Would you trust a downmat?

No! Perhaps as much for Expeds terrible warranty and customer service when the damned things fail

I’ve had 2 Synmats blow just past their warranty period so “No Way” an I going to part with big money for a DM9

While more expensive the new S2S mats are much more comfortable even if slightly less warm and the S2S warranty and customer service is superb

Funny, I have had opposite experience with Exped’s customer service…

Sea-to-Summit pads don’t have any insulation at all around the outer 6 inches (at least on LW pads), which makes them completely unusable if you want to pair two together and have somebody sleeping in the middle across both pads.  Wish they did…last I contacted them about it they said it was because they didn’t have machinery to cut larger pieces of insulation and that it might be changed in the future, but then again I don’t see them in any rush to add weight and bulk that it would require.  Hold your pad up to a light to see where the insulation is and isn’t.

I would trust “Klymits” Insulated static V, of course I don’t do much winter camping but I’ve never heard of there mats blowing out. I have however ripped one through my own stupidity, but it took  lot of stupidity that I have learned from, so should be safe now. I now have a “Sea to Summit” seems great so far but I bought it in an emergency so would like to hear if anyone knows much about them.

?”Sea-to-Summit pads don’t have any insulation at all around the outer 6 inches (at least on LW pads), which makes them completely unusable if you want to pair two together and have somebody sleeping in the middle across both pads. Wish they did…last I contacted them about it they said it was because they didn’t have machinery to cut larger pieces of insulation and that it might be changed in the future, but then again I don’t see them in any rush to add weight and bulk that it would require. Hold your pad up to a light to see where the insulation is and isn’t”?

You must be talking about a different mat then as the Comfort Plus [ the only one really suitable for snow] has insulation in both layers and all the way to the edge [ at least in mine] but it is a very thin layer of insulation, however it is enough to give Rsi 5 and better when both layers are considered

I understand that Exped Australia have a reputation for being totally pedantic A-holes and need to be threatened with legal action to uphold warranty in many instances, I’m glad to hear that is not the case in other countries but my experience with them is such that I will never again buy any Exped product

Absolutely I’d trust a Downmat, and I do. I suppose winter can be harder on some gear, like a tent, but I can’t imagine a way that winter would be harder on a sleeping pad. Lots more trail & camp debris in warmer months. I’d point out that even with that blown baffle, the pad was likely still holding air?

Mine did hold air even when the baffle blew.