Thread: Exped down mats

Steve, how do you find the Hubba hubba? & do you reckon you need the footprint?

Originally Posted by craigc

yeah, might have to invest in a pillow... Don't tell anyone though...

MT winecask bladder,1 for pillow,1 for camp water

I brought a couple of down mats recently after lusting after them for a while.

XS Downmat 7 for the mrs when we camp with the kids or for me when I have to carry it.
L Synmat 9 for me when we camp with the kids or I sleep in the carpark.

Xped have lighter mats now that are just as light as the neo air. Look for the ultralight synmats. They are lighter than the one I brought due to the fact that they have less insulation (200g synmat 9, 150g synmap 7, 50g ul synmat) so you can take your pick as to your weight\warmth trade off.

Do bear in mind that if you use a downmat then you can save weight on the sleeping bag as you are loosing less warmth to the ground. Conversely if you buy a super lightweight mat and then have to take a bivi bag or tent in dry weather to avoid punctures then you are not really saving anything.

Really like the hubba hubba. Light enough to take on yr own and room for two. Easy pitch. Got the footprint and i think its necessary as the floors are light. Footprint also good for multi pitch just with outer. I should do a review

Neoair was the lightest mat for a while there but exped have beaten them this year.

MSR NeoAir Trekker™ torso weight 450g R value 2 - 119cm x 63cm thickness 6.3cm
Exped SynMat UL 7 Small weight 430g R value 3.1 - 163cm x 52cm thickness 7cm

Exped sounds like the clear winner if you want the lightest mat possible. Neo air is a inflatable mat with a reflective layer on one side to retain heat. Synmat is a inflatable mat with synthetic insulation inside. In theory the insulation is laminated to the top and bottom of the mat for maximum loft.

Just scored and XPed 7 xl today at Bivouac.....after reading a couple of threads on the subject and getting a thumbs up from Tim (cleaky) about his.
Looking forward to road testing the sucker asap. Might in fact spend a night in the barn with the mutt just to aclimatise myself with the new bed ....i'll purposely anoy my lovely wife tils she reminds me, "the house is mine, you've got a barn and 50 acres....."and then i'll go and live in my barn for a night....