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I had a look at the downmat and originally I was ready to upgrade to it, but since reading up on it a bit, it seems that an awful lot of people had issues with it. All had the mats replaced under warranty without any problems, but on the road you can't just pop into the shop you bought it from and get a replacement. Now I'm torn as to how reliable they are ... It would seem that with a punctured thermarest or alike you still get a little bit of insulation/comfort, wherease with a punctured inflatable mat, you're right on the ground. Hum... Any furhter experiences and comments re reliability would be appreciated.
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Emailed...
I`ve just sent an email to the nice folks at Exped.
Littered wıth praıse for thier products and emphasis of the scale of my trip. I`ll update wıth the outcome. |
I had a similar dilemma last year when I decided I was going to camp my way around Europe for a few weeks. I bought a Thermalite, used it once, then dumped it along with my tent and sleeping bag!! lol
I had never had such an uncomfortable night in my life. In the end I stayed in hotels and B&B's for the remainder of my trip. It was shorter overall than I originally planned but it was a hell of a lot more comfortable! The problem was not the Thermarest, it was probably fine.......... but I simply couldn't sleep on the ground the way I used to years ago. So my advice is simple...........whilst a self-inflating mattress will be more comfortable than nothing (but only marginally so) there is NO substitute for a real bed no matter where you are. :clap: Chris |
Hi there, I have a couple of Vango sleep mats. there are cheap and comfortable, however the downside is they are bulky and I have to carry two of everything due to GF accompanying me everywhere. I am considering the slim Airic as they are slightly lighter but will compress even more and in theory take up less space.
Hope this helps. GM |
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way more comfy than a bed!:thumbup1: |
I am a bit torn on which mat to get as well. Will probably end up for with a Downmat 7 DLX but not sure I would trust it on a RTW trip.
One alternative that you guys could look into is the Ultralite cot by Luxurylite. A bit under 3lbs and for colder weather you should probably bring a thin Thermarest as well. But no real risk of breaking and apparently by far the most comfortable option out there. There are a few reviews on Advrider if you want to know more. LuxuryLite® - UL Cot™, Camp Cot, Light Weight Cot, Lightweight Cot, Camping Cot, UltraLite Cot, UltraLight Cot, Cool Mat, UltraLite Pillow & Sit Pad, External Frame Pack, Front Pack, Camp Stove, Hiking Staff, "V" Down Sleeping Bag http://www.luxurylite.com/cotbottom.jpg |
Personally am a Thermarest fan. I tried lying on an exped mat but didn't like the air-matress feel. I tried an Alpkit mat when I decided to get a long mat (my thermarest was a 3/4) and it was comfy and cheap, but I had to send one back because it leaked and the next lasted barely six months. Bought a Thermarest Prolite 4 recently and it is superb, like sleeping on a firm bed.
Matt :) PS- after 10 years of abuse (including being holed and patched) in all sorts of conditions, my 3/4 thermarest is still going strong. |
I have now also decided on a Thermarest Prolite 4. I asked about the downmat at the local outdoor shop and my suspicion was confirmed that there are still quality problems. The shop owner has one - by now his fourth replacement - and although he likes it when it works, he said it's the single most troublesome product with the highest number of warranty claims in the whole shop. That brought me back to self-inflating mats, and the fact that there were 20% off on the Thermarest together with the shop owner claiming thermarests to have to lowest warranty claim rate then sold it to me. I had a bit of a hard time deciding between the Prolite 3 and 4, but decided that the potential extra warmth/comfort (didnt feel it in the shop, but probably a difference after a night) was worth the marginal extra weight of the 4.
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