How One Seattle Company Changed Camping

Sleeping on the ground is inevitable while camping—you might even say it’s the definition. (Not talking about cheating with an RV or cabin, of course.) But for a long time, alfresco overnights meant a bed of blankets or, at best, dense foam. It took—who else?—some Seattle nerds to change that.

In 1972, three former Boeing engineers formed Therm-a-Rest based on a product one had invented the year before: a self-inflating sleeping pad. Now at 50, the company is still primarily known for camping mattresses, mostly inflatable. As part of Cascade Designs, based in SoDo, almost all their signature products are made in Seattle before ending up spread in tents, bivvys, hammocks,

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