UKC

Hi there

Off to the Alps this summer, and some of our routes may involve the odd bivi on a glacier. So I'm investing in an expedition-weight multimat, being a very cold sleeper!

Problem I have, is that it looks like it'll be too big to fit inside the side-straps of my Osprey Mutant 38 pack. Is there a way of overcoming this? Using bungees or something?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Chris

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

roll it into a large cylinder and put it in your pack first then stuff everything else inside it.

or fold it flat and shove it down the hydration sleeve.

inflating mats on the outside of packs whils climbing can end in tears.

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

If it's a foam mat, and you realy want to put it on the outside of your pack, you could just extend the side strap on one side of the pack?

Si

In reply to Chris Ellyatt: If you are not in any chimneys, on the back of the pack is almost always better than on the side or top.

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

I just cut mine down until it would fit inside the side-straps. It is now 3/4 length, that's all you need.

In reply to Chris Ellyatt: Some years ago I cut mine down into strips just less than the width of the rucksack then fastened them back together with duct tape. It then folded flat and provided extra padding in the back of the rucksack. I now have a rucksack that comes with a mat already prepared like that but without the duct tape making it much neater.

Al

In reply to Gaston Rubberpants:

A decent alpine rucksack will have a sleeve down the back for just this purpose.

ALC

In reply to a lakeland climber:

Thanks for replies.

Yeah the rucksack does have a sleeve down the back...there's already a folded rollmat type thing down it though? It's a 3-folding piece, but only folds out to about 3ft long? What's that all about?

Chris

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

It's all you need, deals with shoulders to hips then you use the sack itself for your legs and your rope for a pillow. Alpine bivvies aren't meant to be the Hilton.

ALC

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

That is an alpine style bivi mat. see the key features in the link below

http://www.ospreypacks.com/en/product/vertical_endeavors__snowplay/mutant_3...

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

so, a multimats inflating right. dont cut it down (like i first said till i realized and rewrote my post).

just yank the existing foam one out of the pack and replace it. or if you get a 3/4 length shove it in with it and use both.

the ultimate in space saving tho is chopping up a foam mat, not just into sections but also tapering it and taking off corners and packing it flat.

or one of those new Klimbit things, but they still need a foam layer to prevent cold patches on snow.