New air/SI mattress

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New air/SI mattress

Postby trekker76 » Sun 21 Jul, 2019 11:38 pm

Looking for an extralarge but still lightweight style sleeping mat. Trying to stay under $150. Previous mat was an exped SI mat. Considering one of the sea to summit camp mats. https://www.snowys.com.au/camp-mat-si-s ... at?s=Large
Anyone have an opinion of these? Its 1kg, pretty standard for a 3.8cm insulated R4 mat.
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Re: New air/SI mattress

Postby Zapruda » Mon 22 Jul, 2019 9:52 am

A little more expensive but Thermarest have just released a new Prolite - https://www.wildearth.com.au/buy/therm- ... gJq7PD_BwE

It has an R-value of 4 and the weight is decent for a SI.
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Re: New air/SI mattress

Postby emma_melbourne » Sat 27 Jul, 2019 6:58 pm

I have the Sea to Summit Comfort Plus Self-Inflating in size Large, and 8 cm thick self-inflating, and by gees it's comfortable.

It's a 5 out of 5 comfort. It's similar to the Exped Megamat in terms of comfort; and as comfortable as my mattress at home.

It's a wacking 1.2 kg for large, (1.167 on my scale), and relatively bulky at 33 x 17 cm pack size. I've gone out hiking with lighter options, but I tend to still take the Sea to Summit Comfort Plus because I sleep so well on it, that for me it's usually worth the weight. It's R value is 4 - 4.1.

You can see how many 5 star reviews everyone has given it: Link here: https://www.snowys.com.au/comfort-plus-si-sleeping-mat

I recommend it for:
- Weekend and short-ish hikes where it's important to be comfortable and get a good night's sleep. I took it on the Overland Track for 5 nights where all my set-up was relatively light except my mat.

(I wouldn't take it on a long thru-hike, like the AT or PCT, where being as light as possible is so important due to the miles you're doing, and also you've got days and days and days to get used to a mat.)

- I'd also recommend it for people trying to get a reluctant partner into hiking. Having a really comfortable warm sleeping pad which they can easily fall asleep on makes a bit difference convincing them to go hiking again.


I also have a 5 cm thick Thermarest anniversary mat, which is similar to the Prolite Plus but is 5 cm thick, and that's a slightly lighter and slightly less bulky option - 680 grams for small size and 900 grams for large size, with an R value of 4. It was a special limited edition release, and no longer made, BUT...

there's a seller down in Tasmania which has old stock. He stubbornly doesn't drop the price even though it's old stock. However if you're interested to take a look it's here:
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/west-ho ... 1173330944

I'm happy with my Thermarest 40th Anniversary mats, but I tend to still prefer to take the thicker / more comfortable Sea to Summit Comfort Plus SI mats, if the weight and pack size isn't a concern. If I have to save weight, I take the small Thermarest 40th Anniversary at 680 grams with me, which I find ok but a compromise of weight for comfort - in that it's too narrow and not nearly as plush. The large 40th anniversary is more comfortable with the large size width, but at 900 grams, it's only a marginal addition to take the Sea to Summit at 1.167 kg and gain the extra plush mattress underneath me.

For the mats you were looking at:
I personally find 3.8 cm thick mat too thin for my hips, unless I blow it really really firm, and then I find it like sleeping on a rock. Too hard and not suitable for me - and for 1 kg you can get so much more comfortable mats for that weight. (eg Thermarest 40th Anniversary mat in size Large, 5 cm thick, for 900 grams; or Sea to Summit Comfort Light SI at 5 cm thick, for 880 grams.)

MOST COMFORTABLE - 8 cm thickness and large size with plush topper. Cons: bulky, heavyier
Sea to Summit Comfort Plus SI - Large - https://www.snowys.com.au/comfort-plus-si-sleeping-mat (198 x 64 cm, Weight 1.2 kg, R value 4.1, pack size 33 x 17 cm) $204.90

PRETTY COMFORTABLE - 5 cm thickness and large size. Cons: lower R value of 2.7
Sea to Summit Comfort Light SI - Large - https://www.snowys.com.au/comfort-light-si-sleeping-mat (198 x 64 cm, Weight 880 grams, R value 2.7, pack size 34 x 15 cm) $169.90

PRETTY COMFORTABLE - 5 cm thickness and large size with good R value of 4.0. Cons: The dot-cored foam is not as comfortable as the triangular delta core cut Sea to Summit Comfort SI mats, but not far off.
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/west-ho ... 1173330944 (198 x 63 cm, Weight 900 grams, R value 4, pack size 32 x 13 cm) $229.95



Best,

Emma
Last edited by emma_melbourne on Sat 27 Jul, 2019 7:32 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: New air/SI mattress

Postby emma_melbourne » Sat 27 Jul, 2019 7:04 pm

And just throwing out a further spanner....

If I was buying a new mat from scratch with no existing working mats, I might get this one:
PRETTY COMFORTABLE - 5 cm thickness and good R value of 4.0, but the Large Women's is an in-between size of 183 x 58 cm
Sea to Summit Comfort Light Womens SI - Large (but note this is an in-between size) https://www.snowys.com.au/comfort-light ... eeping-mat (183 x 58 cm, Weight 864 grams, R value 4, pack size 31 x 15.5 cm) $169.90

And the price is $169.90 in the Large - which is closer to your budget.

However you mentioned wanting an Extra Large mat so those dimensions may not be quite enough in 183 x 58 cm?
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Re: New air/SI mattress

Postby emma_melbourne » Sat 27 Jul, 2019 7:29 pm

ON BUDGET..!

Thermarest Trail Pro Self-inflating mat, 5 cm thick

https://www.backpacking-united.com/au/t ... arge-gecko

Large size at 196 x 63 cm size, Thickness 5 cm, 970 grams, R value 4.0, pack size 33 x 18 cm

or

if you're not as tall but just wanting the wider width, you can save some weight:
"Regular Wide" 183 x 63 cm size, Thickness 5 cm, 910 grams, R value 4.0, pack size 33 x 18 cm

(Amended weights updated - as I had them incorrect)

Best,

Emma
Last edited by emma_melbourne on Sun 28 Jul, 2019 2:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New air/SI mattress

Postby trekker76 » Sat 27 Jul, 2019 10:10 pm

Great replies thanks Emma! I might pick up the last one you mentioned, the Thermarest Trail pro in regular wide. I am tall but can handle being a bit longer than the mat, the width is the most important. I looked at some of the lighter options mentioned but was leery of the 30D lightweight material/ The trail pro says its 50 and 75 top and bottom so its worth a try. Be nice not to carry the extra weight as well. Consider this thread solved!
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Re: New air/SI mattress

Postby emma_melbourne » Sun 28 Jul, 2019 8:33 pm

The only thing that would put me off the Thermarest Trail Pro mat, is the pack size is bulky - at 33 x 18 cm. I would recommend you check if you have the pack room in your pack, and how many litres your backpack is?

The Thermarest 40th Anniversary is less bulky at 32 x 13 cm pack size. (5 cm less on diameter)
(It's otherwise very similar specs - same large mat size of 196 x 63 cm, mat thickness of 5 cm, R value 4, and the fabric is good specs at 75d Hex Rip poly and 70d Nylon soft grip, but it's more packable losing 5 cm of the diameter size.) https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/west-ho ... 1173330944

If the price of the Thermarest 40th Anniversary is the issue, and you don't mind a thinner 3.8 cm mat, then the Theramrest Prolite Plus is worth looking at:
https://www.trekkinn.com/outdoor-mounta ... 136325455/
It's pack size 33 x 13 cm, thickness 3.8 cm, Dimensions for large are 196 x 63 cm, and Weight is 900 grams (but elsewhere advertised as 850 grams variably), R value is 3.4
Top fabric type 50d mini Hex Rip Polyester, Bottom fabric type 50d Polyester
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Re: New air/SI mattress

Postby trekker76 » Mon 29 Jul, 2019 12:24 am

Thanks again Emma, I will check them out. Cost is a consideration as the climate + going to bed dirty takes a toll on gear. I have a 100L Berghaus vulcan, so have the capacity, but the reduced volume of the last one you mentioned is definetly worth a look. What I would love if such a thing existed is a 3/4 length but wide mat, but I have never seen wide in 3/4.
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