About Therm-a-Rest
In 1971, Seattle aerospace giant Boeing announced the largest layoff in company history, resulting in 50,000 people losing their jobs. Among the jobless were Jim Lea and Neil Anderson, both engineers who were eager to get back to work. Turning to friend John Burroughs--an avid mountain climber--for ideas, Burroughs suggested a better sleeping mattress, specifically one that was lightweight, warm, and comfortable.
Taking their inspiration from gardening cushions that expelled air as the gardener shifted his or her weight, the duo took a piece of open-cell foam and sandwiched it between two pieces of airtight fabric. Using an old sandwich maker, they melted the fabric onto the foam, creating a bond that was perfectly airtight. After adding a valve, their prototype was ready to test. Within two years, Lea and Anderson had partnered with Burroughs to begin production of Therm-a-Rest pads, the world's first self-inflating mattress. Under the name Cascade Designs, the private, family-owned company has grown into one of the most respected outdoor manufacturers in the world. Still based in Seattle, Cascade Designs sticks to the same fundamental principles it was founded upon: providing relevant and innovative products, exceptional quality, and service that exceeds your expectations.
