Exped downmat 9

[Gray]

Hi, does anyone have any experience with the downmat 9. Mine has developed a big air bubble in it which apparently is not repairable. So, if I where to cut one end open and insert a cheap self inflating mat, would the downmat still insulate me from the ground. Thoughts please guys and girls. Thanks in advance.

 

[Toddy]

Is it like an uncomfortable lump ? or is it just a bit unsightly ?

I ask because cutting open the down mat will fill the air with tiny pieces of feather and totally ruin the mat.
Look two thirds of the way down this page, where they 'destruct' one.

https://www.backcountryskiingcanada.com/Exped-Downmat-XP-9-LW-Review

M

 

[Gray]

Thanks Toddy, its a huge big lump which makes the mat unusable. They are so expensive and I just can't afford to get a new one. I love the warmth it provides in the winter and I'm hoping to be able to kind of rescue it.

 

[Woody girl]

Try getting in touch with the company. Do you have any sort of guarantee with it? Thermorest will repair or replacement and have a lifetime guarantee . I don't know about your mat but it's worth a try, particularly if you have only had it a few years. They are an expensive bit of kit so as long as it's not general wear and tear such as a puncture that can be repaired at home ...most mats have a puncture repair kit as standard nowadays.
It sounds like delamination. They should repair or replacement as it's a defect.

 

[Gray]

Try getting in touch with the company. Do you have any sort of guarantee with it? Thermorest will repair or replacement and have a lifetime guarantee . I don't know about your mat but it's worth a try, particularly if you have only had it a few years. They are an expensive bit of kit so as long as it's not general wear and tear such as a puncture that can be repaired at home ...most mats have a puncture repair kit as standard nowadays.
It sounds like delamination. They should repair or replacement as it's a defect.

It is delamination but I've had the mat about 7 years and you only get a 5 year warranty. I'm not complainig about it, the mats been fantastic and i would buy another but cant afford one. I'll try looking for a 2nd hand one and start saving, thanks a lot for the advice.

 

[Woody girl]

That's a real shame. Have a look at the end of season sales. This time of year a lot of stuff is sold off cheap as they will have new versions comming out next season.

 

[dwardo]

It is delamination but I've had the mat about 7 years and you only get a 5 year warranty. I'm not complainig about it, the mats been fantastic and i would buy another but cant afford one. I'll try looking for a 2nd hand one and start saving, thanks a lot for the advice.

Did you get in touch with Exped? Tell them their guarantee isnt as good as Thermarest but still you want to stick with them? hint, loyal customer,.

 

[Woody girl]

You can try millets end of season online sales. They have a berghaus peak pro insulated mat for £64 right now.

 

[Toddy]

I have the Exped Down Mat 9 too, and if mine died I'd buy another. It really does beat the rest hands down.

I think it'd be worth contact Exped and asking; they're very good with their guarantees and so on, and they might like to actually see how this one failed.
Nothing to lose by trying.

M

 

[petrochemicals]

I have the Exped Down Mat 9 too, and if mine died I'd buy another. It really does beat the rest hands down.

I think it'd be worth contact Exped and asking; they're very good with their guarantees and so on, and they might like to actually see how this one failed.
Nothing to lose by trying.

M

I do not think it beats a alpkit duomo and a nice soft wool blanket for the top, not in weight or warmth, but perhaps compactness. The hardness and sterility of these mats mean you have to have a bit of padding.

 

[Toddy]

Mine's not hard, it's sort of rounded, but then, so am I

Honestly I've never felt the need for padding on top of the downmat, it's firm and warm beneath me, and a sleeping bag or quilt on top's enough.

The end result of rheumatoid arthritis is that at times I really ache, but the downmat is comfortable even with swollen joints.

I think technology has moved along so much since the days of the first closed cell foam mats, and we were delighted with those compared to a blanket and a bit of oilskin beneath us to sleep upon. There are so many options now that we can chop and change as we, and the budget and weight limit, allows.

M

 

[Mesquite]

It is delamination but I've had the mat about 7 years and you only get a 5 year warranty. I'm not complainig about it, the mats been fantastic and i would buy another but cant afford one. I'll try looking for a 2nd hand one and start saving, thanks a lot for the advice.

Have a word with them anyway, they can only say no but you may be surprised.

 

[TinkyPete]

I had the same happen to my first one, and I ended up replacing it because it was so good.

 

[petrochemicals]

I think technology has moved along so much since the days of the first closed cell foam mats, and we were delighted with those compared to a blanket and a bit of oilskin beneath us to sleep upon. There are so many options now that we can chop and change as we, and the budget and weight limit, allows.

M

I'm still lookin for a foam mat with comfortable. 2 type layer foam about an inch thick. I know they did some thinner ones with 2 foam types but they where about 1cm thick.

 

[Toddy]

That's a blast from the past
We still have a bright orange one like that up the loft. It folds, concertina style, there's no way to roll it.
Fills a rucksack all on it's own, but when Himself was car camping to get near to a range of hills for climbing, it was ideal.

M

 

[saxonaxe]

Reading of incidents like this, I sometimes wonder if Exped have a problem with the adhesives they use in the manufacture of their kit.. The summer before last I was camping in Norfolk and returned to my tent one day to find that it had been invaded by a grey, Hump Back Whale.

Hello! I thought, how did you get in here? Then I realised it was the Exped mat that had suffered a transformation. The middle two tubes had become one and now lay bloated and about 6 inches higher in the middle than at the sides. Obviously whatever kept the tubes together had failed.

I can't remember the model number, it had a built in 'pump' area that had to be depressed to inflate the mat. Not 2 years old, somewhere around £100 I think I paid for it. I had used it throughout the previous Winter quite frequently and always kept it deflated and stowed flat when not in use.

I never did enquire with Exped about replacement, although I did consider painting a couple of eyes on it and chucking in the pond to frighten the locals.
Back to a spongy (Dutch) kip mat now. zzzzzzz

 

[Womble_Lancs]

Reviving an old thread. I bought a Downmat 9LW on Toddy’s recommendation many years ago and it has been the best mat I have ever used. Thanks Toddy!

A few days ago, I was rolling it up and noticed that all the feathers now seem to be compacted into the middle tubes and the outer tubes are empty. All of the tubes are fully inflated and intact, no bubbles anywhere.

Does anyone have any idea how I can redistribute them please? Shaking doesn’t seem to work.

 

[Toddy]

I've never heard of one doing that; I think I'd contact Exped and ask them for advice on it.
I thought there were supposed to be baffles that let the air pass but kept the feathers in their 'channels'.

Interesting conundrum though...and I'm curious as to how it'll resolve.
Best of luck with it, mine's an old friend now

 

[SaraR]

I've (finally) figured out that it's much better to not inflate the Exped mats fully. You want them inflated to the point where they don't support you when you're sitting on it (your bum is on the ground), but you're nicely supported (and completely off the ground) when lying down on your side or back.

If you do this, they're even comfortable with a bubble - perhaps not a massive one, but definitely ok with one that's about 60 cm long.

 

[Womble_Lancs]

I've (finally) figured out that it's much better to not inflate the Exped mats fully. You want them inflated to the point where they don't support you when you're sitting on it (your bum is on the ground), but you're nicely supported (and completely off the ground) when lying down on your side or back.

If you do this, they're even comfortable with a bubble - perhaps not a massive one, but definitely ok with one that's about 60 cm long.

I’ve always done it like that, SaraR. I’ve had it 10.5 years now. My other half always inflates his to the point that I’m amazed it hasn’t burst. It’s weird how mine looks perfectly normal and is still comfortable. It’s only when I came to roll it up that I realised that the down had migrated to one tube.


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