Foam sleeping mats

[Cyclewala]

I'm looking to buy my first proper sleeping mat (preferably foam). I have a basic foam one from Decathlon and it was fine on a warm July night in France, but don't think it'll cut it in cooler climes.

I know blow up ones are comfier, but for touring I want reliability and simplicity. My research points me towards Thermarest Ridgerest and Exped Flexmat. I'm looking for a good 3 season one that'll creep into 4 season at a push - but no Everest base camp quality required. So, something with an R rating of 2.5-3.5 should be adequate.

I generally sleep ok - that is, after a day's cycling I'm knocked out.

What puts me off the above foam ones is the bulk. Ideally, I'd like something that meets the above criteria but is more akin to the rolled up Karrimat or Biomat of old. Do foam mats like these exist?

BTW - although I said I'd prefer foam, I am willing to consider air ones if reasonable defence can be made. I just read too many stories on here and in other places about leaks and punctures to feel comfortable (sic). I'm aware repair kits can be carried but it's one more thing to worry about.

Many thanks in advance.

[Jdsk]

...I am willing to consider air ones if reasonable defence can be made. I just read too many stories on here and in other places about leaks and punctures to feel comfortable (sic).

We wouldn't be without our Therm-a-Rest inflatables. Two main reasons: comfort and the ability to turn them into seats with decent back support. No punctures yet.

Ours are full length but having read some other opinions I'd consider 3/4.

Jonathan

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
The likes of old Karrimor (yellow 12-15mm thk) have been replaced by millets etc.
I think 15mm is about as thick as you need.

I use a cheap 4mm one for summer but I just bought a 6 mm one as the 4 was cold for sub 10C.
Despite the 4mm ones selling for 99 p in pound shops type shops they are now about £6 upwards (ebay)
Bulky yes but ultra reliable.

My 6mm thk rolls down to 120 mm dia, and is 500 x 1800 mm, 160 grams with a plastic tube so you can roll it up tight and neat.
4mm one was surprisingly comfortable on concrete in the summer devon.

If you sleep easily then you only need to think about insulation qualities.

I suffer from facet impingement and damage to my sacrum, I need to do daily physio and exercise three times a week not to suffer too much from crushed nerves in my back.

But when I toured around devon and cornwall spending six nights in bus shelters, 4 on concrete floor and two on wooden benches, I did not have any trouble with my back, I did not sit at all, at home the story is so different....................

P.S. If you suffer cold feet then consider a full length.

[simonineaston]

it goes like this: when you are young you have rubber bones and can sleep on the floor I did, then when you are older you think wait a minute I can afford stuff I'll buy a sleeping mat, then when you are promoted (or rob a bank it doesn't matter which) you can buy a posh insulated superlight jobbie and bingo you are dead comfy - until something happens to your million pound posh jobbie that then you realise you've got so soft that you can't sleep in the floor without one anymore!!

[Cyclewala]

Well, I'm not a young 20 something but neither am I a cranky old codger.

Cycle touring and particularly, cycle camping involves a degree of hardship. I'm looking for that in-between ground between absolute luxury and outright hardship.

I'm not restricted by budget, but as a Yorkshireman, I want value for money.

[F70100]

Sea to Summit Comfort Plus Insulated sleeping pad is advertised as having 2 separate layers of interlocking air chambers to provide some redundancy in the event of a puncture.

Never tried one, just recently saw some guy on YouTube saying he bought it because of that feature.

[nirakaro]

I've certainly had reliability problems with several ultralight mats from Thermarest and Exped, but the original inch-thick Thermarest (which currently seems to be called Trail Scout) always seemed pretty bomb-proof, and is a huge step up in comfort from foam mats.

[hufty]

Sea to Summit Etherlite inflatable for me nowadays, but on longer trips I also strap an el cheapo foam mat on the rack to act as a groundsheet protector, siesta mat, and fall back should the inflatable fail for any reason. The concertina ones you mention are good but not particularly pannier friendly.

I've had several Exped synmat ULs over the years. Never had a problem with the valves, puncture repairs are pretty easy to fix in the field, but the dreaded internal baffle unglueing thing that tends to happen a few days out of warranty is more of a problem. I imagine a failed transverse baffle is going to be less of a problem than a failed longitudinal baffle so was looking at Thermarest ones, but they are definitely too noisy for me. The S2S ones are quiet and don't have long baffles anyway.

[Pendodave]

For me, sleeping comfortably is one of the key criteria for enjoying a backpacking/touring trip.
To this end, I would not use foam, as it would need to be pretty darned thick to provide sufficient comfort and would therefore be a b*****r to pack.
My experience with air is that cyclists already carry everything necessary to repair them except for the baffle issue encountered by the user above. I have also had this happen with an exped, and I could not therefore recommend them.

To this end, it has to be non/transverse baffled air. I have a neoair xlite. Packs small, weighs not much and is very luxurious. I do not find the noise and issue (this is obviously personal), but it is definitely quieter then earlier neoairs ime.

For extra warmth, protection against the elements, and for use as a kneeling mat etc I also pack some radiator backing foil/foam. It's very thin and rolls up very small and is therefore easily stashed. It's also very cheap, which the neoair is not. It would also provide a tiny measure of comfort until I next got to an outdoor shop if my airpad died.

[nsew]

A decent foam mat is a helluva lot more comfortable than the surface beneath. I recommend the Thermarest if going that way due to R factor and fold. Bulk is an issue but weight certainly isn’t. It isn’t going to go ‘pop’ or let you down slowly through the night and just fine if you’re a back sleeper and have good site selection. They’re great for sitting on and general lounging around. You’ll sleep far better (undisturbed) on an air mattress in more locations and it’ll take up minimal space in your pack. I’ve used a £30 Decathlon Forclaz before and they’re significantly more comfortable than the t-rest foam? Not the warmest, not too heavy, yet tough and easy to inflate. Easy to return and replace while travelling in Europe should you need to. You have to seriously “look out” for an air mattress while travelling. The expensive Thermarest Neo Air Lite is my and many others preferred mat because it’s v.light, warm and comfy.

[foxyrider]

Another NeoAir Xlite user here. As Simonineaston said above, in my yoof i'd manage direct on the floor which could be quite comfy on soft ground or horrible on anything hard. A brief flirt with foam convinced me to buy my first Thermarest SI which lasted a few years use but became a bit porous - the Forclaz 3/4 that followed never SI'd very well and always needed a helping hand. And so i moved to the NeoAir 3/4 i'm using now, stupidly small folded size, less than half the weight of the Thermarest, its 8 years old soon and i've not suffered any deflation incidents.

If you don't want to spend silly money on something you may hate you can get some quite reasonable alternatives from the likes of Lidl/Aldi (when they have a promotion) or Amazon/Ebay for under twenty notes.

btw, i decided on 3/4 as i usually sleep curled up and in any case, anything below the hips doesn't need the same cushioning, the down sleeping bag has enough! i've used the combo down to @ 0c or so and remained 'comfortable' enough to sleep soundly. The other advantage with inflatables is that you can customise the comfort to suit you, a bit more or less can make a huge difference to comfort, you don't get that with foam.

[nsew]

Another thing to consider is that if you’re camping on prepared ground for holiday periods then pretty much any air mattress will likely hold up. If you’re free camping then time consuming preparation is required and a bit of luck.

[ossie]

Thermorest NeoAir X lite. Comfort / weight per £....pretty damned good.

[nsew]

If you do buy air it’s good practice to spend a night or two on it beforehand. Even the best can leak from new. Make sure you’ve got a good one before setting out.

[PH]

Sea to Summit Comfort Plus Insulated sleeping pad is advertised as having 2 separate layers of interlocking air chambers to provide some redundancy in the event of a puncture.

Never tried one, just recently saw some guy on YouTube saying he bought it because of that feature.

I've been considering one, they seem to have developed a technique to combat the dreaded de-lamination.
I've had three air mats - a Big Agnes and two Expeds- all failed in similar ways, it's not that I haven't learned, it's just they're the only mats I've ever slept well on camping.