Sleeping mat

[merrygold85]

Hey,

This seems to be a much glossed over topic, but I was wondering if anybody had any recommendations for a good sleep mat that wouldn't break the bank. I believe they have R Values and all these days.

I think I'm looking for the impossible - large, high r value, robust, light, packs down small, easy to inflate, cheap.

In my line of work they say you can have two of three - quality, speed, cheap. I imagine with sleep mats that's more like quality, weight, cheap.

Tell us your thoughts.

 

[Pattree]

It depends what you need it for, how old you are and how your bones react to hard ground.

In Summer you probably won’t need anything more than a 15mm neoprene mat.

I can’t tell you R values but in colder conditions and if weight matters get yourself a three quarter length self inflator. They don’t self inflate but they only take a few puffs. I use a 30mm Vango on frozen ground and come out cozy. If you can carry a little more you might want to add a thin reflective mat to put on top of the inflatable in icy conditions. They are about 8mm thick weigh practically nowt.
I’ve just found another Vango Trek Short. I got it second hand for a tenner but you can get new for £35. I have no idea why the big names are so very much more expensive. Perhaps someone can tell us both.

You can get thicker mats but layering means you can adapt to varying conditions and different trips. If you do layer then use them laid out inside a bivvie sack. This way they won’t slide off each other. You can sleep on top or in the bag with them.

(Now I’m a car camper so carry a lot more bedding)

pee ess - if you get a self inflator, store it unrolled. I’ve never been let down in the field but twice I’ve done a pre trip check, unrolled the mat from its stuff sack and found that it leaks.

 

[Van-Wild]

Alpkit Numo.

Cheap enough, lightweight, packs down small, reasonably robust. Can be inflated with an (available separately) stuff sack in about 4 full squeezes.

I've had one for about a year now (I think) and used it lots. Plenty fine for 3 seasons. On my last camp in -3 I was totally fine.

 

[Ozmundo]

I have a rather old Thermarest, not U/L or thick and I double it up with a cheap kip mat under it. I have a Multimat Adventure 38, not light but comfortable and a reasonable winter mat.

If you are looking to keep the cost and weight down I suggest a cheaper 3/4 length insulated air mat and a knock off full length "Z" mat. The latter are super cheap & light.

If you have good insulation under you can save weight on your bag/quilt. I pack enough that I know I will sleep well, that way I'm rested and function better.

 

[Tonyuk]

Alpkit dirtbag is the best inflating mat I've used, not particularly small but no larger than a foam mat when rolled up.

Buy a bike tyre puncture kit to take with you, the best thing for sealing any holes etc.. in them imo.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weldtite-WELDTITE-PUNCTURE-REPAIR-KIT/dp/B004VQMOJO/ref=asc_df_B004VQMOJO/?tag=&linkCode=df0&hvadid=430970730621&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5490850199492992368&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007311&hvtargid=pla-970816710677&mcid=8470b2e848a53f8aa55ef4a73f7ecb91&ref=&adgrpid=101191291678&th=1

 

[Moondog55]

After I hit 50 I decided comfort and warmth was more important than cheap.
After 70 it's even more important
Until than I used the combination of a Karrimat and a short Thermarest [ which I still have as a back-up] then I got myself a wide RidgeRest and used that with a wide CCF for insulation and put the T'Rest on top for cushioning but after trying a mates S2S I got myself a Long & Wide Sea to Summit Comfort Plus and damn the extra weight and bulk.
If I was seriously trying to cut the bulk down I would cut the RidgeRest down short and use that under the torso
I don't understand why Cascade designs don't make a short wide RidgeRest for snow campers because when it gets really cold a wide mat makes a lot of difference and under the torso is where most of us need extra insulation
I also now own a S2S ComfortLite for non winter use, I find that the best compromise and I use that with a ThinLite CCF pad to provide some protection for the relatively fragile air mattress

 

[Nic Le Becheur]

Hey,

This seems to be a much glossed over topic, but I was wondering if anybody had any recommendations for a good sleep mat that wouldn't break the bank. I believe they have R Values and all these days.

I think I'm looking for the impossible - large, high r value, robust, light, packs down small, easy to inflate, cheap.

In my line of work they say you can have two of three - quality, speed, cheap. I imagine with sleep mats that's more like quality, weight, cheap.

Tell us your thoughts.

Thermarest Ridgerest, all year round. Put inside a bivvy bag.

 

[Allans865]

Dutch army surplus self inflating ones are good value for money, and made by Thermarest.

Sent from my SM-G996B using Tapatalk

 

[Laurentius]

Buy a bike tyre puncture kit to take with you, the best thing for sealing any holes etc.. in them imo.

If you have anything like my luck with inflateables you'll need one.

 

[merrygold85]

Cool. Some good suggestions there. I'm a little wary of the blow up mats. From my limited experience they seem to always leak air throughout the night. Maybe it's just that I was using bad ones. I might give the alpkit numo a try.

 

[Ozmundo]

The Z type mat I have is one of those “Widesea” cheap ones (£10). They are more durable than you might think and is probably the lightest foam mat I have. I like the concertina design over roll up ones now. Most of mine old roll mats got cut up to make hip pads and nerf weapons.

There is a Neoair in the for sale section.

 

[Barney Rubble]

I've been using the Exped Flexmat for the majority of my camps over the last couple of years. This is a closed cell foam mat with an R rating of 2.0. It is affordable (£20-30) and has stood up very well to the test of time (and use!). It folds up in an accordian style and slides into the back of my rucksack quite nicely. Despite the relatively low R value, I've found it to be plenty warm enough for the coldest (sub zero) winter camps.

Over the last couple of years, the large majority of my camps have been solely on this mat. I have set my inflatable pads (also Exped) to one side and they come out very occassionally if I want to 'glamp'!

I'll admit that it took a few outings to 'adjust' to the reduced comfort levels, but after that, I've been absolutely fine sleeping either on my back or side (I've always been a fidgety sleeper!). The thing that pleased me most is that I very rarely wake up with any kind of back ache (a regular occurrence when using my inflatable pads). Oh and I've yet to experience a puncture (funny that!!).

I get that this way of camping won't be for everyone, but would also encourage folks to give it a whirl for a few camps just to see how it goes. In my humble opinion; I sometimes wonder if folk fall in to this trap of trying to replicate the sort of comfort that they might experience at home. It winds up getting rather expensive such is the cost of the top-end inflatable pads and heightens anxiety around punctures and failures.

So my advice is; keep things simple, give yourself a period of grace to adjust and you might just surprise yourself!

 

[SaraR]

I think it depends a lot on what kind of ground you’re sleeping on. If you’re sleeping on soft ground/vegetation, you only need the pad to keep you warm, whereas if you’re on harder ground or campsites (compacted from people driving on it) the mat also needs to provide a bit of cushioning.