sleeping bag and air mat recommendation.

[Zookman]

To further add..... this is the sleeping bag i use.



I use the rectangle option, as opposed to the mummy type which i find too restrictive. It wouldn't be any good for winter as its a 300 GSM, but i use it in spring, summer and autumn and find it warm enough when wearing a t shirt.
It also packs down quite small, yet has a decent size so you dont feel like you're in a straight jacket like the mummy bags.

[Bryn]

Personally i cant get on with self inflating mats, i find them so uncomfortable i cant sleep on them.
I always use airbeds and can then sleep as well as i do at home.

What do you find uncomfortable Self Inflating mats?

I just find them too thin and narrow to have any comfort on, especially as i tend to sleep on my side. I dare say the thicker ones that inflate to 10cm and are 65cm wide would be ok, but they have a far to big packsize to fit on my bike.
The airbeds pack down small and are very comfortable to me. The only downside is they aren't good for insulation like the self inflate mats... but i dont camp when its that cold anymore.

I know exactly what you mean mate, I'm a fairly big guy myself and I find it hard staying on most mats. As you said, some companies make mats that cater for larger people, but they do tend to be bulky.

I was surprised to see how small some of the airbeds we tested packed down. If you like your sleeping comfort you can't really go wrong

[davsato]

up to £100? eeee, thats luxury man!

i am a big fat barsteward, i hate mummy bags and i hate sleeping on my back, so thin mats are out.
i use a vango nitestar XLsquare 3 season (£25) and a cheap box sided air matress from argos (£14). both are extremely comfy, because air matresses in general are very bad insulators i got a bag that was +15/-5 comfort rating, i rarely need it zipped up but the option is there, whereas if you have a summer bag and get cold youre screwed.

the downside is both pack big and heavy. but i wont camp without them.

[scurrell]

However, they're a tad pricey and over the £100 limit for just that one item.

What price comfort?

I've been using the down mats for 7 years - started with a 7, then a 9 and now a 9 DLX.

makes a huge difference, and their excellent thermal properties mean you can get away with a lighter sleeping bag.

[Bryn]

However, they're a tad pricey and over the £100 limit for just that one item.

What price comfort?

I've been using the down mats for 7 years - started with a 7, then a 9 and now a 9 DLX.

makes a huge difference, and their excellent thermal properties mean you can get away with a lighter sleeping bag.

There's no denying that they're superior in thermal properties and comfort and if I had a lot of disposable income I'd consider getting one. That said, you can get just as comfortable air beds/mats and a warmer sleeping bag for quite a bit less.

[Zookman]

I've seen these Exped down mats, i've not tried one so have no idea how comfortable they would be for me. But they are too much coin for my tastes to waste if they dont suit me.
One thing i did notice though, is that they seem to have awfully thin material which could make them not very puncture resistant. They also seem to be made of a material that rustles noisily when i handled them.
Do these two things cause much of a problem with these Expeds ?

[Bryn]

One thing i did notice though, is that they seem to have awfully thin material which could make them not very puncture resistant. They also seem to be made of a material that rustles noisily when i handled them.
Do these two things cause much of a problem with these Expeds ?

I'm not sure about long term usage with the Exped Downmat, but I used an Exped Synmat when I cycled around Europe. I was sleeping on it on a beach and it got a puncture, I had a look around and I couldn't see any sharp objects so I'm not too sure why it happened. They come with repair kits though so a puncture can be just a minor inconvenience.

I didn't notice any problems with rustling noises when I was using the Downmat either.

[Sleepy]

Yes they are a bit thin, and nowhere as tough as the old cloth type lilo thing I used previously, in fact I punctured mine by managing to scratch it on a sharp object, but the bed comes with a very good repair kit, so there was no real problem.

It makes no noise when in use, and it packs or rolls up into a very small package as well as being a hell of a lot lighter than my old 'Lilo'...

[Zookman]

One thing i did notice though, is that they seem to have awfully thin material which could make them not very puncture resistant. They also seem to be made of a material that rustles noisily when i handled them.
Do these two things cause much of a problem with these Expeds ?

I'm not sure about long term usage with the Exped Downmat, but I used an Exped Synmat when I cycled around Europe. I was sleeping on it on a beach and it got a puncture, I had a look around and I couldn't see any sharp objects so I'm not too sure why it happened. They come with repair kits though so a puncture can be just a minor inconvenience.

I didn't notice any problems with rustling noises when I was using the Downmat either.

Of course..... the cheap plastic and velor airbeds can also pucture, although luckily i've never had one puncture, but many posters on my camping forum seem to get punctures with them.
I recently bought one of the old style rubberised cotton airbeds, which seem to be quite hard to get these days. I've not used it yet, but the consensus of opinion is that these are a lot stronger being thick rubber, but they are heavier and not so easy to inflate/deflate.