UKC

So I'm after some thoughts on sleeping mats. Primarily it'll be for backpacking and mountaineering, including high altitude treks/climbs. I've been put off "self inflating" mats since the last few I had punctured very easily and are a bugger to repair. Heard suggestions too that moisture from blowing them up can affect the internal strength. That said thermarests come with a lifetime guarantee. What do people use for their high altitude treks?

In reply to paul_stjimmy:

I bought one of these on a trip to the States this September: https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Pad/InsulatedAirCore It was very comfortable, certainly miles better than my old Thermarest, and was warm too. The highest I slept was about 10,000 ft but it felt like it would have been fine at higher altitudes. I think it's much the same as other thick mats - Exped etc. Important to get the insulated version though, obviously. They recommend storing it unrolled with the valve open, presumably to dry it after blowing it up by mouth, which is what I did. You can get a very light pump for them if you don't want to blow into them.

In reply to paul_stjimmy: thermarest. alpkit ones leak.

In reply to paul_stjimmy: Exped down mats. Only slightly more weight/bulk to pack than a thermarest but comfort and warmth much better.

In reply to paul_stjimmy: Whichever one you choose, don't put a crampon through it!

I haven't had a problem (apart from the crampon incident) with my thermarest prolite. Wished I had something warmer above 5000m at times though.

In reply to tenbob: Used my exped dowmat 7 at over 5000m and in Greenland in spring. Somewhere I have a photo showing the trenches melted into the ice after we were stormbound for 4 days. A really deep one for the guy with a flat thermarest, a shallower one for the guy with a working thermarest and almost no evidence of me on the downmat.

In reply to AlH:
I've seen these around so its great to hear such a positive review of one. Greenland is another use which I didn't think of. I guess my bad record with inflatables is probably a reflection of my lack of care for it

In reply to paul_stjimmy: I would echo ALH's comments, I've used the exped downmat 7 in Greenland and the himalaya and found it excellent.

Jonny

In reply to paul_stjimmy:

+1 for exped downmat

In reply to paul_stjimmy: Another vote for the Exped, used a down 9cm one for 5 weeks straight at high altitude and sleeping on glaciers in Nepal and it never let me down once. Got to the stage that I was so used to sleeping on that I even continued on it for a week when coming back home as the bed didnt feel quite right. Now that says a lot of how incredibl comfortable they are

In reply to paul_stjimmy: Consider using two. I use a 3/4 length ultralite thermarest + a ridgerest. I've had one puncture in 21 years of using thermarests, but if you do puncture you've still got the ridgerest. Found it works well for Scandinavian winter camping. Used that system in temps down to -27.

In reply to paul_stjimmy: Looks like I might be upgrading to an exped downmat!

In reply to TobyA:

You just got me thinking. I might use a ridge rest + balloon bed for my next trip. The main downer with them is they are 3/4 length and fragile, but as you say... I still have the ridge rest.

In reply to TobyA:

That crossed my mind with Big Agnes, but I needn't have worried - she was big and comfy and showed me a great time!

In reply to paul_stjimmy:

http://www.thsh.co.uk/event/sir-ranulph-fiennes-everest-the-eiger-and-more/

Spot the Ridgerest.

In reply to paul_stjimmy:

EXPED all the way.

In reply to drsdave: and i see there's a light-weight, small-packing version of the down mat now.. ummmmmm