The Great Outdoors – August 2019

The Great OutdoorsAugust 2019 81

Multimat

Superlite 8

£25 171g

ultralight, inexpensive,

durable, warm

very bulky, not very soft

Type: closed-cell foam
Materials: cross-linked Plastazote polyolefi n foam
Dimensions: 180x50cm
Thickness : 8mm
Rating: -70 ° C
multimat.uk.com
This is by far the lightest and least expensive
mat reviewed. It’s also undoubtedly the
most durable. And it insulates well – though
I haven’t been able to try it at the -70°C
claimed by Multimat! However it’s not very
soft or comfortable and won’t even out
bumps and lumps in the ground the way
insulated mats can.
As with all closed-cell foam mats it
doesn’t compress and so is very bulky and

Klymit

V Ultralite SL

£105 293g

ultralight, comfort, cost

nothing

Type: airbed
Materials: 20D polyester
Dimensions: 183x51cm
Thickness: 6.4cm
Rating: R-value 1.3
klymit.com
The V Ultralite SL has an unusual look with
V-shaped air tubes edged by rails of air
pockets. Klymit say the V-shaped tubes
allow your bag to loft fully under you while
the side rails keep you centred on the mat.
I haven’t noticed the fi rst but I’ve certainly
found staying on the mat easier than with
some designs. Klymit also say the V-shaped

RECOMMENDED

RECOMMENDED

design is comfortable and supportive

whatever position you sleep in. Sleeping on

my stomach I was quite happy. As with most

other airbeds, lean on your elbow and it hits

the ground. The mat is tapered, though not

as much as some so there’s less likelihood of

your feet slipping off.

There’s no pump drybag – one would add

weight. Blowing up the mat by mouth doesn’t

take long anyway as it doesn’t actually hold

that much air.

The mat is an ultralight one for summer

use – the R-value is low. It could easily be

combined with a closed-cell foam mat for

colder conditions and still weigh less than

many mats.

The only comparable mat to the Ultralite

is the NeoAir UberLite, which is even lighter

and has a higher R-value but is much more

expensive. The Ultralite SL feels a bit tougher

and it doesn’t rustle at all too.

best carried strapped to the outside of a

pack. Edges may get abraded when the mat

is carried like this but that doesn’t affect

performance. This is a mat that requires no

care at all. It comes with webbing threaded

through eyelets for attaching to a pack.

If you’re happy sleeping on a hard surface

then this mat will insulate you from ground

cold. For much more comfort it could be

combined with an ultralight airbed like the

UberLite – involving added weight and

expense of course.

comparative review Gear

LIGHTEST

IN TEST