I am getting a bit tired of spending money on sleep mats only for them to last 3-4 trips out.

Had a Synmat UL and that lasted a week in Scotland and one other night before the sections "delaminated" and the whole of one end ballooned out and i'd had 3 punctures in it.

Then bought an Alpkit Cloudbase but couldn't get on with that as it wasn't thick enough or comfy enough.

Then a Big Agnes one which i can't remember the name of but where i had folded it in three length ways before rolling it up, air leaked all along the folds after 3-4 times giving far to greater area to puncture repair.

Trouble is i am a rugby prop forward shaped and have broken over 20 bones including my neck and metal pins in jaw and shoulder, so i have to be comfy otherwise i simply don't sleep. At the moment i am restricting most bivvy trips to a single night as i can get by on missing 5-6 hours sleep and haven't done a longer trip for a couple of years as i find the lack of sleep too much.

I am using a older Thermarest at the moment because at least it is durable, but pack size is pretty big. I have treated myself to a decent Rab bivvy bag too so that mat can be inside the bag, as opposed to old Hunka where it had to be outside.

Any recommendations as to mats that still have a decent pack size but are more durable than others?

Exped 'Lite' mats are harder wearing than the UL versions. Slight weight penalty but offset by a reduction in price / longevity.

I've had an Exped Synmat delaminate along one of the seams but it was in warranty (they have a two year warranty) and I got it replaced. The trick I found was to fully inflate the mat then let a bit of air out so that the welded seams aren't under as much stress when you sit or lean on the mat. It seems that the problem occurs if you suddenly drop/kneel on the mat so it's best to take as much care as possible getting on and off it.

Maybe the NeoAir.

Exped has had a series of them delaminating in the early stages of use. They know about the issue and will give you a new one.
Usually their stuff is great and very reliable.
I too think - knowing both lightweight options from Exped and Therm-a-rest - that the Exped mat takes more abuse.

My NeoAir X-Lite's usually last about 75 nights and then I have too many punctures, also such that hold air for barely a night but are too small to be found. Besides the micro perforation they're really easy to fix. I only use the Therm-a-rest option because Exped doesn't make their mat in short sizes.

I have contacted Exped about the mat and await a response, but this is actually a replacement for the one before which did the exact same thing ( i do use an air bag to inflate) so kinda reluctant to get another

I have a SynMat HL MW that I have used for a couple of years and seems ok.
Been looking for the WinterLite but that seems to have disappeared.
I have noted the Sea to Summit Ultra Lite Insulated but that has same R value as the HL.
The S2S Comfort Plus with R5 seems good value plus you get a superior valve system which opens to deflate no more poking about with a dibber - Exped please note.
https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/c ... eeping-pad

my neoair xtherm seems more robust than the neoair I had before (I've only had thermarests)

Mariner wrote:Been looking for the WinterLite but that seems to have disappeared.

Looks like Exped have had a rationalisation of their range http://www.exped.com/uk-ireland/en/prod ... egory/mats all the mats are now rectangular

whitestone wrote:

Mariner wrote:Been looking for the WinterLite but that seems to have disappeared.

Looks like Exped have had a rationalisation of their range http://www.exped.com/uk-ireland/en/prod ... egory/mats all the mats are now rectangular

Gosh, crap choice for UK market
Check exped.ch for the full range. But then ULOG likely has all the goodies.

As a result of seeing that rationalisation I've just ordered the HL7 I've been dithering over. It'll fit in my bivvy bag better due to the tapered shape.

I'll have a UL7 for sale as soon as it arrives.

Looks like I bought my winter mat just in time.

Termarest Neoair.

Ok, they’re light and not the most durable. I had 3 punctures in mine that I repaired. Then I had a 4th that I couldn’t find.

I sent it back to thermarest, they repair for free (just pay the postage fees). Turns out they couldn’t find the hole either. Within 2 weeks I had received a brand new neoair.

The combination of comfort, weight and outstanding customer service means they now have a loyal customer.

Has or is anyone using the NATO issue offering from Multimat ? It's a thermal one,pack size and weight
Not too bad...more importantly quite cheap and tough enough for squaddies
My current one needs replacing and was thinking of one of these ?

Hi scotroutes could you let me know when your selling the ul7 could do with a mat for the young fella his self inflating takes up quite a bit of room ,if it's sold not to worry will probably get him one of those 5 lites Stu mentioned

Hi Scud
You might want to look at the Thermarest Prolite Plus. More robust and comfy than my neoair.
Whether the Pacsize and weight penalty ( 700g ) is an acceptable trade off only you will know

Thanks all for the replies, do much choice these days... but good advice to consider.

Sorry for jumping in,

In terms of delaminating does anyone use a pump / pillow to inflate their mat to avoid this?

Ive seen mini battery ones / dry bags / pillows and wondered if anyone had any experience or could recommend some.

From an earlier post:

The trick I found was to fully inflate the mat then let a bit of air out so that the welded seams aren't under as much stress when you sit or lean on the mat.

I use a Schnozzle bag to inflate the mat. I'll inflate until the mat is firm then let a bit of air out. The Schnozzle stops moisture from your breath getting into the mat plus it's a bit easier to inflate.

Another vote for the Schnozzle bag here.

I Schnozzle but generally find the mat goes soft once it's on cold ground anyway so I've never found the need to deflate it a bit.

Probably a different scenario from the shandy-drinkers though.

I normally just blow my Xlite up...but I was impressed with MBNut's mini pump for Thermarest.

Greetz

S.