lightweight double camping mattress

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dameunmate

New Member
hi everyone!

Girl & I are off on a cycling & camping trip to Southern Italy tomorrow. (Puglia/Apulia - yes I know its the flattest part of Italy but my girlfriend only just learnt to ride a bike!)

My single Thermarest Prolite Reg 16109 weighs 460g including stuff sack but the lightest double camping mattress I could find was a Vango Adventure at a whopping 3800g! I need a lightweight double/semi double that will fit in my laser photon, any ideas?

I thought of just another thermarest but wouldn't they just slide around and come apart?

Surely in theory a double should weight less than two singles??

Any help/experience much appreciated cheers
 

guitarpete247

Just about surviving
Location
Leicestershire
What about this you can share the load carrying these or a double. Both weigh 3.3kg. We are looking at getting one of these but can't see the weight. But we'll be using the car and taking bikes with us so weight not a problem.
 
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dameunmate

New Member
guitarpete: thanks but way too heavy!

Steve: Those Alpkits mats are lighter than my Thermarest! Anyway I already have one Thermarest so I could buy another one.

And I've just found this kit to join two of them together see http://www.amazon.co.uk/THERMAREST-UNIVERSAL-COUPLE-KIT/dp/B00392XN1O - it weighs 40g + 2x single Thermarest Prolite = total 960g total for the double. Sounds good...the couple kit stops us sliding apart but I can't see how it would stop the mats sliding over eachother and becoming one thick mat! Probably why it's only got one poor review.

However I can only find it online...searched Ellis Brigham & Cotswold Outdoors without success - anyone know where I can buy the Thermarest couple kit in London? I need it today!
 

willem

Über Member
They will not slide badly without the coupler kit, he said from experience. The lighest and most comfortable mattress would now be the Thermarest Neoair. Spoil her. Alternatively, for colder circumstances and more cheaply, get an Exped Synmat Basic (the Basic is cheaper and lighter than the Synmat Pump).
Willem
 
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dameunmate

New Member
in the end...

thanks for the encouragement, I think we'll just hope the inner tent of the Laser Photon holds us together. Just been out and bought a Thermarest Prolite women's version from Ellis Brigham which is just right for her (£85! she'll pay me back hopefully!).

ridiculous that there are no lightweight double mats out there - surely a double weighs less than two singles!? There's got to be a market for them...

anyway thanks for all the tips
 

willem

Über Member
But imagine: she moves a bit, you wake up. Much better to sleep on your own mattress. In addition, if you are heavier, you will hit the floor when the mattress is still much too hard for her. What is a good idea, however, is a double top bag sleeping bag such as this one: http://www.tatteljee.nl/twee persoons.html I designed it for us, and had it made by this workshop. It is cosier, and saves volume, weight and money.
Willem
 

ASC1951

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
dameunmate said:
ridiculous that there are no lightweight double mats out there - surely a double weighs less than two singles!?
Marginal

There's got to be a market for them...
No. The number of people who go camping is small; the number who use a proper mat instead of an airbed, smaller; the number who go with wife/girlfriend/MP's landlord, even smaller; the number who then want to share a mat, tiny.

There are good practical reasons, too. Camping pitches often don't have two comfortable spots immediately together without a bit of wriggle-room. Sleeping bags only work in cold weather if you can pull the top part round your neck and shoulders; you can't easily do that with a double sleeping bag and if you have single sleeping bags there isn't much point in a double mat.
 
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dameunmate

New Member
i see. fair point, although in cold weather surely the shared body heat compensates? it has really helped in my experience.

Willem that's fantastic! How much do those mattress weigh? Another fair point, she is half my weight.. but then if she moves at night I'll wake up anyway, because she normally falls asleep on top of me :sad:
 

pinkkaz

Veteran
Location
London
For summer cycling we nicked a tip from cycletourer's website which is 2 mats (we've got slim Alpkit ones), single fitted sheet over them and a light duck feather double duvet on top (squashes down smaller than 2 sleeping bags for transport). Cosy and lightweight and it's nice not being restricted by a sleeping bag in hot weather!
 
We've had exactly this problem. But we now use an Exped Synmat 7 DLX. It's really made to be wide for one person, but we sleep close together, so it's perfectly fine for us. Packs really small, too.
 
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dameunmate

New Member
Just got back from southern Italy and yes the two Thermarest Prolite mattresses do fit snug in a Terra Nova Laser Photon tent and we did sleep quite comfortably. However they do often overlap or separate, even though the inner tent is so small a couple of mornings a mat was halfway up the side wall! I think we exhausted ourselves during the day and we're both heavy sleepers so it didn't matter.

For anyone curious Puglia in Italy is gorgeous, the people are very welcoming and friendly, the food is very reasonably priced and early June is more than hot enough!


pinkKaz: that seems like a great idea. Do the mats overlap sometimes?

Exped SynMat 7 DLX at 65cm wide is this really wide enough for two? I'm guessing you both have to sleep on your side and not turn over in the night. Also on Exped weighs more than two Thermarest Prolite...
 

pinkkaz

Veteran
Location
London
dameunmate said:

pinkKaz: that seems like a great idea. Do the mats overlap sometimes?


It is a great idea! Although not my great idea.

I guess the mats do overlap sometimes but it can't have bothered me as I don't actually remember it happening or being a problem. It's so much nicer than being all restricted in a sleeping bag.
 
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