Recommend me a sleep mat
- Thread starter Hammock Hamster
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Come along to the amazing Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August), a festival of bushcrafting and camping in a beautiful woodland PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
Do the Exped Synmats also suffer from cold spots or is it only the down ones that do? I'm looking for something 'mat-like' for winter usage and I do like the slightly higher side bars of the Exped range - they stop me from wandering...!
Ive never had a problem with my down 9LW Tiley and its epically comfortable. The 7UL suffered with down migration. I contacted exped and they said this was normal as when you get on and off it down can move around. I guess its a product of the lighter fill weight compared to the 9LW. To be fair it was better after a good shake but i need complete confidence in kit im taking overseas. I also had a 9LW synmat (the older orange version) and never had cold spots on that. Ive no experience with the new UL yello syn mats but i dont think they are rated to very low temps from memory. The Xtherm is incredible warm but being coffin shaped is not as user friendly.
On the subject of 'R ratings'
If I have use an exped 7 ul synmat, with an 'R' rating of 3.9
And I pair it with a CCF mat, or another mat with another 'R' rating, how do I work out what the new 'R' rating is, for the combined mats?
[Brownie point for anyone who knows the answer to that one!]
As most of us probably have a number of different mats, and would consider pairing them for colder weather, rather than buying a new one.
If I have use an exped 7 ul synmat, with an 'R' rating of 3.9
And I pair it with a CCF mat, or another mat with another 'R' rating, how do I work out what the new 'R' rating is, for the combined mats?
[Brownie point for anyone who knows the answer to that one!]
As most of us probably have a number of different mats, and would consider pairing them for colder weather, rather than buying a new one.
Dave i have no idea, I always sort of think that ground temp is a constant i.e if you are sleeping on snow the ground temp will not vary no matter what the ambient air temperature is. I would think a 7ul syn and a thick ccf will see you down low enough to cover pretty much everything. If im using my 9LW down i always stick a ccf under to protect it and its positively throwing heat back.
Cheers Paul. [Im sure i saw you sell a 9lw downmat not so long ago..how much kit do you own man! :yikes:]
What kinda CCF do people like then? Those Ridge Rests seem popular. New ones have some sort of reflective silver mylar stuff on them i think?
What kinda CCF do people like then? Those Ridge Rests seem popular. New ones have some sort of reflective silver mylar stuff on them i think?
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I've heard of a ratio when combing hammock quilts, I think you add half the rating of the cooler quilt to that of the warmer one.
So a 10*C quilt combined with a 20*C quilt gives you 0*C overall rating, I'll dig it out as it was quite an interesting read.
Not sure if the same applies to mats?
So a 10*C quilt combined with a 20*C quilt gives you 0*C overall rating, I'll dig it out as it was quite an interesting read.
Not sure if the same applies to mats?
Im not fussy with my CCF as i vief it more as a protective barrier. Ive used anything from the silver coated amazon £5 job to karrimats, multimats and army versions. Never really noticed a difference if im honest but then the exped is doing the work. I like the amazon £5 one best as its light and compact
Not a proper CCF but I remember buying one for a tenner from one of your links, came from China a while back, which should be good to use, under a tarp with the dog, as its quite large. In a blue cheapo sack with chinese letters on the side.
got a link to the £5 amazon one please? Ta
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http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yellowstone...26&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=reflective+sleep+mat
its pretty thin but does a good job under a blow up mat
its pretty thin but does a good job under a blow up mat
Great link. Thanks. Gonna buy a couple, chop on ein half for the hound.
£7.44 here, with free postage.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/188228-Ye...s_SleepingMats_Airbeds_CA&hash=item4d0f14e026
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In winter I use one of these under a self inflater. It works.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Single-Thermal-Foil-Backed-Camping/dp/B001U1K2HY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381859191&sr=8-1&keywords=reflective+sleep+mat
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Single-Thermal-Foil-Backed-Camping/dp/B001U1K2HY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381859191&sr=8-1&keywords=reflective+sleep+mat
I've got that one in a double size. not bad they are.
Mines got a few duct tape repairs on the underside.
Many thanks for that. I reckon I might try the Downmat 7UL LW and use it in conjunction with my Thermarest 'egg box' type foam mat. It should cover the protection side of life and, with luck, solve the problem of cold spots.
Well the xtherm arrived and so far I'm impressed with! Actually smaller packed down than I thought it would be which is great and light as you like!
Considering its a fully inflatable mat (think lilo) it was fully inflated with about 10 breaths which isn't far of my old mat which is mainly foam cells that you add some inflation to.
It was slightly narrower than I anticipated but I can fit on it fully with nothing hanging over the edge and I expect it will take a little bit of practice find the best positions to lay on it but so far so good.
Whilst laying on it (and this may have been a psychological thing) I thought I could feel my body heat being reflected back to me and it was very toasty though this was just directly on top in trousers and a shirt.
The acid test was packing it back down which ... Actually worked really well, opened the valve and pushed the air out from the opposite end then folded into thirds and rolled back up.
Ended up just as small as it had come from the factory.
All in all I'm well pleased and although the final proof will be when I get it outdoors for an over nighter (hopefully in a few weeks) so far I'm impressed!
Cheers, hamster
Considering its a fully inflatable mat (think lilo) it was fully inflated with about 10 breaths which isn't far of my old mat which is mainly foam cells that you add some inflation to.
It was slightly narrower than I anticipated but I can fit on it fully with nothing hanging over the edge and I expect it will take a little bit of practice find the best positions to lay on it but so far so good.
Whilst laying on it (and this may have been a psychological thing) I thought I could feel my body heat being reflected back to me and it was very toasty though this was just directly on top in trousers and a shirt.
The acid test was packing it back down which ... Actually worked really well, opened the valve and pushed the air out from the opposite end then folded into thirds and rolled back up.
Ended up just as small as it had come from the factory.
All in all I'm well pleased and although the final proof will be when I get it outdoors for an over nighter (hopefully in a few weeks) so far I'm impressed!
Cheers, hamster
Good stuff. You do know the bag acts as a pump? There is a small hole in the bottom with a rubber gasket that fits over the valve.
It's all part of shaving the grams off, a little bit of sacrifice for a little extra weight saving, I notice that in a lot of lightweight gear.
Terra Nova are a good example, when they put claim to the lightest tent on the market, part of the weight saving sacrifices were a bunch of useless pegs which are only useful on a crown green bowling green.
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