Camping Mattress

jfak7670

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Hi guys! I'm looking for a camping mattress. Maybe you could give me a couple suggestions how to choose one and share your impressions about certain models. Thank you!
 
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jfak7670

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I want one for a backpack trip. [FONT=&quot]I need a mattress long and wide enough to accomodate my 6 ft and 200 lbs.[/FONT]
 

GaiaIngram

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i have a qomotop self-inflating mattress , easy to [FONT=&quot]80 × 28 inch, perfect for 1 people . i like automatic-inflation ) you just have to open the air valve and the air will make it plump .
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StagMoose

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I want one for a backpack trip. [FONT=&quot]I need a mattress long and wide enough to accomodate my 6 ft and 200 lbs.[/FONT]

All kind of subjective based on what you like and want to carry. For backpacking I try to stay as light as possible as I generally am covering at least 10 miles or more a day. I will splurge a little weight on sleep comfort.

I don't personally find the self- inflating pads you be that comfortable. I prefer the ones you need to blow up and offer a bit better R value. I have had ones from big agnes that worked well for a while. The currently have a couple from klymitt that are equally as comfortable. They do weight more than standard foam or 3/4 self inflating ones. They eventually develop micro holes due to folding up in the same place repeatedly.

They are generally about 2" thick and pack about the size of a Nalgene bottle or a little bigger.
 

GrizzlyAdams

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I've got several different Big Agnes pads for different uses and I like them all. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them
 

StagMoose

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I've got several different Big Agnes pads for different uses and I like them all. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them

The big Agnes pads are good. Since their sleeping bags rely on a pad for the back insulation of the bag they tend to make pretty good pads.
I bought the klymitt ones because they were on sale and the big agness ones were starting to go flat a couple times a night. I did use them for several years before this happened and they are great. A 2-2.5" thick inflatable pad is surprisingly comfortable. I am a little over 6' and 200lbs.

If you are car camping, bring whatever you want. If you are backpacking, decide how comfortable you want to be and how much weight you want to carry. For backpacking, I don't think any pad is as comfortable as the inflatable ones you have to blow up. I have friends who use the self inflating ones and just foam pads, some use 2/3 length, but they are built like birds so they don't need as much cushion I guess.
 

Poppy

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I have a thermarest self inflating mat, and a klymit static V blow up mat.

I'm 5' 11" 180 and a side sleeper. I was advised to get the thicker thermarest, because I am a side sleeper, and primarily a car camper. I agree with StagMoose, that they are not the most comfortable on the planet. However, should they get a hole, they'ii still give some comfort, and some insulation.

I bought a Klymit for my grandson, and when I found out it was on sale, I bought two. They really fold up small for back-packing. Certainly compared to the self inflating therma-rest.

I never liked blow up mats, they were too stiff and bouncy, and then I'd sweat on top of them.
By accident, I discovered my mistake.
I blew up my Klymit, and decided to let some air out of it while lying on it. I found that I could lie on my side, and still have support. It was MUCH more comfortable, when the air pressure was adjusted to my body.

I'm a muush, and if I am staying a few nights, I might bring my lounge chair 3 inch foam cushion,
On a back-packing trip, I'd bring an inflatable, like the klymit. I can't recommend one brand over another. Sorry I just don't have enough experience with a variety of equipment.
 
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Thermarest X-Therm Max, size large is 77 x 25 inches. Has an R-Value of 6.9, so even if you sleep on snow it will insulate you from the ground. Match the temperature of your bag to your conditions and you'll be warm anywhere.
 
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Hi guys! I'm looking for a camping mattress. Maybe you could give me a couple suggestions how to choose one and share your impressions about certain models. Thank you!


The self inflating mattresses have sort of fallen out of favor even with Thermarest. The Thermarest are the premium models. Nothing worse than a leak in the middle of the night and they tend to be the most reliable. Neo-Air is their new stuff. X-Therm Max is cold weather gear, they have other models that are cheaper with less insulation. They have a 30" wide model that one of my friends carries. He is a big guy. The 25 is enough for most people.
 

jrgold

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Thermarest X-Therm Max, size large is 77 x 25 inches. Has an R-Value of 6.9, so even if you sleep on snow it will insulate you from the ground. Match the temperature of your bag to your conditions and you'll be warm anywhere.

This. Your thermal barrier should be your number one concern. Most of your heat is lost to the ground throughout the night, a sleeping pad that insulates you will keep you much warmer than even the best of sleeping bags. If you're cold, you won't sleep well period.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

ledbetter

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At my age with a variety of aches and pains you can't beat a good cot. And now if you want spend the money, they're super light. You will need to add something for a decent r rating in colder weather however.
 

AFSOC

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For backpacking, weight and bulk is your biggest consideration. Every year technology is improving. The industry leaders like Thermarest and Sea To Summit improve their offerings all the time. You can find exactly what will work best for you. For backpacking, you wont need a full length pad. I prefer wider pads because I somehow tend to roll off of pads during the night.
 

Owen

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If you're looking at inflatables, check out Exped. They have everything from sub-13oz ultralight backpacking stuff to >13lb 2 person camping models. Exped is my personal preference for lightweight inflatables, due to their "vertical"(lengthwise) baffles being the most comfortable of any brand to me.
I like Thermarest's self-inflators, would still be using different versions of their ProLite series if I hadn't switched to inflatables, and would probably buy one of their thicker ones if I was a camper, and not a backpacker.
 

desmobob

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A while back, I bit the bullet and started carrying a Thermarest. It was heavy, but the R-value and comfort was worth it. Since then, I switched to hammocks and don't need a pad. If I did buy a new pad, it would be one of the newer ultralight insulated inflatable types.
 

KITROBASKIN

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A hammock in temperate weather needs insulation because the loft of a sleeping bag gets compressed underneath our bodies. In colder weather even more insulation is needed. Maybe desmobob is using a hammock underquilt to keep warm. Or going out only when the weather is balmy.

This summer we got an inflatable hybrid Nemo Flyer camping mattress. Getting it back into the stuffsack after inflating? Tough to do-have not done that. Getting it to be tight/filled to the max really requires some way other than letting it sit there to self-inflate. I used an electric tire inflator with a wrapped plastic grocery bag to be the interface between inflator fill nozzle and pad orifice. Sleeping on the corrugated wavy surface takes some getting used to; feels somewhat uneven laying on it. Have only used it in a Warbonnet Ridgerunner 2-layer bridge hammock (very comfortable by the way, if gathered end hammocks shoulder-squeeze you too much) either by it self when temps go to lower 60's, or when the thermometer dips into the 50's I put a Thermarest RidgeRest Classic large under the Nemo Flyer. The Thermarest BaseCamp Large also works well with the bridge hammock and is very warm, too much when it's above ~75(?) outside.
 

desmobob

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Maybe desmobob is using a hammock underquilt to keep warm. Or going out only when the weather is balmy.

A few older "balmy weather" photos...


Copy_of_Jan19_2013_d.jpg


ME-NH_2013_3r.jpg
 
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