Trangoworld Skin Micro Lite vs Therm-a-rest Prolite Self-Inflating Mats

Therm-a-rest proudly state that their Prolite self-inflating mat is "the lightest and most compact self-inflating mat available" - only it isn't. Well it is and it isn't......

Their small version (119 x 51cm) only beats the equivalent-sized Trangoworld Skin Micro Lite (120 x 50cm) to this title by a mere 20g* but it does so at the expense of performance - the Skin Micro Lite is 20% thicker than the Prolite, and consequently sports a higher R-value (thermal insulation rating) - 3.41 compared to the 2.4 of the Therm-a-rest. So it may be the lightest - but only just, and not in a good way.

Neither is the Prolite the "most compact" (assuming that they mean "when packed" here) - the Skin Micro Lite packs up smaller than the Prolite. Admittedly it's close, with only about 1cm in it, but remember the Skin Micro Lite is 20% thicker so the points for achievement go to Trangoworld. 

Photo courtesy of Trangoworld

Now I'm quite the gram-counter, but on this occasion I can forgive the extra weight. And it's not just the weight of the mat I'm talking about - it's also the weight of the extra cash in my wallet; the Prolite costs three times as much as the Skin Micro Lite. Seriously, who's buying the Prolite?

I'm not going to do a full review of the small Skin Micro Lite as I pretty much covered everything in my review of the regular version (see here). But as I mentioned in my recent update of that review, it's amazing that more than half a decade later, the Trangoworld is still the mat to beat - and no-one is coming close. 

Anyone can make something lighter by cutting the amount of materials in it (and consequently cutting performance and comfort), but the fact that Trangoworld have made the second-lightest mat (with the difference in weight being less than that of an AA battery) without sacrificing comfort and performance is pretty outstanding. Oh, and did I mention it was a third of the price? Incredible...

What's even more incredible is you'll never see it appear on any lists of best/lightest mats. It's almost as if the world doesn't want you to know it exists.

Trangoworld Skin Micro Lite 120x50x3

*Based on manufacturers' advertised weights. Likewise, the regular version of the Skin Micro Lite is only 40g heavier than the Prolite, but boasts the same increase in thickness and R-value as seen with the small versions. My own Skin Micro Lite actually weighed in at 392g (406g in its stuff sack), a seemingly common issue with self-inflating mats; weights seem to vary tremendously and it appears that manufacturers state the average weight. Oddly, I've never managed to come across one that weighs less than the figure advertised.

Review: Asaklitt (Clas Ohlson) Spirit Stove

I'll start this review with the bad news- this product has sadly been discontinued. I'm not entirely sure why, as during its several years on the market it has gained somewhat of a cult following. The good news is if you check the link at the bottom of this post it's still for sale under a different name albeit it at double the price.

My first camping stove was a Campingaz Micro Bleuet, a tiny gas burner powered by canisters of a butane/propane mix. We didn't get on. Then Bob bought his Trangia 27, a spirit burning (meths, bio-enthanol) stove* of no little fame, and I was slightly envious to say the least.
With plenty of other gear still to buy, however, I just couldn't justify the expense of the Trangia, but then quite by accident I stumbled across Clas Ohlson's Asaklitt-branded spirit stove, for a mere £14.

The Asaklitt is similar in concept to the Trangia, but different in many ways. The contents are roughly the same- two pans/bowls, a lid/frying pan, a grab handle, upper and lower windshields and a burner, but to a degree that's where their similarities end.

The Asaklitt's pans are larger for a start- 1.25 litre and 1.5 litre respectively as apposed to the Trangia's two at 1 litre. The Trangia packs down into the upper windshield, where as the Asaklitt packs into the larger of the two pans. The Trangia's pans (and kettle, if you choose a set from the 1001 different Trangia configurations that comes with one) sit on flip up/down pan supports, where as the Asaklitt pans sit directly into the upper windshield.

The Asaklitt is a copy of the old Optimus 91 stove (with elements of the Optimus 77a mixed in- possibly an attempt to avoid breaching patents?), itself a highly regarded classic, and once you know this you realise that you aren't just buying a £14 stove, you are buying a design that has been developed and tweaked over many years.  

When I first bought the Asaklitt, I viewed it as a poor man's Trangia, a put-me-on until I could afford the latter. When I eventually bought a Trangia, I sold it on without even using it, having by this time decided that I preferred the Asaklitt.

Why do I prefer a £14 stove over everyone's favourite spirit stove you may ask?

Well, for starters, its lighter. Even lighter than the ultralight Trangia variant (600g vs 690g). And because the bowls are larger, you can easily ditch the smaller of the two, thus cutting the weight even further, and still cook up a food pouch AND a rice pouch in the 1.5 litre bowl with room to spare.

Furthermore, the Asaklitt's pans can be stacked- small pan first, then large pan, then frying pan (or either pan and frying pan). In this configuration the clearance between the small and large pans is minimal- maybe 2cm- but enough to get some bacon or a fried egg in. This means you can have all three pans on the stove at the same time. This is just not possible with the Trangia.

Frying pan stacked on the larger pan

The lack of pan supports means an after-market kettle cannot be used with the Asaklitt, but this is no bad thing in my book; I can boil water in a pan, why would I need to carry the extra weight of a kettle? That said, if you were desperate to take a kettle on your trips, a couple of metal rods or tubing of the correct diameter could be popped through the holes in the upper windshield to make a perfectly capable kettle support.

Unlike the Trangia, the Asaklitt's windshields lack indents to lock the two halves together. This can be a bad point- it's certainly easier to knock the upper windshield off the lower if you're not careful- but it also has its advantages; it makes it much easier to access the burner, particularly when the stove has been in use and the windshields are hot. The upper windshield can be lifted off with the grab handle upon which you can quickly adjust the simmer ring, or extinguish the burner.

The Asaklitt burner is an inferior copy of the Trangia, and doesn't come supplied with a regulator/ simmer ring. I replaced the stock burner with a Trangia and it's a perfect fit. This also means the Trangia gel fuel burner will fit in the Asaklitt should you prefer to use gel. I found the included strap a little sub-par as well, so replaced this with a Trangia one.

There is an army of die-hard Trangia fans who will never be swayed, but for me, I can say the grass wasn't greener on the other side. I bought cheap, bought twice, but for once cheap won- the Asaklitt's combination of low weight, high capacity, design features and dirt-cheap price make it a no-brainer. Now all you've got to do is find one!


*For those not familiar with spirit stoves, in their basic form they consist of a burner, into which you pour meths or bio-ethanol, and a pot stand. Light the meths, stick the burner in the pot stand and put your pan on the top. The burners generally come with sealed lids so you can transport them with fuel inside, and some, like the Trangia, have an adjustable cover or "simmer ring" to adjust the flame and therefore the heat. Stoves such as the Asaklitt and Trangia are complete all-in-one cooksets, developing the simple pot stand into a more robust windshield set-up, which offers greater stability and protection from the wind.


Same Stove, Different Name