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Inflatable mattresses vs. self-inflating mats
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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Inflatable mattresses vs. self-inflating mats
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Dec 7, 2014 at 5:35 pm #1323457
What are the relative merits of inflatable mattresses such as these?
Compared with a self-inflating mat such as this one:
I'm concerned with durability and comfort (in HOT weather), price, weight and pack size are pretty much up-front (the inflatable mattresses are lighter at any given price point).
Dec 7, 2014 at 5:56 pm #2154862Heres my experiences with both:
Topping off the self inflating matress with 3-4 breathis WAY moe convenient than blowing up a 2.5" thick inflatable.
The inflatables are WAY more comfy. It just depends if you need the extra comfort to get a good nights sleep.The self inflators are all significantly tinner than advertized. Ie: 1" is really 3/4" and 1.5" is really 1.15". 2" is really 1.5".
The inflatables are all thicker than advertised. Ie: 2.5" is really 2.85".The inflatables pack into nice small bundles. 2/3 the size of a midweight fleee jacket. 1.5 times the size of a nalgenen.
The self inflators are much bigger. The 1" size needs about as much pack sace as a thick fleece jacket.Both are highly irritating in the morning because deflating them takes 3 minutes of squeezing and rolling.
My big agnes insulated air core is not hot in the summer (90 degrees F), neither are my thermarest self inflators.
I think the insulated air core might be slightly (20% ?) cooler feeling in the summer (and in the winter) – but it's the quilt/fleece/sheet/air that feels hot in the summer, not the pad.
In the winter, I add a foam pad on top of both – and they need more. A down inflatable would be better in the winter.I've never had any leaks in my self inflators over the 6-8 years I used them exclusively.
I've haven't had any leaks with my inflatable either, but it's only seen a year or two of use.
I get the impression that the durability is a function of the denier of the outer fabric, number of seams, and how sturdy the valve is.
Some of the super light mattresses of either type have very thin fabrics and don't feel like they'd survive the things that have scratched my heavier matress fabrics without ripping. So when I use the super light thermarrest self inflator, I baby it.Dec 7, 2014 at 7:09 pm #2154889Thanks for the feedback. I need about 10 mats, maybe a little more, for use in the Indonesian jungle. Porters will do the inflating/deflating, so that's not a concern at all.
I need to lift them to Indonesia in my luggage (I have a decent allowance, so it's not impossible).
I have a few choices I am considering:
Inflatable mat – 183x45x7cm (one source says 183x49x7, but I guess 45 is more accurate), 20D rip-stop nylon, 300gram weight, 0.7 litre pack size, £19 http://alanrayneroutdoors.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/karrimor-sleeping-mat.html
(I can also buy a mat of the same size from the same factory of 70D nlyon, hence 780 gram weight, and 1.8l pack size, for £16 – basically the same price, but a cheap product because of the weight – perhaps more durable?)
Self-inflating mat 183x51x3.8cm (width is tapered), 20D ripstop nylon, 605g weight, 3.7l pack size, £26
S-i-m 183x51x3cm (slightly tapered), 980g 6.1l pack size, £20
There are some other products I saw, bigger and more comfortable, but huge in size, so I think impractical.
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