EXPED Camping Mattresses

[Gary Stockton]

Anyone used any of these, or have any experience with them? Seem to be highly rated for ground-camping (ie not in a roof tent etc.).

I'm looking to get one for some bike-based touring / camping (so no camp-bed to lug along ) and would welcome any comments - I'm looking at either the EXPED DownMat 7M or DownMat 9M mats - they're bloody expensive though so if they're useless I don't want to waste my bucks

See here: http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-category/mats/downmat-9-m

Cheers

 

[yogi]

Not being a roof tent owner, I'm also looking at these with interest.

The only problem I can see is that down is a totally crap insulter if it gets damp at all, so care with inflation would be a must. I think there is also a synthetic one.

 

[fast but dim]

pretty good iirc, out of my price range though!

For warmer weather camping on a very light airbed, or a slightly bulkier s.i mat have a look what www.alpkit.com have to offer.

 

[fridayman]

I have a Exped down 7 pump. Excellent mattress. It's hard to believe something that folds so small is this comfortable. I got the pump version to avoid the moisture issues. It's a built in manual pump and takes about 2 minutes to pump up.

 

[Gary Stockton]

Is the 7 really comfy? I can't decide whether to go 7 or 9 (thickness in cm for those that don't know). I hate being uncomfortable - I've a compression fracture in my spine that causes merry hell when I sleep on a crap mattress

 

[fridayman]

I chose the 7 to carry on the back of a trails bike. If I bought again I might go for the 9 now that I do most of my camping with the truck.

 

[Paddler Ed]

So I've gone to comfort level 11... I have an Exped MegaMat 10LXW. We've had ours for about 10 months, and have slept on them for over 2 1/2 months now; we've just done 3 weeks on them as a step in spare bed!

I've 6'3" and find it a good size; it's a bit narrower than my swag is, but that's not too bad. We have fitted sheets on them (with some ties to pull the sheet tight), and then run a duvet on them in the swags and very rarely have we been cold with them, even camping in the New England Winter here in Aus where we had ice on the outside AND the inside of the swags...

Definitely worth the money; the only addition I'd go for is the Snozzle bag if you go for the MegaMat, as the stock pump takes forever to blow them up.

Hope that helps,

Ed