Matching mat and sleeping bag ratings

Franco, are you thinking something in the area of chart that would show:

40 degrees requires a R value of X.X
35 degrees requires a R value of Y.Y
30 degrees requires a R value of Z.Z

If so, i would like to see that too. Not gonna lie, I often just ballpark it. "There's gonna be snow on the ground? Leme grab my blue foam matt" I'm sure I could shave weight if i had a more scientific approach

I agree… I would love to read a well researched article on sleeping bag mats, showing what kind of R value is needed in a variety of conditions. Is there a way to formally request this sort of thing?

Mark Verber has his experience about pad rating– make of it what you will

http://www.verber.com/mark/outdoors/gear/sleep-system.html#Pads

End of the 2nd paragrath

Konrad
Yes, exactly that.
Franco

Franco,
I agree that the sleeping mat is a grossly under-appreciated item. We so often concentrate on the bag rating that the mat rating is overlooked. Then we complain that we were cold at 30 F in a 25 F bag, when the reality is we had largely inadequate insulation underneath us, causing too much cold to creep in from below.

This is why I moved to a KookaBay downmat. All the warmth plus the low weight. As with all light gear it takes a bit more thought to take care of it, but the knowledge is weightless. I'd rather think and carry less then not think and carry more.

But I second the call for an actual article investigating this stuff.

> the call for an actual article investigating this stuff.

Hummm … noted.
Not easy getting a temperature-regulated bit of ground …
And people do have different metabolisms too, and have different amounts of food for dinner on different nights …
Tricky.

Cheers

Roger,
Yeah, such is the real problem isn't it? I think even a "guideline" article would help, especially for the newcomers. I know such an article would have at least cleared up some concerns and questions I had when I began my search for the right setup.

You can add this to your mounting queue of articles and reviews that have been asked for recently! Investigative articles, research, and properly executed experiments to extract valid data are quick and easy to put together, even if you have to make a living on the side. Piece of cake.

Also important is effect of wind and moisture. A certain bag/quilt and pad inside a tent vs tarp vs bivy vs under-the-stars. You need to consider the whole system.