A good sleeping mat for a bad back?

[Vaya]

I normally go camping for around a month each year, either at one time or several different trips. Always used the foam sleeping mats, nothing fancy but I have a bad back and according to physio it will be a recurring problem, i'm only 23 so givig up camping, cycling and hiking is out of the question in my mind.

So I thought I would see if I can find a fanicer sleeping mat that can be used for touring and hiking trips while providing a very good comfort level. Not fussed on price, I want to see what is out there.

So is there any that you would reconmend?

[b1galus]

i use an exped ul and it is superb whether it is good for a bad back i couldn't say but it is comfortable and warm in winter ,

[cjs]

There is plenty of good alternatives out there which will be more comfortable.

I have a bad back and never looked back from purchasing an Exped SynMat Ultralite. 7cm thickness and just as comfortable as my main bed and packs to the size of a medium water bottle.

The internet will be awash with reviews for this and other similar products...

I'm sure a search here and also within CGOAB will give good recommendations.

Hope this helps...

[al_yrpal]

You need a light airbed. A Halfords backpacker one is £8.99. An Exped Synmat is a luxury at a price! Both have built in pumps. Sleeping mats are rubbish IMO.

Al

[andrew_s]

You need a light airbed. A Halfords backpacker one is £8.99

The cheap ones have no insulation, and will be too cold outside the summer season (or indeed now).
They will however allow you to decide whether a camping airbed will work for you, comfort wise, before you spend on a good mat.

[pjclinch]

I've been using a Thermarest NeoAir for a just over a year now, and have been impressed with it. Unlike a standard air bed it has a fair insulation value too, and like an airbed you get to choose how firm it is you want it. I find it obviously more comfortable than my old T-Rest Ultralite and at least as good as my very old T-Rest Regular (quite a bit thicker than the Ultralite).

Not cheap, but cheaper versions (with a weight/bulk penalty) are in the range now.

The Expeds already mentioned have an excellent reputation. Bit more weight/bulk than the NeoAir but more insulation too.

Also check out various inflatable pillows for further comfort with minimal weight/bulk penalties.

Pete.

[andymiller]

Ask your physio!!!!!!. (Or even see a specialist doctor).

None of the people answering your thread have the faintest idea what's wrong with your back - the wrong sort of mattress could make things worse not better.

[willem jongman]

Asking the physio is a good start, but he/she may not know much about outdoor gear. My aging back also gives me trouble, and I have successfully moved to insulated air mattresses. I have an Exped Downmat 7 for colder weather and a lighter and more compact Exped Synmat UL for when nighttime temperatures stay a few degrees above freezing. I think you have to take the Synmat UL's stated temperature range of -4 with a pinch of salt. I also use an Exped inflatable pillow.
Willem

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

You need a light airbed. A Halfords backpacker one is £8.99. An Exped Synmat is a luxury at a price! Both have built in pumps. Sleeping mats are rubbish IMO.
Al

So what did we all do before modern heavy overpriced fancy named sleep mats arrived
Same thing we did without 11 speed cassettes. I have suffered from a cronic (doctors words) bad back for over twenty years and was stuck on anti inflamatory meds for over ten. My doctor refered me to a phisio and I have never looked back, (I am off the meds my own decision) and I am better for it.
You do need to do your own phisio at home for the rest of your life Mine takes me up to 30 minitutes a day.
If your 23 you need to go back to your phisio and get some more exercises, You dont say what your condition is or if you are on constant meds or degenerative
its not the ground thats hurting your back its what you have done or what you are not doing now.
I can have a sore back and go camping and come home symtom free, its all that sitting around then doing physical work that's the problem with modern life.
Lower back pain is associated with cycling for sure, even the pro's get it which isnt surprising. If you have consistant back pain seek advise from a phisio.
Camp mats I use the thinnist lightest foam mat I can get away with and camp on soft ground when ever possible, if its rocks and hard ground then you might need a air bed. The cheap ones will have limited life, foam never deflates.
To be honest I never use pay for camp sites so I avoid the flat hard ground.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Ask your physio!!!!!!. (Or even see a specialist doctor).
None of the people answering your thread have the faintest idea what's wrong with your back - the wrong sort of mattress could make things worse not better.

+ 1

[pjclinch]

Camp mats I use the thinnist lightest foam mat I can get away with and camp on soft ground when ever possible, if its rocks and hard ground then you might need a air bed. The cheap ones will have limited life, foam never deflates.

The Gothcha with this is that down provides remarkably little insulation when compressed (i.e., with you on top of it) so if it's cold a good mat will provide a lot of insulation while a very thin foam one won't and you'll get cold via the ground without extra insulation somewhere. Not much of an issue in summer, but it can make quite a difference in colder weather.

Synthetic bags suffer much less than down in this respect, but then they're also a lot heavier and bulkier.

When you add in the fact that something like a Neo Air actually packs down smaller than a thin foam mat, and gives a lot of extra mileage to a light and low bulk down bag, the main argument in favour of thin foam is cost.

It's true that a closed-cell foam mat can't deflate, but if you're touring you're going to have a puncture repair kit with you so you'll have the means to do something about it in the event that an inflatable does get a hole.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Camp mats I use the thinnist lightest foam mat I can get away with and camp on soft ground when ever possible, if its rocks and hard ground then you might need a air bed. The cheap ones will have limited life, foam never deflates.

When you add in the fact that something like a Neo Air actually packs down smaller than a thin foam mat, and gives a lot of extra mileage to a light and low bulk down bag, the main argument in favour of thin foam is cost.
It's true that a closed-cell foam mat can't deflate, but if you're touring you're going to have a puncture repair kit with you so you'll have the means to do something about it in the event that an inflatable does get a hole.

I have several foam mats and several including down sleeping bags
Down bags is a seperate argument.
Cheers,

[meic]

Would I be wrong to say that actually as far as a bad back goes, there is no significant difference at all between all the mats being carried by touring cyclists?

They all offer little more than a few centimetres of deflection which according to "common sense" makes a hard bed which is good for bad backs.

[willem jongman]

There are big differences, and they matter. When I was young I just slept on the tent floor. Afterwards I slept on a closed cell mattress for insulation, and a bit of comfort. When I was in my fourties I could not do this anymore, because I just could not sleep and my back would hurt for days. I bought a 1.5 inch Thermarest, which was better, but not as good as I hoped. I then bought a 5 cm Thermarest self inflating, which was a bit better again, but also bulkier and heavier. A few years ago I bought a 7 cm Exped Downmat, which was way more comfortable, and insulated much better. The Synmat UL is as comfortable as the Downmat, but only about half the weight, and packs far more compactly. I have just been on a rough tour with some contemporaries, and everyone used an Exped insulated air mattress or a Neoair. For maximum comfort, there are also 9 cm Exped mattresses.
Willem

[simonineaston]

There are big differences, and they matter. When I was young I just slept on the tent floor. Afterwards I slept on a closed cell mattress for insulation, and a bit of comfort. When I was in my fourties I could not do this anymore, because I just could not sleep and my back would hurt for days. I bought a 1.5 inch Thermarest, which was better, but not as good as I hoped. I then bought a 5 cm Thermarest self inflating, which was a bit better again, but also bulkier and heavier. A few years ago I bought a 7 cm Exped Downmat, which was way more comfortable, and insulated much better. The Synmat UL is as comfortable as the Downmat, but only about half the weight, and packs far more compactly. I have just been on a rough tour with some contemporaries, and everyone used an Exped insulated air mattress or a Neoair. For maximum comfort, there are also 9 cm Exped mattresses.
Willem

I recognize that path - isn't growing old depressing - and expensive!?