Thread: Value sleeping mats (for the budget constrained hunters)

@Jvaughan have you got a pic of it packed down with something to show scale ?

I haven't had a mat strapped on the outside of a pack since the old foam roll days! The inflatables all pack down fairly small.

Couple of photos for comparison - grey one is Exped Downmat Lite 5 (~650g), orange one is Exped Synmat Hyperlite 7 (~380g), bottle is 1 litre.

I have the Exped UL which i really like. It's my second mat and this time I bought a pump as blowing into them is not good as it creates condensation and ultimately mould then grows which destroys the baffles as I found out on my first mat.

I recently bought a couple of similar mats from aliexpress for about $30 a piece which are the same size as the Exped but as yet we haven't tested them.

Originally Posted by GravelBen

I haven't had a mat strapped on the outside of a pack since the old foam roll days!

Surprisingly it handled the bashing just fine. Had over an hour of absolute abuse pushing through very dense beech 1.5-3m high. Felt like travelling at minutes per metre! Lilo brand, about 1.2kg and maybe 40mm thick. Works but looking to upgrade.

Originally Posted by uk_exile

Surprisingly it handled the bashing just fine. Had over an hour of absolute abuse pushing through very dense beech 1.5-3m high. Felt like travelling at minutes per metre! Lilo brand, about 1.2kg and maybe 40mm thick. Works but looking to upgrade.

Good effort, 1.2kg is a real heavyweight for a mat! I used to shred the ends of the foam rolls pretty bad bushbashing, but they only cost $10 so it wasn't the end of the world even for a student.

Originally Posted by uk_exile

A general question, which sleeping pads fold in half before rolling? Might seem an odd question however did a bush bash about a month ago using a mat that was wider than backpack and it snagged on everything. Nightmare. Had it strapped across bottom of pack. Couldn't change it to vertical as no suitable straps on back.
@Jvaughan, oops, have seen the weight now on the gearshop website. Didn't see it when first looked. 650gm is comparable with the T7 mat

Originally Posted by dannyb

@Jvaughan have you got a pic of it packed down with something to show scale ?

sorry for the late reply fellas, folds down tiny. Folds over itself twice in the width department (so think 1/3 of the total width ~18cm or so) and rolls up tight with a wee compression sack. Can get a photo later in the week. Similar sorta size to a cloth sleeping bag liner, would be a cylinder around 18cmL x12cmW all packed up. Would recommend getting the dry bag to use as a pump cause its not treated inside it so if you use your breath it might end up going mouldy.

cheers @Jvaughan. That sounds like a great mat. I'm tending towards either that or the T7 mat.
Going to be a while before get one though. Less time and less money. Working longer hours as busier than usual but at same time salary reduced, bonus capped, etc. Lucky to have a job though. Damn virus :-(

Update: I've ordered a sleeping pad a JR gear Presidon Insulated mat. Thanks @Jvaughan for the heads up on those. Low cost, 8.9cm thick and depending which website is believed 570gms or 600gms and R5.0 or R5.2 rated.
Getting it and the combo dry bag / inflation bag from Aliexpress as it's 50% less than buying from Gearshop.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000...43a04c4dYx574h
https://www.gearshop.co.nz/products/...ed-mat-scarlet

You could try PLATATAC, it's a Aussie company and they sell the snugpak inflatable mats and the 3/4 gonk mats which are good for weight saving etc

The JR gear Presidon Insulated mat has finally arrived. Initial impressions are it’s really good compared to the much pricer ones I’ve seen in local shops. Quality seems good. I got the mummy to save weight and it feels quite narrow (510mm) so big guys might want the XL verison. Seems really comfy but can’t properly comment until done an overnighter. I brought the optional 25 litre dry bag / inflation bag so that it wouldn’t go mouldy from breathing into it and toi keep my sleeping bag in when in backpack. Just 4 or 5 fills and mat is ready. The fill, empty and bleed valve works well. Do need to be careful to not over inflate as really soft gives best comfort. To be its specified 9cm thick it’d be hard and uncomfortable.

Re delivery it took almost 3 months! Covid sure is having an effect on international delivery. Pre-covid I’ve done 100+ orders on mostly minor electronics and occasional bigger items. All but one arrived in less than 3 weeks so 3 months wasn’t expected. Still waiting on delivery of trekking poles ordered at same time. Tracking shows they arrived in NZ 2 months ago……….

klymits are around $100 for non insulated, i used exped for all season, love them but rather bulky... very bulky.

Originally Posted by GravelBen

I haven't had a mat strapped on the outside of a pack since the old foam roll days! The inflatables all pack down fairly small.

Couple of photos for comparison - grey one is Exped Downmat Lite 5 (~650g), orange one is Exped Synmat Hyperlite 7 (~380g), bottle is 1 litre.

]

love to see my exped 9 lw synmat comparrison next to them! they look much better

Used the JR Gear mat recently on a two night trip with @mopheadrob I can report it was easy to inflate and really comfy. The only down, and it applies to virtually all mats, the upper surface is quite slippery so some tendancy to slide off during night. Why don't the manufacturers put on grippy silicone dots or strips on the upper surface? Sure slight extra weight and effort to manufacture but would improve the mats

Rob does that too. He's got the Torpedo7 mat. It's good too! Seems like if anyone if really chasing grams spend $200-$400 but if ok with 600gm weight get T7 or JR.

I have been using the Sea to Summit Camp Mat not the smallest or lightest mat on the market but at its price point and R rating I have found it to be great value and provides a comfortable night’s sleep especially when combined with their inflatable pillow.

https://www.macpac.co.nz/equipment/s...E&gclsrc=aw.ds