Sleeping Mats
Posted by outdoormole on Mar 22, 2009Sleeping mats serve two purposes, one to cushion, one to insulate. Which you class as the priority is your decision. A hastily spent fiver at the local army and navy stores for a plastic sleeping mat may seem like a good deal until you ‘ve used it for a couple of nights and have sore hips – especially a problem for women. A more informed choice would be to opt for something like a Thermarest mattress. These mats self-inflate, and with a little coercion via the mouthpiece stand roughly four or five centimetres proud of the ground. They are well insulated and extremely comfy but will pack down to the size of a kitchen roll. Thermarest mattresses even come in different lengths and mens and womens’ versions to accommodate our different body shapes. There are other brands of self inflating mattresses available so shop around and see which suits your trip and budget best.
Finally there is still the airbed option, if you fancy a sweaty half hour with a foot pump after a bit of a trek with a weighty rubber envelope in your pack. Probably not. Saying that, they are very comfy, but not really being in the spirit of the great outdoors they are perhaps best reserved for unexpected guests at home!
