Self inflating mattress
Submitted: Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 02:59
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Brian
Looking to buy self inflating mattress for camping , i realise there are lots of previous threads on this but looking for up to date advice on what type, brand etc .
There is one advertised on tv which shows a vehicle driving all over it !! Any knowledge on these please ??
Reply By: Malcom M - Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 06:51
Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 06:51
Maybe tell us what your intended use is?
We have a couple of Exped mats (a SimComfort 7.5 and a Mega Mat 7.5) that are rated down to -17C meaning you can put it on the snow and still stay toasty warm.
Really comfortable and bullet proof. We have hundreds of nights on each of them from the
Vic High Country to
Cape York in a tent..
Not cheap but great quality. The cheap crappy Chinese things roll up into a smaller space but we have had a lot of those die before buying something good.
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Follow Up By: Member - Mark (Tamworth NSW) - Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 07:49
Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 07:49
Malcolm
Ditto, don't waste your time on cheaper ones as they will develop leaks very quickly.
The original brand of SIMs is Thermarest, like Exped is not cheap but if you think you will want to use them for yars to come,
well worth the extra $s. We also have a Black Wolf one which is cheaper then the previous brands which has stood the
test of time.
I've seen good reviews for Sea to Summit brands. The Kathmandu brand ones we bought about 15 years ago were complete rubbish and the response from the
shop I took them back to after failing on their first use was "what do you expect, they all leak".
You will get a good nights sleep out of quite thin (talking about 25-35mm expanded) good brand SIMs, you don't need 100mm thick ones.
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Follow Up By: Michael H9 - Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 08:18
Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 08:18
I'd like a 3/4 one that's a bit wider while we are at it. They are all quite narrow and my muscles don't fit....:-)
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Follow Up By: Malcom M - Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 08:20
Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 08:20
25-35mm doesn't do it for us. We like the much thicker ones as you can adjust the pressure to get your comfort level.
Thin ones have to be pumped up hard to keep your hips off the ground. We are too old for that nonsense :)
Our Kathmandus crapped out quickly as
well.
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889274
Follow Up By: gbc - Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 09:36
Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 09:36
Ladies close your ears - If you want a wider one, get the female fit SIM - don't ask ;)
'Much thicker' ones are nearly always unbonded meaning the external liner isn't bonded to the foam and you need to adjust air pressure more. I'd take a 35mm bonded over a 75mm unbonded every day.
For max comfort the newer fully inflatable insulated mats are lighter, smaller and apparently more comfortable again. Have a look at the likes of a thermarest neo air. I don't have one and am probably not likely to need one. Any lightweight camping I do these days is with my expedition hammock which beats laying on any mattress.
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Follow Up By: Brian - Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 10:21
Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 10:21
Thanks all , Malcom its for inside a black wolf tent . Are they double size ?
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Follow Up By: Brian - Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 11:06
Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 11:06
The brand i was refering to that showed a vehicle driving over it was EUROBED ( i think )
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Follow Up By: Malcom M - Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 11:49
Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 11:49
Brian
Note that the Exped singles have a velcro strip running along the sides so you can stick two together.
Gives you control over the inflation of each half...
Those eurobed things are just a big bag of air. No insulation capability at all. Cheap and chearfull.
All depends on what sort of camping you intend to do and how long you intend to keep it...
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Follow Up By: Genny - Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 21:50
Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 21:50
We have a Eurobed as a spare for visitors, and I slept on it once. Sucks the warmth from your bones like there is no tomorrow!
Not really self inflating (the queen does have a 240V pump built in), and probably less than ideal for camping.
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Follow Up By: Member - ACD 1 - Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 22:47
Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 22:47
@Genny
Likewise with ours, although it is a queen size.
I put one of those velour (hotel type) blankets underneath the bottom fitted sheet. Stops the heat loss.
Cheers
Anthony
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Reply By: Mick O - Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 15:08
Thursday, Mar 15, 2018 at 15:08
I’ve had a thermarest matteress (big boy size) for over 20 years. It’s been carted around the world and used in climates from – 35 to +47C and continues to give great service. It’s advantage is its size when rolled up. Still large but it is 2.0m long and 75 wide inflating to 4cm.
Being some 20 years older now and sporting a lot more war wounds, I use the ExPed Megamat and let me confirm what’s been said above. It is the most comfortable self inflater I’ve ever slept on. The only cons are its size (25cm x 900cm) when rolled up and its price of $300. Given what I know now, it’s $300
well spent. I’ve used this on my recent quad expeditions of up to a week in the wilds and after a hard day flogging it across god awful country, getting a comfortable nights sleep is a distinct advantage. With 10cm of loft means its
well insulated and robust it handles my 120kg frame comfortably and at 900 wide, plenty of room to toss and turn.
It’s all been said above. If you have the room and you can afford the $, the Megamat is the only option.
Cheers
Mick
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