Which Mat

[jags]

Well Willem. Not a very positive post. I only originally asked about a foam mat. Still, thanks for informing us all that you are lucky enough to have "quite a bit of money". By the way I'm not a Brit. I'm Irish.

Jim

bigjim i'm also irish and have to agree with willam on this one i also use hilleberg tent exped matt alpkit s/bag and only this month i bought the thermarest compressible pillow all make up to a great nights sleep .

dont give up on the camping yet get yourself better gear you wont regret it.

 

[Shanecycles]

Jim,

Lets clarify things,

I was only trying to help, good luck finding the right mat for you.....

 

[hubbike]

oh there is another great option I forgot. Cold is not a problem in the south of France in summer. so, you can just use a cheap li-lo.
thermarest comfort for foam mat price and weight. they'll help you keep cool in the heat and you will no doubt have a very pleasant night sleep.
http://www.multimat.uk.com/product.asp?Ref=3&Label=&Nav=1&ProductRef=23

I'm the same height and weight as you Jim and find a foam mat gives me enough comfort. But then I'm a fair bit younger and maybe have a higher tolerance for slumming it. So to answer your original question. Maybe.

even so for 30 or 40 quid you can get a half decent self inflator from decathlon, so not a bank breaker.

shane/willem, I'm not sure how helpful it is suggesting time and again that people shell out for the top of the line stuff? I'm sure you get great pleasure out of having gucci kit and want to spread the word...but there are cheaper alternatives for people starting out. for a small difference in weight/quality you can save a small fortune and get out the house sooner.

Shane, love it when people on this forum try out maths on kit choices!!! sadly your economics was a bit woolly on the b&B vs. camping. made me giggle though...

 

[Shanecycles]

..but there are cheaper alternatives for people starting out. for a small difference in weight/quality you can save a small fortune and get out the house sooner.

Agree totally.......and apologize, I sometimes forget that other people are just starting out or are not all season campers.

Shane, love it when people on this forum try out maths on kit choices!!! sadly your economics was a bit woolly on the b&B vs. camping. made me giggle though...

My maths is about as bad as my english (both gcse grade C 20 years ago

) I'm a wooly person who doesn't take himself seriously, you shouldn't either

 

[pkeenan]

I have a Gelert Xpedition, which I couldn't rate higher. When I went to get my mat, I was only planning on buying a £3 foam one - but I got this as a present, and was dubious at first. However, after a lot of use - I'm really happy with it, and definitely recommend it.

 

[bigjim]

Thanks all for the helpful advice and info. I will store it all. Doing a bit of research, I am amazed at the number of camping mats that spring leaks including Thermarest. I have decided to take 2 foam mats 1 5mm and 1 8mm. A summerweight sleeping bag plus silk liner and a emergency blanket. My wife has a pound shop lilo that she takes away every year and it is still going strong so re your advice I can always bag one of these. Good for the beach as well. The foam mats will also be used to protect the bike in transit. The bike will travel in a CTC type plastic bag which will then be doubled over and used as a groundsheet beneath the tent. I've looked at temps down there and I don't think I will be cold or uncomfortable. I have a very good quality tent. A North face Particle 13.
Pete. I consider myself a pretty fit older guy and think I will be able to "rough it" ok if need be. I don't have any health issues that I know of. In my teens I spent one snowy winter homeless and sleeping in an abandoned car for a couple of months using newspaper and cardboard as blankets. I've also been a long distance truck driver in the days before sleeper cabs. I often slept in the back of the truck on top of whatever cargo I was carrying. I also manage to sleep sat up, crushed in economy on planes. My wife says I can sleep anywhere. Probably because she remembers me snoring through Swan Lake at the theatre. So I doubt if the South of France can be that bad. Not as if I am heading for Outer Mongolia.

Thanks again. Jim.

 

[goody]

I used a £4 inflatable lilo from ebay. Used it 11 nights blowing it up and squeezing all the air out every night and morning. Probably the best buy of all the stuff I bought for my trip. ( I got the air out of it then left it in the tent when folding that up so it didn't take up any room at all) Maybe I was lucky it didn't punture.

 

[tbtb]

That multimat link is a good one. These new lilos, with narrower tubes are great. They have 6cm of give when you roll over, which is an advantage over an 8mm foam mat. Mind you, on soft ground, foam is great too. Some pretty firm ground in some campsites though.

 

[just jim]

There seems to be a British tradition that a festival tent is all you need.

Perhaps there is a British Tradition of looking for a good deal. That's a little patronising though I say so myself, as is calling us "Brits". It's not as if anyone's called you a Belgian.

Darned if I can find the leak in my Exped Synmat either...

 

[Lucheni]

I have decided to take 2 foam mats 1 5mm and 1 8mm.

I'm a bit late chipping in but I just wanted to say I've been taking two mats since June this year. One's a very cheap foam mat that I've had for years but camping this year seemed much more uncomfortable than I remembered. I tried just folding the old mat in half but I found I got a dull ache in my ankles and it'd try to unfold whenever I shifted position. I cut the old mat in half so it only supports my hips and shoulders and started taking a thin cheap yoga mat as well. I've had some great nights sleep on this combination.

 

[willem]

Now that I am back allow me the opportunity to apologize for being grumpy. However, those of you who have seen earlier posts will know that I try to identify affordable quality gear, and not just the top brands.
Financially, cycle camping (plus cooking your own meals) is the cheapest way to have a holiday. The only problem is that to enjoy it, it needs some investment (500 pounds total?) in gear.

As for mattresses, I think foam mats are too uncomfortable if like me you are getting on. I slept on them till I was 40. Then my back really did not take it any more. I moved to self inflatables, first the 38 mm variety (not as comfortable as I had hoped) then the 50 mm type. My recent move has been to the 7 cm Downmat. I think the new insulated air mattresses such as the Downmat are the best current technology, as they are far more comfortable, lighter, and pack smaller. Of these, the Exped Synmat Basic is the best buy for temperatures down to a bit below freezing, and the Thermarest Neoair Trekker for warm weather.
Enjoy your trips,
Willem

 

[Ticktockmy]

Poundland sell mats for a "Pound" buy 2 or three and tape them together, should make a nice nights sleep, and all for a few quids

 

[samid]

FWIW: I find foam pads uncomfortable and bulky. The thinnest available (I think) Thermarest I have is much more comfortable and warm. I've been using the one I have for 6 or 7 years now, probably 20 nights a year on average I guess. No punctures so far (knock on wood). And it packs into a tiny roll, way smaller than any foam pad. The price (less than $100 so about £50) is really nothing when spread over the years, esp if one considers B&Bs as the alternative. YMMV etc etc.

 

[mark]

If I'm backpacking (trekking/hiking) I use this: http://cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/mattresses/fast-and-light/z-lite/product. Just as comfy as a self inflating pad, cheaper, lighter, and it never leaks. It's also easier to fold, and I can kneel or sit on it when doing camp chores. The cheap blue closed cell foam pads are just as comfy, cheaper, but they don't pack away as easily.

The one thing I like about self-inflating pads is that, once you've rolled them up and crammed them into a sack, they take up considerably less space than a foam pad. This is nice if you are using a train or airplane to get to or from your tour, and it makes loading a bicycle easier.

If I'm car camping, I bring the foam pad and the self inflating pad, and sleep in complete luxury.

 

[jay clock]

I tried the thermarest route and frankly found it so uncomfortable that i started using backpacker hostels in NZ due to the lack of comfort. I now have an Exped Downmat which I love. I think the key is to find your own level of comfort. The OP has just said he can sleep anywhere so give the foam mats a try.

Biarritz area is lovely. I used to live there.