OEX Flux 5.0 Sleeping Mat with Drawstring Pump Bag, Lightweight Inflatable Sleeping Mat for Camping, Ideal for Hiking, Backpacking and Wild Camping, Camping Equipment, Blue, One Size

Product Information

Its shiny surface makes the Airo very slippy on a groundsheet or sleeping bag, so if pitched on a slope you might well wake up against the wall of the tent. The Pumpbag can also be enlisted as an impromptu pillow, though in this role it works better stuffed with clothing than full of air. On a previous review some years ago we managed to tear the identical fabric of another Exped DownMat model surprisingly easily, and since then would always carry the repair pack that comes supplied - it fits in a sleeve in the stuffsack, it doesn't weigh much, and it's easily used even in a tent. Its whopping 9cm thickness and relative rigidity both help to give the DownMat HL a very comfy, supportive feel.

With a depth of just over 6cm it sits quite high off the ground, and some users in this review said that this does feels a bit precarious in combination with its narrowness; the fact that the baffles aren't aligned to help you keep centred on the mat may not help in this regard. Outside it's a skimpy 20 denier polyester, which on the top side has been coated with a patterned finish to make it less slippy against a sleeping bag, while the underside has minimal slide on a groundsheet too - top marks to Exped here.The main job of a good camping mat is to keep you insulated from the cold ground, and the higher the R-value, the more insulating it’ll be. unlike my partners cheaper OEX mat - which was super small and light to carry, but slippery, noisy as hell and suffered leaks. The iceshield also stood on test for its great quality – the outer fabric is tough yet comfortable and the mat keeps its shape once inflated and feels like it’ll withstand years of sleeping under the stars.

Yes it is only a 3 season mat but the fact it can still be comfortable to sleep on even in -20°C temperatures just says it all really. This one has the best warmth:weight ratio of the lot - in fact Exped claim it to be " the world's lightest mat at comparable warmth and comfort levels". But if you did manage to damage it - less likely than most mats - then a small repair kit is included, tucked into a pocket in the stuffsack. Kelty reckons its new waypoint is its “biggest and softest” pad yet, and at 76cm wide and a generous 8cm of height, we wouldn’t disagree.The Rectangular version would be better for car camping or basecamp use, while the Mummy is lighter for backpacking or mountain bivvies. If you love to set up your tent in the summer, are a festival frequenter or are planning your next camping adventure abroad, a lightweight mat with low R-value designed for warm weather could be your new bestie for a good night’s sleep. As each cell deforms independently the mattress conforms to your body shape which feels softer and more comfortable with more body contact area and even dispersion of pressure. They could have made the pack size a bit smaller but other than that it’s a great all-round, hence why it’s our number 2.

Not by much though, another baffle would probably have been ok but since it is only the hands which fall off the edge I wondered what I could use to buoy them up?

On the strength of our experience, this mat should be more than adequate for most mountain and cold weather use worldwide. The net result is a mat that is more than adequate for winter use in most conceivable UK conditions. For what is by the standards of this review only a medium-deep mat (no depth measurement is provided, but we make it around 5cm) the Comfort Plus surprisingly soft and padded. The Downmat inflates/deflates via a single valve, a robust and effective system that Exped have used for years (we've always liked it).