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Sleeping pad: Exped SynMat UL 7 or BA Q-Core SL or…?
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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Sleeping pad: Exped SynMat UL 7 or BA Q-Core SL or…?
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Apr 12, 2013 at 12:49 pm #1975871
That does indeed look like a good option. Nice price too!
Apr 12, 2013 at 1:53 pm #1975893I debated all last season between these to pads. Was the extra warmth of the Q-Core worth the weight, which was more confortable. Yet EVERY single time i went in and actually laid on them both I picked the Exped pad EVERY time. Then this season when they came out with the new Q-Core light weight pad, I did it all over again. I sleep on my side, granted im only 5'6 but the Exped is the best night sleep I've ever had in the back country.
Also the new Q-Core is substantially more narrow then any of the Exped mats. I actually bought the new Q-Core for a girlfriend bc it's supposed to be the MOST comfortable mat out there and she returned it for an exped bc it was too narrow.
I say exped, all the way.
Apr 12, 2013 at 3:18 pm #1975937Megan – Did you and your girlfriend both go with the SynMat UL 7?
Apr 12, 2013 at 5:09 pm #1975977I have using Exped for 5 years now without issue or complaint.
I bought the Exped SynMat UL 7 last spring and was very pleased with its weight, sleeping comfort and lack of real estate that it absorbed in my pack.
You will be happy with your purchase of Exped, no question!
Apr 13, 2013 at 6:28 am #1976137OK; I'm still conflicted! These two seem like a coin-flip.
Exped SynMat UL 7: R-3.1; 16.2 oz; two valves; packed size 9"x3.5"; no pump; $165
Exped DownMat Lite 5: R-4; 22.6 oz; one valve; packed size 9"x4.3"; pump included; $99
Reading various on-line descriptions, I can't tell whether there's a difference in construction of the air chambers (as, for example, with the SynMat Basic 7.5).
On the whole, I'm leaning toward the SynMat UL 7, but the R-value difference is nagging at me. I doubt I'll ever do serious winter camping, but it gets pretty cold in the Rockies at high elevation, even in the summer, and my BA bag is uninsulated on the bottom.
Thoughts?
Apr 13, 2013 at 2:21 pm #1976286I'd get the thicker one. You're buying an inflatable for comfort.
Apr 15, 2013 at 11:08 am #1976857Just bought the Synmat UL7 Med off eBay – a buy-it-now arrangement for $125.99 with free shipping. Not bad! REI is selling it for $165 + my state's sales tax. Same seller has two more for sale if you want to check it out.
Since I had been looking at the BA Q-Core SL, I thought I'd ask one of the eBay sellers if it was *really* 20 inches wide, as indicated on the person's listing. He/she got back to me and said "I just measured it and it's 17.5 inches." That was yesterday, and the listing still says 20 inches today. So it goes.
Apr 19, 2013 at 11:11 am #1978430The SynMat UL mats have I-beam baffles, allowing for a very high R-value in a synthetically insulated mat (insulation has more room to expand within the baffle).
The DownMat Lite mats utilize welded-through baffles, just like the old SynMat Basic 7.5. Welded through baffles make for smaller baffles, and thus, less thermic value in comparable mats.
However, due to the down insulation, the DownMat Lite mats come out with a higher R-value than the SynMat UL 7 (4.1 vs. 3.1).
I hope this helps to clear things up, but let me know if you have additional questions.
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