Self-inflating foam-filled mats are either very thin or quite heavy. An air-filled mat can be much thicker and lighter, but the design usually suffers from internal air circulation, which can make it a cold mat to sleep on. Pacific Outdoor Equipment have attacked this problem by affixing strips of a thin layer of synthetic insulation (which they call 'Zonal Air Loft Thermo insulation') to the inside of the top surface. The theory is that there will be enough of a thermal gradient across the insulation that the cooling due to air circulation will not be significant.
In order to minimise the weight of the mat, they have only applied the insulation to a (large) central diamond region, as seen in the photo here. As that is the area where most of your torso lies, the idea is reasonable.
We tried to measure the thickness of the insulation layer with a micrometer, but this was not really successful. It came out to about 0.6 mm (0.024") - but that was fully compressed by the micrometer and not a really meaningful result. (The fabric itself came out to 0.3 mm thick for the two layers, which is quite thin!) When the mat is in use and the top surface warms up, it seems that the insulation layer does relax a bit and fluff out. You can actually feel it fluffed up. That is normal - but even so the layer looks very thin. POE do not specify the width of the insulation strips, and we did notice some variation in this width between mats. The variation was not large enough to worry anyone, however.
POE claim a size of 51 x 122 x 6 cm for the 2/3 mat; we measured it as being 47 x 123 x 8 cm inflated fully, but this was with no load on the tubes. You will not get this thickness when you lie on the mat! The reduction in width is due to the way the tubes blow up: it is a bit wider at lower inflations. At reasonable inflation we found that a thickness of about 44 mm was a very generous estimate over a broad area. Blow the mat up too hard (to get greater thickness), and it gets a bit uncomfortable. Measure the clearance between your hips and the ground at a comfortable pressure and it will be much less. Even so, it is thicker than the average layer of foam.
We ended up with four mats between us (see below as to why), although one was supposed to be a hand-made prototype. The dry weights were 307 g, 317, 374 g and 371 g. POE claim 306 g on their web site. POE explained that it was probably due to a mistake in the factory: they have two very similar fabrics, with the lighter one meant to be used for these air mats and the heavier one for Dry Bags. They think the wrong roll of fabric was used in this case. This means you might want to check the weight of the mat when you are buying it to see what you are getting.
The mats seem quite air-tight: one was inflated fairly hard and left for a week indoors. There was little or no apparent loss of pressure.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Technical Details
- Field Testing
- Condensation
- Sliding Around
- R-Value
- Summary
- Possible Improvements
- Specifications for 2/3 length mat
# WORDS: 2020
# PHOTOS: 8
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Hi Tom
> maybe you had actually run the model
Run a numerical model? Nope. The number of assumptions required to set up such a model boggles the mind. Sorting out the constants or factors would be a PhD project! Field testing is simpler and has the virtue of being believable :-)
But yes, everything I review has been field tested. Fairly thoroughly too in most cases. (Better thank my wife who also does some of the testing for me.)
Sometimes, when the items are good, I lose them to my wife … :-) The manufacturer can really take a bow when she pinches an item off me.
> Aren't the tubes inter-connected?
Yes, but the effect of that is rather small. The interconnection is usually limited to a small cross-section at one or both ends. Unless you are trampolining all night, the amount of air passing into and out of the *edge* tubes is small. They inflate, and that's it. In general I sleep more or less on the middle of the mat, so I do not lean very much on the edge tubes. There may be some circulation between middle tubes of course.
> Have you tried it with the closed cell pad above and below?
I will confess that most of my field testing has been done with the CCF underneath. I tried putting the CCF on top a few times and found it awkward to manage, and apparently no better. My experience; others may feel differently of course. Also bear in mind that the POE EE 6 has some (not a lot of) insulation under the top surface. This insulation WAS noticeable. I think it fluffs up during the night.
> My quilt is flattened underneath me, so it's a fairly short line between me and the outside at the edge.
Ah, hum … In general my UL quilt stays on top of me except for the short bit at my feet, and it's a bit wider than most. Wide enough that I can tuck my wife under it as well if it is very cold. I can't say I have ever noticed any significant cold under me. OK, I'm a woose.
> Can't say that I ever have that much gear to pile along side, but you have stated
> before that you pack fairly heavy compared to some others on BPL.
I had better explain about that.
First of all, our weather can be VERY variable, FAR more variable than much of America. It can be >30 C in the middle of the day and yet hail or snow at night. This applies both in the Alpine region and also in the local mountains. It's due to geographic factors that can flick the major airstreams around – butterfly effect. So … needs must we include a little more by way of clothing. It would be rare that I am not carrying a thermal top and a Cocoon 60. But if it is warm at night that clothing stays in its stuff sacks. Extra weight I know, but you try cooking dinner with just a wet shirt and a cold-front storm outside. :-)
Second, as we are often out for up to a week at a time, there is usually a fair bit of food in small stuff sacks. It too makes a good barrier at the edge of the mat. We use everything!
Third, some of our local mountains are a bit on the cliffy side. (Up to 600 m of near vertical rock in fact.) We have to carry some rope etc both for safety and planned passes through cliff-lines. Often just 5 or 6 mm line though.
Yeah, it all adds up. Well, you should see what some of the local heavy-weights carry!
Cheers
Roger
Roger,
Appreciate the prompt and detailed response. I have to admit that I was trying to "get your goat" a bit with the lightweight comment.
Tom
I have a POE Ether Compact 6, and have been wanting to get the Elite because of the lighter weight and insulation.
The Instaflator looks pretty neat, but I've been saying for years that it's dead easy to do the exact same thing with a plastic bag and a rubber band. For me, it's multiuse, as I usually have a black trash bag or two with me as a pack liner and other use. Cut a small bit off the corner and attach the bag to the mat with the rubber band and inflate in the same way as the Instaflator. UL, and very flexible in your choice of bag material and size.
I assumed other people did this- I guess I should make a video or something, but it's *really* easy. No reason to discount a pad like this or the NeoAir because of a fear of mold or moisture.
More information about the replacement for this pad, the Peak Elite AC. The press release is claiming R4.5 in the torso and R2.5 everywhere else. If true, this seems like an impressive pad for the weight (14oz full length) and price ($65 MSRP).
http://pacoutdoor.com/blog/new-2011-product-peak-elite-ac
http://www.journeymantraveller.com/2010/12/pacific-outdoor-equipment-peak-elite-ac.html
The upcoming new version of this pad sounds good enough that I will wait for it instead of taking advantage of closeout sales on the older version.
Sometimes we are just too caught up in complexity to think of something that is so simple it should be obvious! As witness Aaron's using the plastic bag and rubber band for blowing up the inflatable pad! I would suggest taking several extra rubber bands, though!
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