Bushwalk Australia

After decades my sleeping mat has died and I need another. This is a three season mat; in snow I add a thin mat underneath, works a treat. Unsurprisingly, mats have become better, lighter and take up less packed volume in ther last 20 years. The Thermarest design of having foam inside to stop cold air circulating has been supplanted by mats with no foam, or a thin layer of foam. As this is for non-winter, I think I can get away with a lighter mat. In any case, I don't feel the cold much. This is what I have found.

Sea to Summit Ultralight small, 168 X 55 cm, 345 grams, $150
Sea to Summit Ultralight, 183 X 55 cm, 360 grams, $200
Thermarest Prolite Plus, 119 X 50 cm, 400 grams, $220
Nemo Tensor 20R, 183 x 51 cm, 360 grams, $200

I've used a short mat, 120 cm, forever, and can manage this. However, now that the longer mats have come down in weight and volume a longer mat is an option.

Advice about which of the above or any other mat is suitable would be valued. TIA

S2S by a mile but get the insulated and for the few added grams get a full length.
With the Ultralight you will still need the CCF pad for winter
You should think about the Comfort Lite tho not much dearer and not much heavier but apparently much more comfortable and yes you still need a CCF for snow

Nemo Tensor 20S? 122cm long and 265gms.

Whatever make you choose, opt for full length.

I used shorties for years, but the comfort of having one's feet and ankles on something soft instead of the ground is wonderful, not to mention the extra warmth. The extra weight is very little and I wouldn't care if it wasn't.

Does that S2S mat really have an R-value of only 0.7?

stry wrote:Whatever make you choose, opt for full length.

I used shorties for years, but the comfort of having one's feet and ankles on something soft instead of the ground is wonderful, not to mention the extra warmth.

I always use my pack to cushion my lower legs and feet. I took a long mat on one trip this year, just for the luxury of it. Ironically it left me less comfortable because my pack had to go somewhere else and it ended up crowding me in the tent. I know a lot of people leave their packs outside or in the vestibule, but I prefer to keep mine inside where it's dry and free from the teeth of animals.

So for me, no matter how light long mats get in the future I'll always choose the lighter and more compact shorty.

If you're patient with the S2S Mats, and shop around a bit, you can usually eventually find them for around 25% off, which helps make them an attractive option to the Thermarest offerings. Wild Earth in particular has frequent discounts on them...

Personally, I tried the short mat with pack under the feet option, but I didn't like it. I usually don't use a pack liner, so having all my stuff sitting out in the open where any wildlife could take an interest and where it got in the rode was a real PITA.

When sleeping I usually have the pack under my feet. This is okay if the pack is dry, less so if it's wet. Cold has never been a problem. I'm working through all the options above. It's a bit confusing with so many offerings. It was simpler when there was only a Karrimat.

When the pack's wet I just take out the liner and invert it with the pack inside. So my feet are on the dry side of the liner.

Lophophaps wrote:It was simpler when there was only a Karrimat.

It was simpler when I was happy with just a thin ensolite mat.

At presnt my pick is S2S Ultralight Regular, Mountain Designs 183 X 55 cm 355 grams $120
This is a good price, reasonable weight, and a full length mat. Comments?

If your going for the S2S range id check the noise level at a store before buying. Ive heard that certain models are very noisy at night. I cant remember the particular model, sorry.

I have a nemo tensor insulated mummy pad and its been very comfortable and great insulation. ( so far used down to zero C). But I did somehow put a slash in the bottom and woke up last trip sleeping on the ground. Still havent worked out how I did that.. and im a bit concerned I may have inadvertantly set up on some glass. I'l have to check the floor of the tent too..

On a side note. Patching is a pain... the patch always curls up when the glue is applied. (cutting the patch so its a cicle reduces the curling somewhat)

Patching is a pain... the patch always curls up when the glue is applied.

For what its worth apply glue to the mat not the patch. No curling issues.

Everton wrote:Patching is a pain... the patch always curls up when the glue is applied.

For what its worth apply glue to the mat not the patch. No curling issues.

Awesome advice. Thanks!

I wish I had thought of that before

I bought a S2S Ultralight S, 168 X 55 cms, 345 grams, $113. I'm adding a full length closed cell 3 mm mat to go underneath, another 85 grams, total 430 grams. The closed cell mat gives protection under the S2S mat, and extra flexibility. I hope that by selecting a good campsite, using a footprint and with the closed cell mat the S2S will not fall victim to a spike and hence deflate. The total weight is less than my Thermarest, which is 122 X 55 cm, rectangular, 630 grams and perhaps 20 years old. The S2S has a tiny compressed volume, and the rolled closed cell mat volume is somewhat less than the Thermarest. So in volume it's about the same, easier to pack (two bundles of mats), full length, and 200 grams lighter. This setup should be good enough for the coldest non-winter trips.

Put the foam mat under the tent floor. That tends to reduce the tent floor punctures too.
If wet I wrap the tent inside the foam mat and then that bundle goes under the pack to drain away during the day.

Warin, clever, had not thought of that. My footprint is pretty thick and stops most pinpricks. I'm also careful about where I camp. However, putting the thin mat under the tent floor stacks the odds a bit more in my favour. I wrap a wet tent in the footprint, put on top of the pack, inside. If the wind and sun are ascending I can have the tent out fairly quickly to dry, although this is usually only at lunch.

I have the s2s comfort light insulated in a large. From memory has R rating of 4 . something. Highly recommended. Bit heavy at 782 gms but I get a great night sleep, my arms don't fall off the side when I'm on my back and I can fully wrap my arms above my head which is how I sleep sometimes for whatever weird reason.
It can be a bit noisy but i find it depends on which bag/quilt/sleep sheet I am using. With a Nemo slipcover I find it quieter (my partner and I use a large double Nemo slipcover with both our identical pads in it with extra long extra wide single EE quilt over the top with the excess bottom length folded up and secured to make a cosy footbox)

I'm a big person and really happy with my Thermarest Xlite Neo Large. The overriding factor in my decision was they are thicker than others, so it means I have a reasonable level of cushioning without my hip touching the ground when lying on my side. They are very expensive in shops in Australia but you can pick them up for ~$200 from UK ebayers.

Otherwise I would have gone for the Large S2S Comfort Light. I really liked them but couldn't quite keep my hip off the ground.

Hi everyone. I highly recommend the s2s Comfort Light Insulated. I also bought a s2s Aeros premium pillow because I was sick of putting my smelly clothes in my sleeping bag cover to act as a pillow which was always uncomfortable.
To round off my sleeping requirements I intended to buy a s2s LtIII as I wanted a warm bag for Tassie conditions. However the medium and large versions only came with LHS zip which personally I hate. Instead I got a s2s BasecampIII which has similar thermal ratings but it's 400g heavier.The upside of this is that you can attach the pillow and mat to the sleeping bag so you don't slip off the pillow and mat. The BCIII is a very roomy rectangular bag and I had lots of space to wriggle and turn.
The result of all this is that I've had the best nights' sleep in a tent ever.
I was sceptical at 1st with the comfort light because when fully inflated if you put your knee or elbow directly you feel the ground easily. However its designed to lie flat and its weight distribution is fantastic. I highly recommend it as I highly recommend a lot of Sea to Summit

Forgot to mention that the s2s BasecampIII had left and right zips.A great idea because in warmer conditions you can cool down more.