Help my wife to sleep

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Linkpin
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Help my wife to sleep

Post by Linkpin »

My wife and I are taking our kids bikepacking/touring this summer.

I've got plenty of lightweight sleeping gear for myself and the kids, but my wife is adamant that, although she is looking forward to the trip, she wants what she describes as a "very very comfy" mat to sleep on.

I've looked at the Exped Megamat and a few other car-camping type ones, which do promise a bed-like experience, but at a considerable weight penalty and financial cost. I could find a way to carry this if necessary but would rather not if possible.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a 'middle ground' mat? She specifically wants something wide and not slippy, too.

Thanks in advance for helping my picky but otherwise vaguely exciting wife!
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

My initial thought is, has she tried a 'normal' air mat to see how comfy it is? Something like a 9cm thick Exped (or even a 7cm) is quite comfortable - the trick is getting the correct air pressure.
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slarge
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by slarge »

I agree with Stu on the air pressure side. If I pump my mat so it feels firm I have to let loads of air out when I lie on it so I don't feel perched on it
Linkpin
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by Linkpin »

That's good advice, thanks. She's not very patient but I might be able to persuade her to try out a few different kinds at different pressures - as you say they will be nicer than my lightweight stuff.

Will give that a go and see. Any particular recommendations for reasonably priced 'normal' mats? Will start with the 9cm Expeds I think.

By the way, I enjoyed that the forum auto-corrected my description of my wife to 'vaguely exciting'. I hadn't thought about it before but it's actually not a bad description of her...
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Jurassic
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by Jurassic »

As a cheaper, heavier, bulkier alternative, whatever the latest version of Alpkit's biggest self inflating mat (used to be Fat Airic, can't remember what the new version is called) is very comfy. We have one to use in the pop up roof bed of our camper van and it's pretty good (definitely more comfy than my Synmat 7 is). It is relatively bulky and heavy to carry on a bike though so would depend on how minimalist you intend to go.
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by lune ranger »

I personally find traditional Thermarests - the foam filled self-inflating types to be way comfier than my Exped Synmat. I’ve played with inflation pressures and to be sure the Synmat is adequate but I actively enjoy sleeping on an old Thermarest - probably more so than the £1500 king size mattress on my bed at home.
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sean_iow
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by sean_iow »

You're probably already aware of this but... I find the biggest factor in my comfort is the pillow. If my heads not supported then it doesn't matter if I'm on a 3/4 Klymit Inertia X Lite of a Alpkit Dozer or just wont get a good nights sleep. I'm a side sleeper so this might be a factor.
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Shewie
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by Shewie »

Nemo Tensor regular wide or Exped Synmat HL MW would be my choices, great mats and the best sleep I've ever had camping

(I thought I'd posted this earlier, the gremlins must've got it)
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Alpinum
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by Alpinum »

Shewie wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:04 pm Exped Synmat HL MW
Another vote for the Synmat HL or it's winter version for use below about -10 °C.
I'm 182 cm tall and find the longer LW version (with hardly any weight penalty) a better fit.

Mine needs replacement though. After about 100 nights the insulation on the inside has become loose and tends to move to one end. This leaves me with basically just an air mat and it feeling cold at round about 5 °C or lower. After about 100 nights I feel loss of performance of any brand of air mats (like Neoair etc.) and by then they are full of fixed punctures and/or some sort of delamination. Good thing is, they get replaced.
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ootini
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by ootini »

My wife has similar concerns but found my Exped winter synmat LW very comfy. It's 9cm thick I believe.
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RIP
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by RIP »

ootini wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 7:17 pm My wife has similar concerns but found my Exped winter synmat LW very comfy. It's 9cm thick I believe.
As luck would have it, 30% off :grin: https://www.trekitt.co.uk/sleep-shelter ... x8QAvD_BwE
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Linkpin
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by Linkpin »

RIP wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 7:41 pm
ootini wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 7:17 pm My wife has similar concerns but found my Exped winter synmat LW very comfy. It's 9cm thick I believe.
As luck would have it, 30% off :grin: https://www.trekitt.co.uk/sleep-shelter ... x8QAvD_BwE
Excellent spot!

I will have a chat with my wife and see what she thinks. Possibly supported by a short PowerPoint presentation with everyone's advice on it.

Thanks all, very much appreciate your wisdom.
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Jurassic
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by Jurassic »

Linkpin wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:11 pm

I will have a chat with my wife and see what she thinks. Possibly supported by a short PowerPoint presentation with everyone's advice on it.

I think the PowerPoint will help your wife sleep if my experiences of PP presentations are anything to go by! :lol:
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adjustablewench
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by adjustablewench »

As said before LW exped does make for a comfier sleep for not much of a weight penalty. My arms used to fall off the narrower ones if I wasnt properly tucked in my bag.

I hope you edit your post before your wife sees it - I'm hoping you mean vaguely excited wife .... not vaguely exciting wife.

Really resisting the urge to make any puns here 8-|
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RIP
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by RIP »

Remember that 'awesome' gets replaced with 'vaguely exciting' by the swear filter :wink:
Last edited by RIP on Wed Jan 19, 2022 10:34 am, edited 2 times in total.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

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RIP
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by RIP »

More concerning is what word does the swear filter replace with 'vaguely excited' :smile: .

Back to the mats... (maybe).... :smile:

PS. A mug of hot chocolate/ovaltine/horlicks (other milk/malt-based beverages are available) is probably a cheaper option than a new mat by the way. And counting sheep is even cheaper than that....
Last edited by RIP on Wed Jan 19, 2022 12:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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psling
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by psling »

Just tell her to sleep near the edge of the mat, she'll soon drop off...


OK, I had to wait for all the sensible responses before dropping that old cherry in. Sorry.
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by Bearlegged »

:lol:
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JohnClimber
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by JohnClimber »

psling wrote: Wed Jan 19, 2022 12:19 pm Just tell her to sleep near the edge of the mat, she'll soon drop off...
Boom Tish :YMAPPLAUSE:
Cheddar Man
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by Cheddar Man »

Linkpin wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 8:25 am My wife and I are taking our kids bikepacking/touring this summer.

I've got plenty of lightweight sleeping gear for myself and the kids, but my wife is adamant that, although she is looking forward to the trip, she wants what she describes as a "very very comfy" mat to sleep on.

I've looked at the Exped Megamat and a few other car-camping type ones, which do promise a bed-like experience, but at a considerable weight penalty and financial cost. I could find a way to carry this if necessary but would rather not if possible.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a 'middle ground' mat? She specifically wants something wide and not slippy, too.

Thanks in advance for helping my picky but otherwise vaguely exciting wife!
Get her off the ground, buy her a bed. 1.5kg, but that extra few hundred grams could be worth their weight in gold if the trip goes well and she enjoys it.

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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Just remember that 'camp beds' will generally be cold and will require some kind of insulation, which mean mean carrying a mat too.
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The Cumbrian
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by The Cumbrian »

Am I the only one who thinks that "Help my wife to sleep" sounds like a Mafia euphemism?
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slarge
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by slarge »

The Cumbrian wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:07 pm Am I the only one who thinks that "Help my wife to sleep" sounds like a Mafia euphemism?
I kept seeing "help put my wife to sleep" in the title. Not sure what that says.....
Linkpin
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by Linkpin »

I've never felt the need to say this publicly before, but for the record I am not planning to kill my wife.

I'm not always sure the feeling is mutual, mind...
Linkpin
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Re: Help my wife to sleep

Post by Linkpin »

In the end, mainly based on advice from folks on this thread to focus more on getting the air pressure right than the size of the mat, I bought my wife an Alpkit Dumo in their sale.

She has tried it and proclaimed it to be 'alright'. I will take that as a success.

Thanks all for your input.
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