mat.
Sea to Summit TK1 Sleeping Bag .
Pau opted for the TK1 sleeping bag,
packed with 650-fill down and rated to 5
degrees Celius. It certainly falls into the
‘lightweight’ category, weighing
comfortably under 1kg, but it is not trying
to sit alongside the purest ultra-
lightweight bags designed for alpine
climbing. As such, Sea To Summit have
included a few extra features which add
to comfort and utility; notably, a two-
stage full length zip which allows it to be
fully unzipped into a duvet, and a
stiffened strip being the zip which is very
effective at preventing the shell from
snagging in it. The down is also treated to
repel moisture and the outer shell
material, slightly heavier than the that
used in many ultralight bags, is water
repellent. All-in-all, it’s a good functional
bag that looks like it will take a lot of
abuse.