kookabay still around?

No. Iirc, no reason was given for closing down. One member was asked if he'd like to buy the business.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=42520&startat=100

Bottom line is that Kooka Bay is no more. It's a shame really as I love my Kooka Bay mat. However, there are now a lot more UL pads available from mainstream manufactures than when Kooka Bay started out.

Yea, I've had my ear to the ground with a lot of these new mats but man, there is no replacement for a plush down mat underneath you, especially a double wide that keeps a lady happy and warm. Weight I'll happily carry anyday. I'll see if i can dig up the old emails and get in touch.

What about the Exped ul downmat? It is 19.5oz for a 20×72. You could strap 2 together and only take 1 of the 1.7oz pumpsacks. I don't think Kookabay was a whole lot lighter, at least in that size with the same 6oz of down.

I really like my Down Mat UL7, it's just as nice and weighs the same as a similar rated Kookabay pad I had in the past.

Are there any relatively lightweight 2 person sleeping pads on the market? or is tying two pads side by side together the way to go?

There's definitely still a market for custom pads – doubles and a short wide pad (I would love one of these.) But I don't think Bender is going to be contactable.

Yea, strapping two together has never worked for me, the weakspot is always right where the snuggle happens.

It is certainly too bad that nobody has stepped up to fill this gap! I feel fortunate in that I acquired a Bender pad before he disappeared from view.

One problem with coupling the Exped mats is that the outer tubes are a little bigger than the inner ones. This is great for one person trying not to roll off a single pad, but not for two people trying to snuggle together over two larger tubes!