Exped Synmat UL7

I have been trying to hold off until the UL7 comes out in long/wide. Has anyone heard when/if that will happen?

Hi Ben,

I heat its going to be the New Year, I was going to hold out until it came out also but decided to give the Medium a try and I am very happy with it (I am 5" 10)

Cheers,

Yup. After using the neoair since it became available, I now mainly use the Exped Synmat UL7. Warmer, more comfy, and softer face fabric. Negligible weight gain for a nominal increase in comfort. An extra few ounces are worth it IMO.

> I must say, it is pretty cheap that Thermarest hits you separately for stuff sacks and patch kits.

I thought so too, until I realised that in all our years of using TaRs, I have never had to apply a patch.
And they are very good about returns too.

Cheers

http://www.rei.com/product/811993/exped-pillow-pump

I like this pillow at 5.5 oz with stuff sack. The pump is 1.4 oz according to retailers that are selling it, for an additional 4.1 oz you get a killer pillow/pump that is dual use. I really like the pillow regardless of the fact that it pumps up my mattress, minimizes the moisture in the mattress and no huffing and puffing.

I am planning on getting the pillow pump when UL7 pad comes out in size large. I am trying to decide if I should splurge and get the normal synmat 7 for winter camping also, or maybe the down mat (I have a boat load of moosejaw points just begging to be spent on something I don't need)

I also use this pillow pump. At first I viewed it as my one luxury item, but since I usually sleep with all my clothes on it's become necessary. The fact that it doubles as a pump is a nice bonus. It only takes a minute to inflate my pad and it doesn't introduce any moisture to the inside.

Just want to add my voice in support of this pad. It's great! It weighs the same as my Prolite, but is much warmer and much more comfortable. One of the best features are the wide outer chambers that help keep a person from sliding. It makes the pad feel wider than it is. With the Prolite I was always sleeping half on the ground because there was nothing to keep me on the pad.

Durability might be an issue. I got my pad on ebay for a good price because the previous owner had patched it. But that must a concern with any lightweight pad.

Well done, Exped! Great features for the weight.

Anyone seen a deal on these lately?

REI has a 20% off coupon for any full-priced item starting tomorrow. Ask your lovely wife for a $100 gift card and it's just about paid for.

Might do it, I just hate buying from REI. By the time they add in shipping and sales tax, along with the world's slowest order processing, it drives me nuts. Can't ask the wife, I'm afraid she's still mad about the carbon bike I bought myself last Christmas. And she found out about over dinner in March.

Joe, I just bought a Exped Synmat UL7 (small) from Backcountry Gear on sale for $116 with free shipping and no sales tax. I ordered it three days ago and today UPS dropped it off at our front door. I think it was a decent price with great service. I'll be trying it out on a 3-day 2-night hike into the GTW over the Oct14-16th weekend.

The cheapest I found on Google shopping was $83 small, $104 medium:
http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/Exped_SynMat_Ultralite/?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=directory&utm_content=USA&currency=USD&country=USA&SelectedBundle=174061

They're in Great Britain, but according to Google the shipping is only $13.76??? Can this be correct?

If i am doing more than an overnight i bring one.
It saved a 10 days hike once, my wife neoair was punctured by mices.
It was well below freezing and we were using neoair plus a R=1 foam pad.

We were using the designated camp grounds so i guess the mices were still actives even if the park just closed due to the snow.

the hole was tiny we had trouble finding it , and as the BPL firelite 1100 bottom isnt flat we couldnt use it with hot water to seal the patch.

+1 ExPed SynMat UL7

I bought this mat just after it became available. It is about half the weight of my DownMat 7 and almost as comfortable. It might be a bit strange, but what I like most about the outdoors is sleeping out under the stars on a cool night. I love the fresh air, the stars, the sounds. I don't want a good night sleep so that I can backpack, I backpack so that I can experience great nights sleeping in amazing locations.

Can't speak to the long term durability, but I just used mine for the first time in Yosemite, and this pad, along with a Kookabay pillow, gave me a few great nights of sleep in the high country (including waiting out long thunderstorms). A big thumbs up so far!