Tent. My first tent was a single skin tent called a U2 that was as cheap as chips but after getting soaked in condensation I spent a month's pay on a "Ultimate Backpacker" tent that's still usable today.
I got the 7R LW (25"x78") two days ago and tested it last night. 29.5F/1.4C and down to 9.5F/-12.5C. I did chuck a bit of refletix (silver Mylar bubble wrap) just because I had bit and thought about it. The pad was outstanding. Absolutely outstanding. Incredibly comfortable, which is something I never say about an inflatable sleep pad. It's also .1oz (2.8g) lighter than the nearly identical Big Agnes Q-Core Ultra with an R value of 4.5 (which until now was the nicest pad I'd ever slept on). The noise is strange because it does have the tiniest bit of crinkle, but the surface noise from the material is very quiet. I'm pretty irritated/sensitive to crinkle and fabric noise but this was no issue at all for me. It really only crinkled when you pushed down into it (as with an elbow or something) but not when you just rolled around on it. I'm an all-positions sleeper and it was exceptional in every position. For reference, I'm just at 6' and ~200lb.
Budget gear can be great, although it tends to encourage a lot of people to buy way more equipment than is necessary, the less gear you own, the more use you'll get from each item, it doesn't matter how much it cost, as long as it's manufactured responsibly and you're confident in it's ability to do the job = better value for money + greater organisation & knowledge of the equipment you own. In my experience less is more. Sustainability & reliability are very important factors when making any purchase, no matter what kind of product it is, but that's another conversation entirely.
I absolutely loved my exped mega matt 10... Best piece of kit I have ever bought for car camping. 10cm self inflating R9.5 insulated. Fully adjustable firmness based on the supplied mini pump... The most comfortable Matt I have ever slept on.
I tend to do a rough roll to start with, close the valve so air doesnt suck back in as you unroll it and start again properly opening the valve when air is building up in front of you. With tents now coming in "stuff sack" style, it would be nice to see other equipment work like this.
I have the identical mat in which I slept for the first time the last two nights. The insulation was amazing - too warm even. I found myself wishing I had the 3R! Two complaints - 1) it's oddly noisy when turning over. Not exactly like a crisp bag, but close. The bigger issue in is that it's a bit uncomfortable fully inflated, but when you in let some air out, the baffling isn't sufficient to stop any pressure point from going through to the bottom. This isn't an issue when laying out, but is when you turn or sit up...
Without a doubt best bit of kit to spend money on like you said! I went with a xtherm max and it's a pleasure to sleep on, I don't really hear the noise too much so it doesn't bother me.
A very informative first look. Have you measured the width of the mat? It should be 65 cm but does not look much wider than the regular version. I am about to upgrade my regular version to an LW version but worried about a false width.
@@daleyoutdoors I received my ordered Dura 6R LW and measured its width. The width in the middle part is less than 60 cm. I am really disappointed. You could also check it. It seems that EXPED cheats.
I have an Exped -20 mat too but an older model and mummy-shaped. Used it twice and it’s very comfortable but wish I’d bought the rectangular model. Loved your ‘stealth lime’ comment.
Tarp, and that was only £30 from amazon. I hammock wild camp, but can make alot of stuff, eg bought a sandwich tin for £1, drilled a few holes, used an old bike spoke to make folding handles, bingo, camping frying pan weighing next to nothing.
I really need to remember to comment on the videos I watch. I watch TH-cam on my TV so I then have to go into my phone, find the video and then comment and like. But I'm gonna do it Ben! Haha been watching you from the start pal and always enjoy your videos. We're pretty like minded as in we both like budget gear and I also love the karrimor panther trousers. Being of the bigger variety I need something that has a bit of stretch in them. 👍 Keep up the good work dude
Is there any others slightly cheaper you’d recommend? As just starting out so don’t mind spending that much if I go a few times and enjoy I’d upgrade, also looking at the Vango banshee as a tent for me and my German Shepard companion, think it would be okay? Love your videos 😄
I’m sure the older Exped Synmats are around £80 now. Worth a look. I haven’t tried a Banshee but they’re meant to be really good. Go for the 300 though. You might struggle for space in a 200 👍
Can’t go wrong with a wide rectangular mat. It’s silly how some mats can only be bought in the mummy shape. Did you consider getting the rectangular xtherm and are you selling your mummy version now? You’ll probably get a lot of your money back. I went for a regular wide thermarest topo luxe which at 770g for a 4” thick mat with an r value of 3.7 using 50d material I think is sweet. It will be interesting to see how durable these exped mats are as I think they are only 20d fabric I believe. Looking forward to your thoughts 🙂
Yeah I did but the exped was a bit cheaper, and I loved my old Synmat so thought I’d give this a try. The xTherm will be up for sale as soon as I can take some photos of it 👍
Love my exped down mat but it looks like they are discontinued for these new ones. I find it great for side sleeping and it cradles you. Wish it had come with a schnozzel. It came with the foam mini pump.
There is a new version with down, called the Ultra 7r. The only thing I want to know is: does the new Ultra series have antil slip treatment on oputer surfaces as the old version did? If now, I will not buy it. For me, one of the most important features is the straight cut sides of the mummy version, which makes it take up less space in my tent. More so if you are two persons in a small tent. Every single other mat I've had or tries in mummy shape, is curved along the sides, and takes up more space in the tent. A bad idea in my humble view. Thanks for posting this veideo. Kind regards.
@@jonathanprice1715 Hi Jonathan As yet I've not used it on a camp. I have pumped it up in my house and laid on it. It is very comfortable and I am impressed with the quality. I've been using a UL80 and it is definitely a good upgrade.
@@dougdixonhull Thanks Doug, I ended up buying one last week from Go Outdoors. Likewise I have only pumped it up indoors but it will be getting a proper outing on the WHW soon.
@@jonathanprice1715 I have downmat 7cm with integrated pump. The tube where pump is situated deflates very slow. Needs to roll air out 3X to get it in the bag. Thinking about 3R with snozzel for the summer. I sleep better on exped pad than my bed :)
Hi, how did you find it compared to the exped synmat 7? t=That's what I've been using - I find it fantastic but too big and heavy - thinking of switching to an exped ultra 3. Thanks!
I looked at the 3r for 3 season but like you say there not that cheap and it's not enough weight saving from my xtherm to justify the outlay so I'm just going to keep using the Xtherm all year
Is there any testing, or rating of pads, for their stated R values? I regret buying a Klymit insulated static V, 4.4R. It is thin, slippery, and has large gaps, between the baffles. It is not very insulated at all. Buying another, I’d like to know, I’m getting the stated performance.
I had one of these and woke up on a flat mat in the middle of the night. i have had good experience with exped before, but not a good first impression for the new Exped Ultra 3R Mummy, also had a cover arround it ( bivy )
It is for my needs but then it’s not a fair comparison. If I’d bought the thermarest in the large and wide size I would have probably stuck with that (but it would have been more expensive)
Nothing wrong with the mat I just find as a side sleeper my feet are always coming off the sides. I should have gone for a long version too. Will be selling the xTherm soon.
@@daleyoutdoors hi. Yes I mean the ul80. The tubes on the of run the same way. I guess there are only a certain amount of designs for a sleeping pad. But this one has insulation whereas the ul80 is just a giant pillow essentially. I naively bought the ul80 when I was new to camping. And then realised R values aren’t regulated either
@@daleyoutdoors I use on my other pad a shoe glue and make some dots on it, it no so slipery like before, and it s better than silicone cause it fall out.
What’s the first bit of kit you invested more money in? 🤔
Tent. My first tent was a single skin tent called a U2 that was as cheap as chips but after getting soaked in condensation I spent a month's pay on a "Ultimate Backpacker" tent that's still usable today.
My Thermarest pad. It was expensive but is comfortable (even for someone with fibromyalgia)
My first tent: a Terra Nova Ultra Quasar.
I got the 7R LW (25"x78") two days ago and tested it last night. 29.5F/1.4C and down to 9.5F/-12.5C. I did chuck a bit of refletix (silver Mylar bubble wrap) just because I had bit and thought about it. The pad was outstanding. Absolutely outstanding. Incredibly comfortable, which is something I never say about an inflatable sleep pad. It's also .1oz (2.8g) lighter than the nearly identical Big Agnes Q-Core Ultra with an R value of 4.5 (which until now was the nicest pad I'd ever slept on). The noise is strange because it does have the tiniest bit of crinkle, but the surface noise from the material is very quiet. I'm pretty irritated/sensitive to crinkle and fabric noise but this was no issue at all for me. It really only crinkled when you pushed down into it (as with an elbow or something) but not when you just rolled around on it. I'm an all-positions sleeper and it was exceptional in every position. For reference, I'm just at 6' and ~200lb.
Budget gear can be great, although it tends to encourage a lot of people to buy way more equipment than is necessary, the less gear you own, the more use you'll get from each item, it doesn't matter how much it cost, as long as it's manufactured responsibly and you're confident in it's ability to do the job = better value for money + greater organisation & knowledge of the equipment you own. In my experience less is more. Sustainability & reliability are very important factors when making any purchase, no matter what kind of product it is, but that's another conversation entirely.
I absolutely loved my exped mega matt 10...
Best piece of kit I have ever bought for car camping. 10cm self inflating R9.5 insulated. Fully adjustable firmness based on the supplied mini pump... The most comfortable Matt I have ever slept on.
I tend to do a rough roll to start with, close the valve so air doesnt suck back in as you unroll it and start again properly opening the valve when air is building up in front of you. With tents now coming in "stuff sack" style, it would be nice to see other equipment work like this.
I have the identical mat in which I slept for the first time the last two nights. The insulation was amazing - too warm even. I found myself wishing I had the 3R! Two complaints - 1) it's oddly noisy when turning over. Not exactly like a crisp bag, but close. The bigger issue in is that it's a bit uncomfortable fully inflated, but when you in let some air out, the baffling isn't sufficient to stop any pressure point from going through to the bottom. This isn't an issue when laying out, but is when you turn or sit up...
I use the mountain equipment Helium sleeping mat had it years.
I need a winter sleep pad. I like my foam roll mat and pad, but it’s a bit bulky carrying both. I will be looking at these exped for sure 🔥
£150's not a bad price for a R5 mat to be fair and the weight isnt bad either.. I'm still trying to decide on the right proper winter mat for me. 👍
XTherm are worth a look as well as these Exped ones. I just bought the wrong size and shape xTherm on a whim 🤦♂️
Without a doubt best bit of kit to spend money on like you said! I went with a xtherm max and it's a pleasure to sleep on, I don't really hear the noise too much so it doesn't bother me.
Nice video, you are really helping me plan what my first equipment will be. I also liked the little wiggle for testing the noise of the mat! 😊
The wiggle test is a well known test for sleep mats 😆
Great timing, been looking at these recently!
A very informative first look. Have you measured the width of the mat? It should be 65 cm but does not look much wider than the regular version. I am about to upgrade my regular version to an LW version but worried about a false width.
I haven’t measured it but it’s definitely wider than my others. Will measure it next time M out with it
@@daleyoutdoors I received my ordered Dura 6R LW and measured its width. The width in the middle part is less than 60 cm. I am really disappointed. You could also check it. It seems that EXPED cheats.
Similarly, my mat. I got the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT mat, along with a decent bag and an MSR Tent,
I have an Exped -20 mat too but an older model and mummy-shaped. Used it twice and it’s very comfortable but wish I’d bought the rectangular model. Loved your ‘stealth lime’ comment.
😆
Got the 5r mummy one. Love mine. I side sleep on it with no issues. It’s my first warm mat and am very happy with it
Love mine so far. I tend to kick my legs around when sleeping so need a rectangular one 😆
Does your version have anti slip on the surface as the old version does?
Cheers.
"Stealth Lime Green" I like it...
Tarp, and that was only £30 from amazon. I hammock wild camp, but can make alot of stuff, eg bought a sandwich tin for £1, drilled a few holes, used an old bike spoke to make folding handles, bingo, camping frying pan weighing next to nothing.
I really need to remember to comment on the videos I watch. I watch TH-cam on my TV so I then have to go into my phone, find the video and then comment and like. But I'm gonna do it Ben! Haha been watching you from the start pal and always enjoy your videos. We're pretty like minded as in we both like budget gear and I also love the karrimor panther trousers. Being of the bigger variety I need something that has a bit of stretch in them. 👍 Keep up the good work dude
Thanks Gaz! Appreciate the support mate. You can’t go wrong with the Panthers can you 😆
@@daleyoutdoors no mate. Had mine over a year and they're still going strong 👍
Is there any others slightly cheaper you’d recommend? As just starting out so don’t mind spending that much if I go a few times and enjoy I’d upgrade, also looking at the Vango banshee as a tent for me and my German Shepard companion, think it would be okay? Love your videos 😄
I’m sure the older Exped Synmats are around £80 now. Worth a look. I haven’t tried a Banshee but they’re meant to be really good. Go for the 300 though. You might struggle for space in a 200 👍
Can’t go wrong with a wide rectangular mat. It’s silly how some mats can only be bought in the mummy shape. Did you consider getting the rectangular xtherm and are you selling your mummy version now? You’ll probably get a lot of your money back. I went for a regular wide thermarest topo luxe which at 770g for a 4” thick mat with an r value of 3.7 using 50d material I think is sweet. It will be interesting to see how durable these exped mats are as I think they are only 20d fabric I believe. Looking forward to your thoughts 🙂
Yeah I did but the exped was a bit cheaper, and I loved my old Synmat so thought I’d give this a try. The xTherm will be up for sale as soon as I can take some photos of it 👍
Looks a nice piece of kit Ben, cheers Pal 😀
Love my exped down mat but it looks like they are discontinued for these new ones.
I find it great for side sleeping and it cradles you. Wish it had come with a schnozzel. It came with the foam mini pump.
There is a new version with down, called the Ultra 7r. The only thing I want to know is: does the new Ultra series have antil slip treatment on oputer surfaces as the old version did?
If now, I will not buy it.
For me, one of the most important features is the straight cut sides of the mummy version, which makes it take up less space in my tent. More so if you are two persons in a small tent. Every single other mat I've had or tries in mummy shape, is curved along the sides, and takes up more space in the tent. A bad idea in my humble view.
Thanks for posting this veideo.
Kind regards.
Nice first look video.
I've just bought the Exped Versa R4 mat this morning. Looking forward to using it.
Nice one Doug. Enjoy it 👍
Hi Doug, looking at getting one of the vera R4 mats, is it any good? Looks great on paper with its R value and weight AND cost?
@@jonathanprice1715 Hi Jonathan
As yet I've not used it on a camp.
I have pumped it up in my house and laid on it. It is very comfortable and I am impressed with the quality. I've been using a UL80 and it is definitely a good upgrade.
@@dougdixonhull Thanks Doug, I ended up buying one last week from Go Outdoors. Likewise I have only pumped it up indoors but it will be getting a proper outing on the WHW soon.
@@jonathanprice1715 I have downmat 7cm with integrated pump. The tube where pump is situated deflates very slow. Needs to roll air out 3X to get it in the bag.
Thinking about 3R with snozzel for the summer.
I sleep better on exped pad than my bed :)
Hi, how did you find it compared to the exped synmat 7? t=That's what I've been using - I find it fantastic but too big and heavy - thinking of switching to an exped ultra 3. Thanks!
Same comfort, smaller and lighter 👍
I looked at the 3r for 3 season but like you say there not that cheap and it's not enough weight saving from my xtherm to justify the outlay so I'm just going to keep using the Xtherm all year
Makes sense 👍 I only switched as I needed a bigger mat 🤓Ben
Looks like very good quality and also comfy. Like you said, you can't put a price on a decent night's sleep Ben.
You can £150 it seems
Is there any testing, or rating of pads, for their stated R values?
I regret buying a Klymit insulated static V, 4.4R. It is thin, slippery, and has large gaps, between the baffles.
It is not very insulated at all.
Buying another, I’d like to know, I’m getting the stated performance.
Look for the ASTM standard. Check here ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/r-value-explained-i206
I had one of these and woke up on a flat mat in the middle of the night. i have had good experience with exped before, but not a good first impression for the new Exped Ultra 3R Mummy, also had a cover arround it ( bivy )
Not good! Did you get replaced?
@@daleyoutdoors nope, lost the receipt... But Thinking of giving it another chance, might have been just bad luck. :). Going for a wide next time tho
@@varde6965 try contacting Exped directly?
@@daleyoutdoors I will try that :)
Only problem with recycled material, it obviously will not have the strength or durability of original material?
Not sure that’s true with everything these days. It’s not all scratchy recycled paper now 🤓
Is the LW getting in a Helm Compact 1? Cheers
Yes it does fit, just doesn't leave much room.
Would you rate that better than your thermarest. The thermarest seems to be the one everyone goes for
It is for my needs but then it’s not a fair comparison. If I’d bought the thermarest in the large and wide size I would have probably stuck with that (but it would have been more expensive)
It’s the last bit of kit I really need to invest in I ve always used a trekology ul80
It’s like Russian roulette waiting for it to deflate pmsl 🤣
Mat should be the bit of kit you spend the most on in my opinion but what happened to the thermarest?
Nothing wrong with the mat I just find as a side sleeper my feet are always coming off the sides. I should have gone for a long version too. Will be selling the xTherm soon.
@@daleyoutdoors FairPlay I’m only 5/10 always go long wide , not bad price on that exped mat , big Agnes seem to be popular around that money
I have a cheap mat and my OEX bag slides on it a lot, does that Exped seem slippy Ben?
Not really no but I use a quilt not a bag
Good video. Maybe i buy that but i hate those circus colors.
Looks really good quality Ben, definitely a good investment mate
Cheers Michael 👍
thanks for the review!!
No problem Dan, hope it was useful 👍
from the design are the trekology pads knock offs of exped?
I wouldn’t say so. The baffles to the other way (if you mean the UL80). I haven’t seen/tried one though.
@@daleyoutdoors hi. Yes I mean the ul80. The tubes on the of run the same way. I guess there are only a certain amount of designs for a sleeping pad. But this one has insulation whereas the ul80 is just a giant pillow essentially. I naively bought the ul80 when I was new to camping. And then realised R values aren’t regulated either
@@joshuadench2055 no they’re not regulated so something to aware of. Any decent manufacturer will probably use the ASTM R standard though 👍
Is the pad slipery?
Only as much as any other mat 🤷♂️
@@daleyoutdoors I use on my other pad a shoe glue and make some dots on it, it no so slipery like before, and it s better than silicone cause it fall out.
I bought the pad. And it's not slippery surface, like other mats I have.
Man,the pack size on that thing is massive
Yes it is big. Worth it for me though, especially in winter
Just bought the 3R in same size as yours.
And spot on only got down to 3deg but warm enough and comfy. 👍🏻
I slept like a baby on it last night 😆 well impressed so far 👍
Nice mat! Looks like a viable option. Nice video and channel. New follower here. Crow✌️
What quilt do you have?
It’s an ‘ice flame’ one from AliExpress
@@daleyoutdoors I'll check it out, thanks.
Nice one me duck 👍
For £150 I would want Elvis Costello to come round and pump it up for me…can I have your old Thermo-Rest mat please seeing as you got a new one..😂😂😂
Yes of course mate, just send me £150 for the P&P and I’ll send it to you 👍
@@daleyoutdoors Think you missed out the decimal point between the 1 & 5 in your reply Ben….
@@tourcheverybridge it’s too early for number games! 😆
Go and try it at minus 20 then let us know.
‘Rated’ to -20 …
Why all gears are ugly neon colors.