Sleeping mats and punctures

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Gattonero
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by Gattonero »

I'm still ok with my NeoAir, it's amazing how much insulation you get from a 350gr thing :D
But I'd never use it on bare ground, it may be ok but I won't take the risk. Besides, I don't like to wake up and try to geet dressed and put my shoes on a wet ground, so I always carry a small groundsheet.
Tyvek works well for me, cheap and light, a 2sqm piece weights almost 100gr so it's not a big deal to carry if this improves comfort and longevity of the other kit.
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trevorcox
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by trevorcox »

Thanks for thoughts. We're touring on a tandem so adding chairs isn't an option. Minimising weight and bulk is important.

I'm wondering about buying an XS ultralight mat to go on our old karrimats to minimise additional weight. Anyone tried sleeping with a 3/4 length mat? Is it annoying?
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Sweep
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by Sweep »

Gattonero wrote:I'm still ok with my NeoAir, it's amazing how much insulation you get from a 350gr thing :D
But I'd never use it on bare ground, it may be ok but I won't take the risk. Besides, I don't like to wake up and try to geet dressed and put my shoes on a wet ground, so I always carry a small groundsheet.
Tyvek works well for me, cheap and light, a 2sqm piece weights almost 100gr so it's not a big deal to carry if this improves comfort and longevity of the other kit.


Keep hearing about tyvek gatto (i currently use a light blue tarp from b&q as a groundsheet) but is it really that cheap in a suitable size? Do you have a !ink?
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RickH
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by RickH »

Sweep wrote:Keep hearing about tyvek gatto (i currently use a light blue tarp from b&q as a groundsheet) but is it really that cheap in a suitable size? Do you have a !ink?

A quick Google suggests £15 precut (213cm X 91cm) from here or £81.60 for a 1m x 50m roll (£3.26 each if you club together with 24 mates for 2x1m sheets :D)
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LinusR
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by LinusR »

trevorcox wrote:Anyone tried sleeping with a 3/4 length mat? Is it annoying?


My first Thermarest mat was a 3/4 and I put up with it on my first camping tour. But I was quite thin at the time and I found my ankles and lower legs got uncomfortable and cold. I ended up buying a full length one and a Thermarest pillow (which doubles as something to sit on).
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Sweep
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by Sweep »

RickH wrote:
Sweep wrote:Keep hearing about tyvek gatto (i currently use a light blue tarp from b&q as a groundsheet) but is it really that cheap in a suitable size? Do you have a !ink?

A quick Google suggests £15 precut (213cm X 91cm) from here or £81.60 for a 1m x 50m roll (£3.26 each if you club together with 24 mates for 2x1m sheets :D)

not so cheap then for a tent footprint. I think I once checked it a while ago and came to the same conclusion.
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RickH
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by RickH »

Sweep wrote:
RickH wrote:
Sweep wrote:Keep hearing about tyvek gatto (i currently use a light blue tarp from b&q as a groundsheet) but is it really that cheap in a suitable size? Do you have a !ink?

A quick Google suggests £15 precut (213cm X 91cm) from here or £81.60 for a 1m x 50m roll (£3.26 each if you club together with 24 mates for 2x1m sheets :D)

not so cheap then for a tent footprint. I think I once checked it a while ago and came to the same conclusion.

Only if you have a good crowd of mates looking for some too! :lol:
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pjclinch
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by pjclinch »

Gattonero wrote:I'm still ok with my NeoAir, it's amazing how much insulation you get from a 350gr thing :D
But I'd never use it on bare ground, it may be ok but I won't take the risk.


Well there's bare ground...

Image

and then again there's bare ground...

Image

As often, it's about context. I think a Neo-Air warrants a fair bit of care, but at least on typical camp site grass I'd not worry too much about using mine in its chair kit.

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Gattonero
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by Gattonero »

pjclinch wrote:
Gattonero wrote:I'm still ok with my NeoAir, it's amazing how much insulation you get from a 350gr thing :D
But I'd never use it on bare ground, it may be ok but I won't take the risk.


Well there's bare ground...

Image
...


Do such places exist in reality, I mean as a camping site or wild-camping?
To me, grass is probably the most deceiving of the grounds, as one may think it's all right but the grass may be covering thorns, fragment of pine cones/fallen wood, small rocks, empty cans or glass... as always, there's no substitute for spending those couple of minutes clearing the area where one will sleep: you know Murphy's Law, the only rock in the field will be right there where you elbow will rest :mrgreen:

Btw, that loks like a well-tendered and "just mowed" lawn, so I supposed it's pretty flat and free from any problem. But unlikely to be open for the public.
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
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Gattonero
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by Gattonero »

RickH wrote:
Sweep wrote:Keep hearing about tyvek gatto (i currently use a light blue tarp from b&q as a groundsheet) but is it really that cheap in a suitable size? Do you have a !ink?

A quick Google suggests £15 precut (213cm X 91cm) from here or £81.60 for a 1m x 50m roll (£3.26 each if you club together with 24 mates for 2x1m sheets :D)


That's because you search for "camping Tyvek", but if you look for printing supplies it comes for less than £3/mt (of which almost half is P&P) :wink:
I got a big roll that turned out to be very useful for packing delicate stuff. I.e. I had quickly sewn a piece of that for making a proper-sized bag to protect my suits and coats (whenever I use them), given the cost of those clothes in the first place and the cost to have them cleaned, it's certainly worth protecting them as much as possible. And was cheaper than a flimsy clothes-bag from Sainsbury's.

Btw, if someone wants to give it a try, I have the paper-like in 1300mm width and the fabric-like in 1500mm width and can add some strong rubber bands at each corner, all for half of the price above 8)
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
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RickH
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by RickH »

Gattonero wrote:That's because you search for "camping Tyvek"...

No I simply put "tyvek" in the search & the examples I gave were both on the 1st page of results. :D
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Gattonero
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by Gattonero »

RickH wrote:
Gattonero wrote:That's because you search for "camping Tyvek"...

No I simply put "tyvek" in the search & the examples I gave were both on the 1st page of results. :D


You need to dig deeper, and be prepared to get a big quantity for a better price. Just like everything, really, have you ever seen the price of a 10-bolts-blister pack from B&Q versus buying a pack of 1000 bolts? Of course, you gotta make use of those bolts, otherwise is false economy.
And this is a good thing of non-perishable things that don't go out of fashion either: you can always use a ziptie or a bolt in 10 or 25 years time :D
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
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Sweep
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by Sweep »

Gattonero wrote: I have the paper-like in 1300mm width and the fabric-like in 1500mm width and can add some strong rubber bands at each corner, all for half of the price above 8)


Fine for a sleeping mat maybe but too narrow for a tent footprint - I think that was why I gave up looking for it - apart from price it was an issue of getting it in appropriate sizes - by the way In think that grass upthread you were doubtful about might be a bowling green. Not a good idea to camp there.
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mercalia
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by mercalia »

Sweep wrote:
Gattonero wrote: I have the paper-like in 1300mm width and the fabric-like in 1500mm width and can add some strong rubber bands at each corner, all for half of the price above 8)


Fine for a sleeping mat maybe but too narrow for a tent footprint - I think that was why I gave up looking for it - apart from price it was an issue of getting it in appropriate sizes - by the way In think that grass upthread you were doubtful about might be a bowling green. Not a good idea to camp there.


or they might think it is a bowls version of Crazy Golf and send a few bowls your way :lol:
willem jongman
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by willem jongman »

Modern ultralight insulated mattresses like those from Thermarest and Exped are quite fragile. I would never use one outside, let alone with a chairkit.
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