Ideas please for a decent camping mat. It’s a scary 16 yrs since I bought my now defunct @thermarest. I imagine things have moved on since!
— Alastair Humphreys (@Al_Humphreys) February 26, 2013
I have written about other expedition kit topics here. You can read about all my expedition experiences here.
Here are people’s answers to that question…
CotsOutdoorSalisbury â€I’md go with the Thermarest NeoAir Xlite if your after one that packs small (23x10cm) and it only weighs 350 grams!
Caroline Smith I’md recommend the NeoAir. You have to blow it up yourself but it packs up really small and it’s warm!
Kent Peterson @Thermarest still makes great mats.
Activ Adventures †Beacon is less warm but idiot-proof and comes with handy ties. Conrad Dickinson on the packet – must be good.
Activ Adventures the Ridgerest Solar is very warm but water collects in ridges. Took it to Finse last week and ideal in the snow.
Andrew Bradley go @Alpkit I use a dirtbag when there’s room to carry. Super comfy… for a sleeping mat..
Joe Spedding â€This is the future! http://klymit.com/index.php/products-1/sleeping-pads/inertia-x-frame.html …
Simon Atkinson â€if you want light and small a lot of people are using Klymit X frames. Mine arrived yesterday but I haven’t tried it yet.
Adam Long â€Thermarests are still prob best all-round, but its worth looking at Exped downmats if you’re going to be on snow or glaciers.
Mansel Kersey â€@Thermarest @Alpkit do a good range too
Mark Kalch @Thermarest I’md second that. Used a neo air for 117 nights paddling Mo-Miss River in 2012. Dreamt about it all day!
David Hine â€I like @Thermarest prolite short. Good for 3 seasons on its own and with a full length foam mat underneath good for winter
Emrys â€klymit inflatable matts seem to be the Gucci option these days but you still can’t beat the reliability of a roll matt
neel â€@neel_mistry don’t go with Black’s own brand self inflt. I learned the hard way this wknd. Froze my balls off.#wildcamping
Sam White â€Heard good things about the AlpKit stuff, but as the thermarest (like mine) lasts so long – why change? 🙂
Far Out Adventure †@thermarest neo-air feels like a comfy mattress after a long day! But got to keep a puncture repair kit handy just in case!
Fearghal O’Nuallain â€did you try @Thermarest‘s neo air? It’s almost as good as a sprung mattress.
Peter dixon †my trusty thermarest must have been that old at least..exped for me now..the winter down one is stunning,but pricy
Daniel Paladino †I love my Montbell UL sleep system. Light, durable and warm.
Tom Hill â€@2 Thermarest neoair for new school lightweight, or try an inertia x-frame!
Sam Dalton â€@samjdalton Exped all the way – the most comfortable mat I’mve ever used.
Jörgen Johansson I have never slept better in all my outdoor life than on a NeoAir Short in later years. But of course, I am an old man
Vin Cox Over 100 nights on my NeoAir. 70 of them last year
Will Goodall Copestake Thermarest Z-Lite Un-poppable, indestructible
David Leaning multimat used to sponsor me, I can definitely recommend their kit, combination of a foam & inflatable mat worked well below -40*C
Fiona Harris Exped – brilliant mat used it in the arctic and I was never cold:)
Spike Reid If you want lightweight I’md highly recommend the Klymit Inertia X Frame. It doesn’t look comfy but it is. Gimme a shout if you want to borrow and test mine.
John Darbeloff Alastair. Check out clymbit. Amazing technology.
Steve Chao Thermarest NeoAir XTherm
Richard Bannister Are you telling me Thermarest won’t give you a free one after all your field research???
Lara Nicole Dunn Hard to argue with Alpkit
Chris Leakey Themarest has lifetime guarantee. So u can get it replaced
David Piper Alpkit for weight / price ratio. Thermorest Neoair if its just price (although I find myself slipping off mine but that may be too shiny a bag!)
Andy Madeley Get a Pacific Outdoor mattress – lightweight AND doubles-up as an alarm clock by deflating by 3am every morning, I love ’em 😐
Philip Hodgkiss Eric Newby recounted a meeting with Evelyn Waugh where he was shamed by having a sleeping mat. But that was probably middle east, not Sibera:o)
David Adlard I got an AMAZING mat from what used to be Pacific OutDoor Products (Now, Hi-life or something like that, I think) that had a layer of aerogel inside the pad itself, eliminating the need fro a base mat in anything except the most extreme conditions – I used it on Rainier in -8 F with no problems. Slightly heavier than a comparable full size mat, but not much, and losing a base pad etc more than made up for it. I will msg you the details and contact info. Also, I have two “X-mats” from Klimat that fit inside a standard water bottle, complete with small hand held pump… I think the heavier one is 9oz… not for full winter, but great for most everything else, especially when weight/size matters.
Lara Nicole Dunn Actually, if weight isn’t as much of an object as comfort/warmth then you can’t beat an Exped Synmat Down
Edmund Carter Another thermarest would not be a bad bet, as it must have given you good service to last that long !.
Dick Willis Er, I think it was Wilfred Thesiger, not Evelyn Waugh… Go for a Thermarest, I agree with Edmund
Bruce Phillips Exped downmat’s are great, really glad i got mine.
So what did you pick Al?
Currently making the most of their lifetime guarantee – I sent the broken mat back and they say they will replace it. Not bad for something I bought in the ’90s!
Surprised not a single person recommended the Big Agnes Q-Core
Hi Al – any more recent thoughts on best camping air beds / mats? Self-inflating vs. not? Going camping this weekend and really need to get a new one…
I’d say go for a Thermarest or, if you’re worried about it popping, a Z Rest.
Alpkit do good budget alternatives.