sleeping Mats
You need a good sleeping mat if you want to get a good night's sleep in the backcountry. Okay, a decent sleep - lying on the cold, hard ground with roots sticking into your back all night long can only be solved by going home to bed.
Rant aside, the best sleeping mats for backcountry camping and hiking are lightweight, packable, and provide insulation from the ground. They should be durable enough to withstand rough terrain and repeated use.
One of the most popular types of sleeping mats are inflatable mats made of sturdy, high-quality materials such as nylon and polyester. These mats are lightweight and packable, so they're easy to carry on the trail. They also provide excellent insulation from the ground, and you can inflate them to whatever level of firmness you like best. One downside is that inflatable sleeping mats often deflate at least somewhat during the night, so your comfort level gradually drops along with the air level.
Another type of sleeping mat often used by backpackers and hikers is the closed-cell foam mat. They're made of dense foam and are very lightweight and durable. They're also less expensive and less comfortable than inflatable mats, but they provide good insulation from the ground. They don't pack as small as inflatable mattresses, so you need to consider how you'll be carrying them. Typically, you'd roll up and attach this kind of sleeping mat to the outside of your pack.
sleeping mat reviews
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT Ultralight
This sleeping mat typically packs down to about the size of a conventional 1L water bottle and weights between 11.5 ounces (0.33 kg) to 1 pound (0.45 kg) depending on size. It comes in 4 handily descriptive sizes: Regular Short, Regular, Regular Wide and Large.
The NeoAir XLite Nxt is constructed to radiate body heat and reduce convective heat loss. It delivers a 4.5 R-value, good for year-round conditions. It has a 3-inch (7.6 cm) thick profile when fully inflated. That said, side sleepers (like my wife) might be grumpy in the morning.
Sold with a pump sack, which you'll know matters if you've ever sat in front of your campfire blowing into your mat for half an hour.
For a while, some light sleepers complained about the noise when their buddies shifted. So they fixed it -the latest version's updated internal construction reduces noise by 83%.
This mat is on the expensive side compared to other sleeping mats, but I think it's worth the price because it's withstood rough terrains and frequent use without puncturing or losing air.
Sea to Summit Ultralight
This ultralight, 1-inch thick foam sleeping pad is designed for warm weather backpacking and camping. It's rated 2.6, so good for early spring to late fall, but not good for sub-freezing temperatures.
Be aware when choosing your mat size, they run slightly narrow. If you roll onto your side or draw up your knees, you'll probably wake up to find yourself partially off the mat.
The 30D polyester is embossed with a grip print. This prevents your sleeping bag from slipping around on the mat and the mat itself slipping. It can withstand rugged terrains and regular use without leaking air or sustaining damage.
A fantastic feature of this ultralight mat is the multi-function valve. You get fast and easy inflation, one-way deflation for quick packup, and fine-tuning of air pressure. It packs down between 13-ounces (385 grams) and 22.8-ounces (645 grams) depending on the mat size. Don't forget a pump or pump sack!
NEMO Tensor Sleeping Pad
This 3-inch, 20D premium recycled polyester fabric sleeping pad comes insulated and non-insulated.
Type R-value Temperature Range
Non-insulated 2.5 35 to 45F
(1 to 7 degrees C)
Insulated 4.2 10 to 20F
(-12 to -7 degrees C)
However you sleep, the Nemo Tensor sleeping pad has got you. I love the number of size options: mummy, rectangular, short, regular, wide, long. This mat is slightly narrow for mobile sleepers - except for the Tensor Long Wide size.
There's a good balance between cushioning and firmness without the usual “waterbed” feel. The design eliminates springiness while protecting elbows and hips from poking through to the ground. The insulated mats suspend 2 layers of metallized film to reduce noise.
Packed weight ranges from 12 ounces (340 grams) to 1 pound 8 ounces (675 grams). Most sizes compact to 8-inches (20 cm) by 3-inches (7.5 cm) in diameter.
Another feature worth mentioning is the low-profile valve. No snagging here. While normally sold with a pump sack, the zero-profile valve can require extra inflation to achieve the desired level of firmness and the valve can be a bit finicky during deflation.
GOT FEEDBACK?
If you've used one of the sleeping pads I reviewed and you have something to add, I'd love to hear it.
Same, if you have a sleeping mat you love (or hate) that's not reviewed here, tell me about it and I'll check it out.
