Inflating mat?

[boink]

Doing my first ever cycle tour + camping this summer and need (I think) to buy a mat of some kind. Can anyone recommend something
which will leave me with both arms and legs?

[stephenjubb]

www.alpkit.com

[Justin]

I use a Thermarest Prolite 3 Short which I bought primarily for it's light weight whilst hiking/camping. I've had many a good nights sleep on it but one thing you may find is that it may be a little too thin, at 2.5cm, if you tend to sleep on your side or move around a lot in the night.
A couple of other ones to research are the Neoair and the Exped Downmats, they're considerably thicker than the above mentioned Thermarest and seem to be very highly recommended by many.
I've not actually used one myself but I'm thinking of possibly going for the extra comfort of the Neoair.

[PW]

Thermarest for me. I prefer the full length for what bit extra it weighs.

[fossil]

Fat Airic

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?tar ... t_id=16215

good kit me and the wife have one

[boblo]

You won't want to carry a Fat Airic on tour without an artic

There's loads of copy self inflating Thermarest alikes around if you want to save money or go for a propa Thermarest Prolite for excelent longevity, quality and gurantee.

If you want to go really lightweight, go for a Thermarest Neoair, they are a c omfy revelation and a bit lighter than the standard Thermarests.

[julk]

As this is your first cycle camp trip I would start with a cheap mat. A chair kit is available for the Thermarest and Exped mats and makes a useful warm comfy chair of the mat if you have a tent you can sit up in.

The self inflating mats are good, the blow up thicker ones - such as the exped downmat are a lot more comfy/warmer but much more expensive.

If you take to the camping then consider upgrading the mat in the future.

[rapidfire72]

After having a 3/4 length Therm-a-Rest mat for many years and fed up with having cold feet and curling up to avoid that. I've decided to replace it with a full length mat, but having seen the Prolite and Neoair mats at my local out-door shop, I'll probably go for the Neoair. The Neoair is not cheap at £110, but can get it cheaper for £90. The Neoair is really comfy and one I've tried out in the shop and it is really comfortable, probably better than some hostel beds.

if you do go for the Therm-a-Rest, do consider the Chair 20, gives you a back-rest after a tiring day on the road.

[rualexander]

If you don't mind the price, go for a Thermarest of some kind. Their lifetime guarantee is excellent, I had one de-laminate in New Zealand after a few years use and took it to a dealer who replaced it free of charge after sending it to the distributor for authorisation, then a few years later that replacement de-laminated and I sent it to the UK distributor and got another replacement free of charge. From that you will see that they do have the potential to fail, but you can still sleep on them only partially inflated (roughly as comfortable as a 'karrimat' in that circumstance) and know that you should get a new one when you have time to get it sent off.

[Edvardus]

I used to use an Exped Airmat 7.5 which was reasonably comfortable, but what I didn't realise was that the air in these gets cold during the night, so you need to have a closed-cell foam mat as well. I recently treated myself to an Exped Downmat 9 Pump DLX and this is the biz. Extremely comfortable and warm. A bit heavier certainly, but when I'm out cycle camping my ancient bones value a bit more comfort so I don't mind the extra weight. The 9cm (3.5") thickness makes a world of difference and being down-filled, it packs up smaller than an equivalent foam-filled mat. Comes with a 5 year guarantee. Make sure that you get the latest Pump version as earlier ones (which are still being advertised) have a pump which is incorporated in the stuff sack and this can be difficult to use. The later integrated pump (and there are separate inflation and deflation valves) is a cinch to use.

[scraynes]

Hi,

Have to add to the reports about the Exped Mats.

They are amazing. I`ve got the synmat 7. The choice is quit large but I decided that standard width would be ok and 7cm again would be enough.

Yes there are cheaper options, but this together with a good sleeping bag are the key to a good night sleep. \relative to the cost of a night in a hotel they are cheap - so I would just get on with buying the exped.

The thermorest are good aswell, but reading about both here and on other forums, those that have changed tot he exped mats can't rate them highly enough.

What ever you do,have a good tour...

[Barrenfluffit]

A vote for the Thermarest Prolite. Its short but you can always put your feet on something if its that chilly.

[bigjim]

Bubblewrap.

[Si]

http://www.alpkit.com

Good quality and excellent VFM, but make sure that they send you what you actually asked for!

[meic]

We have a thermarest in the house but I still much prefer to take a closed cell mat, I have found a way of carrying it that copes with the bulk and like the price and absolute reliability.