UKC

Hi,

I currently use an Thermarest Prolite 4 Regular for allt the camping I do , be it summer or winter. I'm currently trying to pare down my kit to be lighter weight but with losing as little warmth/quality etc as possible.

Anybody have any thoughts or recommendations about how I can go lighter with a comparable mat but without too much compromise in warmth?

Cheers in advance....

In reply to Rawstron1:

if you are looking at inflatable mats the only options I can see which have the best warm/weight are other Thermarest models - either a prolite 3, or the new "prolite" which is lighter than the 3, or maybe a women's model to go a bit smaller and lighter. Otherwise there's the thinnest Exped downmat thingy at about the same weight as your prolite 4.

I've not used my prolite 3 (full length) much in winter, so can't comment on its warmth too much, but in 3 season camping it has been great. I've also got an Alpkit Wee Airic, which is tremendous value for money, tiny pack size, and seems warm and comfy - but it's not as light as the thermarest short equivalent.

In reply to Rawstron1:

I find that "karrimats" are much warmer and lighter than thermarests. Less comfy but that is the way of lightweight sometimes.

Alternatively you could use a 3/4 length thermarest.

In reply to SFM:

Prolite 4 short is a shade under 500g whereas a multimat 5 season is 355g and the 3/4 season is 170g. Thermarests do pack down a lot smaller though. In Winter I use a combo of both(karrimat and prolite 3 short or older thicker thermarest if I'm car camping)

In reply to johnSD:

I think the prolite 3 needs some extra insulation for winter, my mistake recently, and normal thermarest is better. Prolite 3 is quite a bit lighter, about 370g compared with 700g for equivalent normal one.

In reply to Rawstron1:

Like jonnSD says there's the Women's prolite 4 thermarest, which is warmer (also shorter). Or if you use a Short prolite 4, or equivalent, you can insulate your lower legs/feet from the ground with your rucksack, and perhaps spare clothing in a stuff-sack under the knees and ankles.
There's no reason you can't do the same with something thinner, too, but a section of karrimat or a fleece underneath the torso might be a good idea if the ground's frozen or snowy.

You might want to look at the exped mats, they do some very interesting lightweight inflatable mats. If you don't like having a mat that can puncture, the Zrest and the ridgerest aren't too bad for comfort.

In reply to Rawstron1: If you have friends in or ever go the US then the Montbell self inflating mats are well worth a look. The Montbell UL 90 mat I have is about 250g and as warm as the TAR Prolite 3 short, but much lighter. It is a little shorter, but I don't find this a problem. It can be combined with a closed cell foam mat in the winter to give a system as warm as a Prolite 4 and still weighing a bit less. This also means that if the self inflating mat gets punctured then you still have the closed cell mat. A similar self inflating mat which is available in the UK is the Torsolite (I think made by Bozeman Mountain Works) but this is narrower than either the Montbell or TAR mats.
The other option is to wait until the new TAR NeoAir mats hit the market in April. They're like airbeds, but supposedly with features to increase their insulation value. They still won't be as warm as the Prolite 4, but should be lighter and more comfortable, since they're 6cm thick.

In reply to Rawstron1:

As others have pointed out, for lightweight, then the shorter versions are quite adequate whilst using a rucksack under the feet. Mine has plenty of padding but even one without any would be suitable with perhaps any spare items inserted. There is a very lightweight rucksack available that I think is designed to use a thermarest or other mat as the back padding.

In reply to cringeworthy: Thanks for the replies and all your thoughts chaps. I'll be keeping an eye on the Neoair though; sounds interesting.....

In reply to cringeworthy:

OMM sacs have a thin fold-up mat as their back system. Is that the one you are thinking of? Never used one so couldn't say how good or bad it is though.

In reply to SFM:

I was thinking of the Gossamer range - haven't looked at the complete range to see if they do ones suitable for mountaineering though.

http://www.winwood-outdoor.co.uk/acatalog/Gossamer_Gear_Mariposa_lightweigh...

In reply to SFM: The OMM Duomat is OK as an addition to a small self inflating mat for a bit of extra insulation, or for your legs to go on, but it's a bit spartan on its own (that is it's ideal for anybody who enjoys suffering).

In reply to Rawstron1:

Thermarest NeoAir

http://www.thermarest.com/product_detail.aspx?pID=134&cID=1

In reply to Kai: Balloon bed (www.balloonbed.com)? disclaimer, never used it and really quite 'extreme'

In reply to Southampton Tom: Used the balloon bed and the OMM duomat.

The balloon bed is by far comfier, lighter and insulates you more from ground cold. It can also be fiddly. A one night only thing. 100g all in!

Duomat is a needs must thing. I would personally go for the balloon bed if going for extreme lightweight.

If not going for extreme then stick with a proper mat.

In reply to Tonyfryer: I wonder how the Neoair will be compared with the Prolite 4? Any ideas? Ahs anybody managed to test one?