Im Soooooo Stifffffff amd Achy :(

Interesting. Perfect example of YMMV. I have an Exped #7 DM and would not even thing about using it above zero. I get too darn hot!! The darn thing feels like radiant heat when I lay on it.

> I think all air mattresses are more comfortable than any self-inflator.

I would not agree. Here's how I do it — may or may not work for you.

* Inflate whatever it is — self inflator or air mattress — quite firmly. For a self inflator, that means giving a couple of extra puffs once it thinks it is done.

* Lie on it and note where the most pressure is — where you sink into it the most — probably your hips.

* Flex your body a bit to put even more pressure on that part of your body.

* Let the air out just until that over-pressured part of you is just about to touch the ground. Stop there.

That results in a pad/mattress with as little air as you can have and still keep you entirely off the ground — i.e. as soft as possible. Done this way, I do not see very much of a comfort difference between a self-inflating pad and an air mattress. Either way, the sleeping surface is pretty soft, and you are kept off the ground.

Where the down-filled air mattress comes into its own is not so much comfort — it is warmth in the winter or when sleeping on show. Having several inches under you, with the down preventing convective circulation of the air, is a real winner.

— MV

The only problem with that is that it gets cold during the night and the air takes up less volume and you will end up partially on the ground. I usually let out enough air so that I start to sink into the mat.