Thermarest or exped down mat

[Hibrion]

My birthday is coming up soon and I'm being asked what I'd like so I thought it might be time to upgrade my sleeping arrangement
I've mostly used cheapy closed cell foam mats, but I'm getting older now so i guess I should be looking after myself a bit more.

I was hoping to hear everyone's suggestions on thermarests and exped down mats, or anything similar.

What models would you recommend or advise to avoid? If you can remember rough cost that would help too.

While it doesn't have to be super light, I would like something that packs reasonably small.

Thanks guys

 

[Clouston98]

I've got a mountain equipment Helios (possibly helium?) inflatable mat, basically their version of a thermarest. It packs small, is light weight and is very comfortable to sleep on. However I do covet an exped down mat - which appears better but is more expensive, however as I've never used one I couldn't say how it would compare in use- though I can say if I needed another mat of that style I wouldn't hesitate to buy the mountain equipment one again. Hope this helps

 

[Hibrion]

Thanks. How small is small, Cameron?

 

[Clouston98]

It is a little bit larger than a Nalgene bottle but easily smaller than a bag of flour- I hope that makes some sense

 

[Hibrion]

It certainly does. Sounds like a good size.

 

[wales1]

Hi, from personal experience having owned the following two, I can certainly vouch for the comfort of an exped downmat 7. Absolute luxury, sturdy bit of kit. However, I can also recommend the thermarest neo air xtherm, packs smaller than the downmat, comfort very good, and not as 'crisp bag' sounding as made out to be. If mainly backpacking I would say thermarest, if weight isn't an issue, go downmat

Steve

 

[caorach]

I have the large sized Thermarest Neoair XTherm and like it, it packs down very small in my view - say 1 liter water bottle size or smaller. It is comfortable and relatively robust and I don't feel like I have to "baby" it all the time. The downside is that they are expensive and it was the one area where I spent money but I've no regrets on that and if I lost it would buy another one.

I should add that I'm a very inexperienced camper and so can't compare this mat to anything else as it is the only one I've used since I was a kid many years ago

 

[Squidders]

I have a Thermarest Neo Air Xtherm - The Max version which is square in shape.

Love it all year round.

 

[caorach]

not as 'crisp bag' sounding as made out to be

It wasn't until i saw, or read, some reviews that I realised mine was supposed to be "crisp bag" sounding. It is certainly not an issue for me either.

 

[Hibrion]

The neo air x therm seems a popular choice then. It's great to hear so many personal recomendations.

I may hve talked myself out of the exped down. There is nothing on their site about where the down comes from, that plus asian manufacturing rings some alarm bells!

 

[caorach]

plus asian manufacturing rings some alarm bells!

Don't let that worry you, like any other manufacturing Asia builds things to a price and if we gave them the cash could probably built to spec and tolerances way beyond what we could in Europe or USA. Somewhat cheaper labour in Asia means you get better quality of materials and construction for the same cost of manufacturing, or a lower cost of manufacturing and a larger mark up for the marketing company. You can't tell which with any product so you just have to take a risk based on getting the spec you want.

 

[Paulm]

Another happy camper with the thermarest neoair xtherm, small and light when packed up and unbelievably warm when inflated, don't know how they manage it !

Cheers, Paul

 

[Hibrion]

Don't let that worry you, like any other manufacturing Asia builds things to a price and if we gave them the cash could probably built to spec and tolerances way beyond what we could in Europe or USA. Somewhat cheaper labour in Asia means you get better quality of materials and construction for the same cost of manufacturing, or a lower cost of manufacturing and a larger mark up for the marketing company. You can't tell which with any product so you just have to take a risk based on getting the spec you want.

Sorry. The end of the sentence could be taken out of context - asian manufacter plus no declaration of ethically sourced down, can often mean un-ethical down.
As much as I like to give business to support jobs in out part of the world, I ubderstand overseas manufacture is often unavoidable.

 

[Nice65]

Spent last night on an Exped Synmat 9 LW. Slept until 10.00 this morning without waking. Short of scratching round in the cupboard and waking Madam I can't do a pic now. Imagine one of those big rolls of kitchen roll, Blitz or Plenty and knock a quarter of it off.

Because it's the long/wide, it's bigger than many. But I'm getting older and a good night in a comfortable bed is worth the extra bulk and weight. I wouldn't want to use it for long hikes in, but that's not what it's designed for.

 

[Hibrion]

Thanks for all the feedback so far, guys.

I was just wondering, do you all go with full length mats? I sometimes sleep on a sheep skin when using a wool blanket and get on ok with it, seen as it is short I was wondering if there are any cons to the shorter 3/4 length mats that I havn't thought of.

 

[robevs73]

I've used therm-a-rest mats for 20 years but since I've had my exped it hasn't been out , I have a full length 9.
Amazing piece of kit.
I may invest in the lighter 7 one day just to keep the bulk down in the pack.

 

[Hibrion]

I tried out the neo xtherm and the prolite in a store this weekend and I ws very impressed with the neo xtherm.

It was very comfortable even lying on my side and pretty quick to inflate with the air sack. It seemed like a crazy price at first, but a good night's sleep is priceless.

So it looks like I'll be getting oneformy birthday. It is a rare plesure these days to buy something made in ireland, and from abricks and mortar store.

Thanks for the recommendtions

 

[Toddy]

I really like the concept of things made here, or in Ireland for folks like yourself, rather than in the Far East or other foreign sweatshop. I understand the business sense of the global market and production, and admit that I do buy kit made abroad.
Doesn't mean I don't appreciate stuff made an awful lot closer to home. It's my only caveat (well, that and the down is foreign sourced) about my exped mat.

I hope the neo xtherm mat's a great present, and you get a lot of use out of it

cheers,
Toddy

 

[wicca]

One of my extremely rare excursions into buying/using what i consider to be 'posh' kit was to buy a Term-a-rest mat. I'm unsure of the model now, I recall it was black and inside the little carry sack was a pocket with a repair kit in it. It had a kind of internal pump on the outer tube by a valve, marked with hand prints, the tubes ran length ways.

I used it for just under a year, I suppose my kit is reasonably well used, usually at least 3 or 4 nights a month all year, quite often much more. I used it flat as I use a tent or tarp, never a hammock and always stowed it deflated and flat when not in use.

Last July I was camping in Norfolk, inflated the air bed as usual and spread my sleeping bag on it to 'Fluff up' before turning in. Suddenly there was a loud pop and the sleeping bag took on the shape of a Hump Back Whale..

..The middle 2 tubes had become 1 and as I watched suddenly the next tube joined in.
I was left with just under a hundred quids worth of misshapen insulated plastic sheeting....
Internal glue had failed obviously..Ah well, I'm back to the uninsulated military air mat, not as Gucci but comfy enough for an oldie sleeping on the forest floor....

 

[Hibrion]

Thanks, Toddy. It'll make a greatcombo with my UK-made snugpack bag.

Wicca, that sucks. The new ones coe with a lifetime warranty. Have you contacted the company about the failure?