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I need to replace an Exped Sim Hyperlite mat. But I don't want another like it. Too slippy and not tough enough.
In contrast our old Thermarest c.2008 have been used hundreds of times and are as good as new. But I've no idea if they still make good mats.
So I'm looking for recommendations for a fairly light inflatable mat that doesn't have a slippery surface. What have you got?
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Nemo tensor extreme. I have the long and wide and it is awesome. Very very small pack size, lightweight and really warm and comfy
Thermarest every time. Possible still made in Eire?
We've a selection here and all apart from one were bought second hand from the Bay of Fools. One of the kids has an original that we handed down to them - the very early one that you spared a non-slip coating on yourself.
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So I'm looking for recommendations for a fairly light inflatable mat that doesn't have a slippery surface. What have you got?
I just used eight top-end mats, really expensive stuff from the likes of Therm-a-Rest, Exped, Sea to Summit etc, etc. Disappointingly they all do slippery to an extent, none of them have much 'grip' on a sleeping bag, which has always felt like an oversight to me, I have no idea why. There are a couple of designs - Big Agnes and Mountain Equipment for example - where they've 'zoned' the outer air chambers in an attempt to create a recessed central area which cradles you slightly and makes it harder to roll off the mat. It sort of works, but I'd still prefer more friction tbh.
Light mats tend not to be tough mats - these days the real top-end stuff uses - often slightly noisy - reflective film to increase R value. In honesty, you can't go far wrong with a mid-range, mid-weight Therm-a-Rest self-inflator (which it won't) unless you really want something super lightweight, in which case the pay-off tends to be reduced durability at a high price. Alpkit stuff is okay if your budget is tight, but again, the middle range, foam core, self-inflating ones rather than the ultra-lightweight stuff.
which has always felt like an oversight to me
It's such a massive, obvious, oversight too. Slippy mat (which they all seem to be) + slippy sleeping bag (ditto) = PITA
It's such a massive, obvious, oversight too. Slippy mat (which they all seem to be) + slippy sleeping bag (ditto) = PITA
It's one of those things I've never understood. We used to smear urethane adhesive onto Therm-a-Rests back back in the day for exactly this reason and the obvious answer would be some sort of silicone gripper strips/dots or a fabric with some sort of inbuilt friction element, but there you go. There are probably technical/cost reasons it's never really been done, but I guess some of it is that inertia thing where people are so used to it, that mostly it's never questioned, just accepted as 'how things are'.
Interesting that it's not just me that hates the slippery bastards.
R-value isn't a huge concern for me as we don't camp in particularly cold conditions and I have an expedition sleeping bag that is more than I'll ever need.
Therm-a-rest do make a model with the same name - pro lite...although it looks different, maybe it's worth trying again?
Therm-a-rest do make a model with the same name - pro lite...although it looks different, maybe it's worth trying again?
I don't think you can go far wrong with Therm-a-Rest tbh. They were the originators of the 'self-inflating' mat with foam core technology, I think, and they've refined things over the years, mostly by die-cutting the foam so it's as effective but with reduced weight. The other plus point with modern stuff generally is that improved fabric technology means you can often have a lighter fabric which has similar or better abrasion resistance to older materials.Â
I've given up on modern airbed-type mats after going through far too many at all price points (but not the current insane prices some are asking). I now use an old 90s Thermarest SIM. Indestructible and not slippy. Have a look on eBay. I did try the modern version, the Prolite mentioned above, but it delaminated on me, blowing up with a huge bubble top and bottom. I theorise this is due to the cutouts in the foam being bigger to reduce weight and bulk, so the face fabric has less core to stick to. That was a few years ago, maybe they've sorted it now. Warranty replacement is all very well but mat failure is still a trip ender, and it's still more landfill at the end of the day.Â
I've had many over the years, getting through 3 in my last trip alone! I've given up on them now, they puncture and I can never find the leak. Going to try to get used to a foam mat now - they're massive but surprisingly light.
I've gone back to a 250gm roll mat and still use an 80s Karrimat I've cut in half when very weight conscious. The self-inflating and inflatable ones just leak/puncture and weigh more.Â
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I have one of these Decathlon mats. If you don't need insulation it's comfy, non slip and not too big. Â
You can add grip by adding little dots/blobs/lines of seam grip or seam seal.
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I have a slab of 6" thick foam that I get from work covered in a single bed sheet.
It gets rolled up with a velcro strap. Its not light but it's as comfy as my bed at home. Weight isn't an issue but I'm car camping.
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Yes, closed cell foam mats just work. I did an off-road E2E with a cut-down multimat strapped to a daysac:
But they're a bit bulky for cycling, hence the old 3/4 length Thermarest SIM as a compromise. I still have a Ridgerest mat that I use in winter.
the obvious answer would be some sort of silicone gripper strips/dots or a fabric with some sort of inbuilt friction element
My decathlon matt has these, it's got very little insulation though. Had it a few years use it infrequently but it's done the job.
I've got one of those orange prolite thermarests. Must be at least 16 years old and still works fine. You do need to blow it up these days as it is old and is usually stored rolled up. It did get a puncture a few years ago but has patched up fine.
I've also got an early 90s dual layer (purple and yellow) Karrimat that isn't slippery and is surprisingly comfortable. Very few other closed cell foam mats are anywhere near as tough as the Karrimat but they haven't been made for quite a long time.
You can get rubber mesh stuff intended to go between rugs and hard floors to make them non-slip. Get some of that, cut to size?
As above, non slip, mesh, matting on a roll from the pound shop. A smallish piece 30cm2 under the mat stops it moving around the tent. Some on top stops you slipping around also.