76 The Great OutdoorsAugust 2019Sleeping mats
Gear Editor Chris Townsend explains what to look for in a sleeping mat for backpacking
A
A SLEEPING MAT makes camping more
comfortable and is essential for sleeping
on snow or frozen ground. Sleeping bags
compress underneath you, providing little
warmth or softness. Whilst you can get by
without a mat in summer I wouldn’t choose
to do so – a good night’s sleep is important.
There’s a huge range of mats available in
four different types. Which is best depends
on a number of factors – time of year,
how soft a bed you like, the weight you’re
prepared to carry, how much you want
to spend. The thickest mats are generally
the warmest but also often the heaviest
and bulkiest. Lightweight, warm and thick
mats are often expensive. Durability adds
weight too with infl atable mats – heavier
shells are tougher. Closed-cell foam mats
are less comfortable and much more bulky
but they can’t be punctured.
Repair kits are usually provided with
infl atable mats. These are useful but
repairing mats out in the wilds isn’t always
easy and sometimes no repair is possible.
I’ve had fi ve mat failures over the years.
Twice I managed to effect a repair that
meant the mat only defl ated slowly; once
I couldn’t manage a repair at all (the mat
had torn round the valve). On the other
two occasions internal walls on an airbed
tore, leading to sections blowing up like
a balloon. This can’t be repaired. Once,
luckily, it was right at the end of a long
walk. On the other occasion I managed
to arrange for a replacement mat as I did
with two other failed mats. I did have a few
uncomfortable nights each time though.
One answer to this is to carry a closed-
cell foam pad as well as an infl atable mat.
This is something I always do if camping
on snow as I really don’t want a mat failure
then. The weight of the two mats can
still be less than that of a heavy warm
infl atable. Outside of snow camping I often
carry just a short piece of closed-cell foam
that doubles as a sitmat.Sea to Summit
Ether Light XT Small£170 540gvery comfortable, multiple
air cells, warmthexpensive
Type: insulated airbed
Materials: 30/40D nylon shell, Exkin
Platinum & Thermolite insulation
Dimensions: 168x55cm
Thickness: 10cm
Rating: R-value 3.8
seatosummit.co.uk
The Ether Light is the most comfortable
mat reviewed and one of the most
comfortable I’ve ever used. This is due
to the design and the thickness – it’s the
thickest one tested. Rather than the usual
long tubes the Ether Light has multiple
air pockets that Sea to Summit call Air
Sprung Cells, an innovation introduced
by the company several years ago
and now copied by others. These cells
depress separately under your weight,
making the mat conform to your body
with no rolling effect or hard feel. The
thickness means that when you sleep
or lie on your side your hips and elbows
don’t compress the mat and touch the
ground, something common to most
airbeds – uncomfortable and, in winter
conditions, cold.
The Ether Light comes with a pump
drybag that works by blowing into it then
squeezing the air into the mat. It’s easy to
use but does take a little time. The nylon
shell feels tough and Sea to Summit say
that the lamination method “virtually
eliminates weld delamination”, which
can be a problem with airbeds. The Ether
Light is expensive but it’s also supremely
comfortable and suitable for year-round
use. The warmth-to-weight ratio is
excellent. I took it on the TGO Challenge
this year and really enjoyed using it.3Gear comparative review
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