Lightweight Inflatable Sleeping Airmats – State of the Market Report 2011Part 1: Important Factors When Choosing an Airmat

[Addie BedfordParticipant @addiebedfordLocale: Montana]

Companion forum thread to:

Lightweight Inflatable Sleeping Airmats – State of the Market Report 2011
Part 1: Important Factors When Choosing an Airmat

[. .Participant @biointegraLocale: Puget Sound]

Thanks for the whetting article and series intro. I am greatly looking forward to the rest of the report as well and am happy to see Kookabay pads included.

[Devin MontgomeryParticipant @dsmontgomeryLocale: one snowball away from big trouble]

Yummm. BPL at its analytical best. Delicious.

[Ron BellParticipant @mountainlaureldesignsLocale: USA]

We sell the Klymit X Frame Pads and they are the lightest inflatable pads available at the same width and length available.

The above listed regular full length X Frame ( 9oz) and the new not listed Torso Length X Frame (6oz) and the wider/longer not listed X Frame XL (16oz) all have inflation hand pump ports and mouth ports but almost no one ever uses or carries the 1oz pump.

All of the Klymit sleep pads can be inflated to proper comfort levels easily by mouth alone. The torso size one takes only 1-3 breathes and the reg length 3-7 breaths – very very fast.

I've not heard back from a single customer or talked to anyone that ever used the pump in the field. It might be handy if you are very heavy.

[Warren GreerSpectator @warrengreerLocale: SoCal]

Just got going and it's over. Can't wait for Part 2. Too bad that the newest ThermaRest pads aren't in the round up.

[>> Bender <<Participant @benderLocale: NEO]

FYI the pricing as tested for Kooka Bay airmats is as follows:

Rectangular Synthetic insulated with Climashield Apex 46x20x2.5" $99

GoosePad (DAM) 800+ FP Canadian Goose Down 72x24x3.5" $219

TaperLite $69.99

Kooka Bay now has custom made air valves! These new valves are welded directly to the nylon fabric for an extremely reliable seal. Valve airflow has increased 2x for easier inflation & deflation. Weight was kept to a minimal 11.5g! The Synthetic insulated airmats will be available on our website in about a month and the GoosePads will follow shortly.

Here is a pic of the new style valve.

[Rick DreherParticipant @halfturboLocale: Northernish California]

I hope you placed a pea beneath that amazing stack 'o mats!

Great work all, and no small task you've tackled.

Cheers,

Rick

[George MatthewsParticipant @gmatthews]

Love the pic of the ultimate air mat!

Appreciate your efforts to research this topic.

Keep 'em coming.

[Jeffrey DunningSpectator @boredomheroLocale: Pacific Northwest]

I think your laboratory staff should wear hairnets and lab coats. The methods are great and the results will be valuable, but the lab setting was a little jarring :)

[Henk SmeesParticipant @theflyingdutchmanLocale: Spanish Mountains]

First of: Something has gone wrong with the footnote (16) of the Vaude Norrsken??

Second (more important): Since I am about to buy a new mat (had more or less decided to go for a NeoAir), I find this article to very timely. Really appreciate the effort. I'll wait now until the rest of this series is out before making the final decision.

Thanks.

[Gabe MillerParticipant @gabespartan]

I think it's the best on the market, comparatively. I have the long and normal men's. Very solid, the long actually only weighs 11 oz. and the R-value is 2.4. Only cost $70 on sale too.

[Michael ArambulaMember @marambula]

Very excited about this protocol. However it's just enough to really tease my appetite for results.
Looking forward to the finished product! Thank you for the hard work!

[Aaron SorensenParticipant @awsorensenLocale: South of Forester Pass]

I have a full length Klymit X Frame Pad and will attest that there is no need fo the pump. You can even give short quick breaths to the pad and make it way to hard just from oral inflation.

I think the pump would be more of an ammusing toy for a 4 year old than anything.

[Brian PeckParticipant @brianpeckLocale: North America]

Hi, Great to see detailed reviews, I love the stats and appraisals. Although this is an airmat review I still shy away from inflatables for long remote trips. In these situations I like the Thermarest SoLite at 540gm, R2.8 for a full 77×25" though I don't have one yet. Simple, bulletproof, trimmable though bulkier. 77" is just right for this 6'4" hiker. Ah well, just wanted to put my 2 cents in..

[Andrew PriestParticipant @aushiker1Locale: Fremantle]

Hi

Nice read. I did find the comment on the Exped Synmat SL 7S being hard to get interesting. They seem to be readily available here in Australia and for a lot less than the US MRP. I picked mine up in July for AU$108 :) US buyers might want to consider buying from Australia. A quick Google should find you are reasonably priced Western Australian dealer.

Andrew

[Matt SangerParticipant @iparider]

which new thermarest pads are those???

[Walter UnderwoodParticipant @wunderLocale: San Francisco Bay Area]

When I switched from my Therm-a-Rest ProLite to a NeoAir, I found that I didn't need to clear out (non-sharp) sticks or rocks where I slept. This helps avoid leaving a clean spot where a camper has obviously been. I could even sleep over small roots or embedded rocks, so it opened up camping spots that wouldn't work with a thinner mattress.

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