Thread: Sleeping mats

What are you all using for sleeping mats? I have had a handful of mats from foam rolls to inflated Thermarests.
The Exped down mats look like where I will go to next but size? 5, 7, 9? The 5 looks warm enough but I have never slept well on the ground due to a lack of comfort.
Looking here is well priced I would think?
Hows about the Neo Air?

Interested in this too, I've always used the old foam rolls but thinking about getting something nicer soon.

Hi guys,

I purchased the Exped Synmat 9 last week and is the best mat i have ever used. It is -25 rated so will be perfectly warm enough for anything you are planning to do. Is easy to blow up and is extremely comfortable. I was talked out of the downmat because if it gets wet it is hard to dry out the down. Also the Synmat is $100 odd dollars cheaper.
Im 120Kg and dont feel the ground. I would go bigger, you will never regret going bigger but could def regret going small.

I bought the downmat 7. I am a skinny little runt (66-67kg) with bones sticking out everywhere so don't tend to sleep well on the ground, well at least that's how it used to be. This thing is so comfortable. Not sure why they talked you out of the Synmat mcche171 as these things are obviously airtight other than when being inflated or deflated and normally pretty easy to keep them dry during those operations.

Nice purchase. Yeh not too sure what he was concerned about as you are right. I thought that at the time but he was sticking to his guns. Might be with moisture breathed in while inflating and being inflated for a long period, but thats clutching at straws. Anyway, Exped is a great brand and ended up buying one of their tents as well. The old MSR had done its dash. Im sure you will enjoy it this winter.

I recently upgraded from a foam Matt or sleeping on my clothes to the budget model thermarest.
God its good!
Can only imagine how good the flash ones are.

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Originally Posted by mcche171

Hi guys,

I purchased the Exped Synmat 9 last week and is the best mat i have ever used. It is -25 rated so will be perfectly warm enough for anything you are planning to do. Is easy to blow up and is extremely comfortable. I was talked out of the downmat because if it gets wet it is hard to dry out the down. Also the Synmat is $100 odd dollars cheaper.
Im 120Kg and dont feel the ground. I would go bigger, you will never regret going bigger but could def regret going small.

Exactly what we did . You will find that out at Waikaremoana when they have one of those extraordinary storms when have full rain for 4 days continuous. Top product and no sore back.

My mate who is bony and sleeps on his side got one of those flash yellow new Thermarests - packs down to a 1.5L coke bottle size and inflates up to about 50mm thick but cost him about $250.
I've got a secondhand old Thermarest and bought a cheap chinese made knock-off on TardMe - a green coloured unit with the silly name of "Freedom Equipment Chunky Stealth" but at about $50 I don't care what it's called.
It inflates to about 30 mm thick which is all I need.
I store mine flat in a relaxed state and only roll them up tight when I head out bush.

It's kind of hard to explain to someone who has never used a self-inflating mat how good they are if they've never tried sleeping on one but suffice to say they are now as essential a piece of kit to me as a knife and rifle.

Originally Posted by kiwijames

What are you all using for sleeping mats? I have had a handful of mats from foam rolls to inflated Thermarests.
The Exped down mats look like where I will go to next but size? 5, 7, 9? The 5 looks warm enough but I have never slept well on the ground due to a lack of comfort.
Looking here is well priced I would think?
Hows about the Neo Air?

I've just tried the Exped DownMat 7 Sleeping size medium Mat was super comfortable I'm 183cm and about 83kg. Shop was pushing the SynMat UL 7 (but are waiting on stock) mainly due to weight & cost saving didn't really stack up unless your sleeping in an alpine environment snow and ice. A big difference I have noticed and been told of is the baffles on the xped run the length but the neo air run across so they compress easier on the edges of neo air causing a cool spot - i guess this is only an issue if your a restless sleeper.... the only drama i had was my bivy bag is a tapered (mummy shape so the exped square foot end wont fit in it where as the neo air is tapered so perfect fit.

Yeah the 7 is looking like a winner. They also do the UL version. Super light just worried it may be a bit fragile.

Harden up!

Originally Posted by Toby

Harden up!

Haha. Wait till you crack 40 boy.

I use the Therorest NeoAir Xterm and XLite , highly recommended , alot smaller and lighter than my mates xped

I've got a 3/4 thermarest (old), full length thermarest, and a exped sym ul 3.8

Bloody awesome when you get on in years, and makes sleeping (even on scree slopes) a lot more comfortable.

Also use them in the back of the van for car camping trips

Hey guys, I've had the Exped DownMat 7 for a while and loved it until the seams in the baffles failed last weekend resulting in a very large bulge in the middle of the mat when inflated. Basically unusable when inflated now. I recall your supposed to use your hands to inflate them but it took an age so recently I started inflating by mouth which worked much more quickly, I guess the condensation from my breath has over a short period of time destroyed the seams... big boooo for me but something for others to be cautious of!