australia:sleeping_pads
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Table of Contents
sleeping mats for hiking
see also:
- I don't sell any of these nor do I receive any remuneration if you buy them, and I have not personally reviewed all of them, they are listed here to give you perspective
Introduction
- an appropriate sleeping pad is critical for a good night sleep, it should be:
- warm enough to insulate you from the ground (check R factor - if on snow you will need a rating of 6-9)
- wide enough so you can sleep comfortably on your slide without knees falling off, and your arms don't fall off when sleeping on your back
- quiet enough so you don't wake everyone up every time you move
- light enough to carry hiking
- adequately durable to provide reliability (you should still bring repair tape!)
Closed cell "egg-crate" foam mats
- these are a great option for hikers as they tick all the boxes and are versatile, durable, do not puncture, are not noisy, and are affordable
- they are warmer than an un-insulated air pad
- can be used outside the tent to sit on or as a knee pad without worrying about puncturing it
- they are generally carried by strapping to rear of the back pack
- they can be used on stretchers or under air mats to provide added insulation and comfort
- closed cell foam refers to how the air pockets in the foam are not interconnected, resulting in a foam that is generally denser, waterproof, more insulative, more resistant to damage, and fairly stiff and uncompressible.
- in contrast, open cell foam has air pockets that are interconnected, resulting in a spongier foam that is generally less dense, less insulative, will absorb water or allow it to pass right through, and is usually relatively easy to damage. It is often used in the self-inflating mats
- aluminium coating layer adds ~15% more warmth and in winter, ideally should be placed upwards to reflect your body heat back to you (most companies state it should be down but this is probably for durability and for warm nights)
- the thicker the mattress, the warmer and more comfy it will be but also more bulky and heavy
- ideally they should be 65cm wide for comfort but this makes them heavier and longer to carry so most designed for hikers are narrower than this
- come as either roll up mats or foldable mats
- modern closed cell hiking mats are made from either XPE or IXPE foam which are much better than older polyvinyl chloride/nitrile rubber (PVC/NBR or Ensolite) but these deteriorate in UV light hence are no longer used for hiking
- XPE foam
- cross-linking of PE is via a chemical process and results in a more larger, rougher foam
- these can be bought from Temu starting at around $20 but are of inferior quality/design to more expensive ones at ~$40
- IXPE foam
- cross-linking of PE is via an irradiation process and produces a denser smoother foam but is more expensive than XPE foam
- EVA
- Ethylene-vinyl acetate (PEF), soft rubbery feel, used in floor mats
- Evazote
- IXPE with EVA
- examples with aluminium backing:
- generic roll up XPE flat mats:
- NB. common yoga mats are generally too thin to provide all night sleeping comfort and do not have aluminium backing for extra insulation
- 0.5cm thick; 180x55cm weigh 265g; ~$AU15 on Temu - probably a bit too thin still for comfort
- foldable egg-crate like mats with much better R values:
- Mountain Designs Hikelite Mat Standard
- 184 x 56 x 2 cm; 420g; packs to 56 x 13 cm
- $40
- NatureHike mat
- R1.8; 185x56x1.8cm; XPE; packs to 56x13x15cm; 420g ~$AU36 on Aliexpress
- NatureHike wide thick mat
- R2.2; 200x65x2cm; IXPE; packs to 65x14x17cm; 670g ~$AU44 on Temu
- Exped FlexMat LW:
- R 1.5; 197L x 65W x 1.8cm; packs to 65L x 14W x 14H cm; 475g; ~$AU60
- Thermarest Z-Lite Regular:
- R 1.7; 183x51x2cm; packs to 51L x 13W x 14H cm; 410g; ~$AU90
- Alton Closed Cell Foam Sleeping Mat R2
- R 2; 188 × 55 × 1.7 cm; packs to 55 × 13.5 × 5.5?cm; 285g; ~$AU50
Insulated Hiking Air Mats to consider
- you need to make a compromise on weight and size vs insulation (R value) vs cost
- ideally for good sleep you should choose a wide one but this does add weight and bulk
- most 3 season hikers need at least R2.9 but if camping on snow you should aim for at R value of at least 6-7
- recently Exped has introduced insulated hiking mats with either down or synthetic fill as additional mediums to further improve the R value vs weight problem
- Exped Ultra series
- lightest, least bulky options
- Ultra 3R Medium R2.9 183x52x7cm; 465g packs to 23x11cm ~$AU299
- Ultra 6.5R Medium R6.9 183x52x9cm; 440g packs to 23x11cm ~$AU319
- Ultra 7R Medium R7.1 down filled 183x52x9cm; 650g packs to 23x14cm ~$AU389
- there are wide, large and Duo versions as well as a tapered “mummy” version if you want the lightest
- Exped Dura series
- more durable but bigger and heavier mats with 75D instead of the 20D in the Ultra series
- Dura 5R Medium R4.8 183x52x7cm; 855g packs to 23x14cm ~$AU289
- Dura 6R Medium R5.8 down filled 183x52x7cm; 850g packs to 23×14.5cm ~$AU369
- Dura 8R Medium R7.1 down filled 183x52x9cm; 965g packs to 23×15.5cm ~$AU399
- there are large wide and Duo versions as well
- Nemo Tensor
- great all round performance, quiet,
- Sea To Summit Etherlight XT
- very comfortable, air sprung baffle system; nice double valve system with “air pump” stuff sack; 2 season “R3.2” but has insulation deficient spots at baffles and not as warm as Nemo Tensor or Thermarest Xlite;
- bulky, heavy; surface has a rubbery feel which some may not like;
- Large: 198 x 65 x 10 cm 625g packs to 28 x 13 x 13 cm $AU369
- Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite NXT
- R 4.2; 3“ thick air bed; WingLock valve
- regular: 183L x 51W cm; packs to 23L x 10W x 10H cm; 370g; $AU429
- large: 196L x 64W cm; packs to 28L x 12W x 12H cm; 480g; $AU499
- Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT
- perhaps the best on the market but very expensive $AU499 for regular and $AU549 for large
- incredible “R7.3” insulation, 3” thick air bed; WingLock valve
- supplied with a bag pump so you don't breathe moist air into it which will reduce its insulation properties and encourage mould growth
- regular: 183L x 51W x 7.6cm packs to 23L x 11W x 11H cm 440g
- large: 196L x 64W x 7.6cm packs to 28L x 13W x 13H cm 570g
australia/sleeping_pads.1785842741.txt.gz · Last modified: 2026/08/04 11:25 by gary1