Which Mat

[bigjim]

Having found my self inflating mat is leaking like a sieve, a week before I go away. I am wondering if anybody out there is happy sleeping on a foam mat. I am attracted by their reliability and low weight. There are some really thick ones out there but approaching the price of cheap self inflating. I don,t carry much fat and I'm 6'2" and 14 stone so wonder how comfortable they will be. I,m off the Biarritz area of France so don't see the cold as a problem. Ideas. experience, opinions please?

Jim

 

[hubbike]

yes. I slept on a £3 foam mat from argos in my tent everyday for a year. warmth for weight it doesn't get much better. they are also very robust and unbreakable. only after a year of constant use the middle section started to wear very thin...

Now I have a thermarest I spotted going cheap in a sale. I like it, don't get me wrong. but find blowing it up and folding it up more hassle, the possibility of punctures annoying, and it isn't really much more comfortable or warm. plus it takes up room in the panniers where I would have just bungeed on the roll mat.

A harder bed is good for your back and you get used to it quite quickly...but then I can sleep anywhere!!

other options to consider.

-sleeping on sand and soft grass is quite comfortable.
-a sheet of bubble wrap is cheap, light and can be used to keep your sleeping bag dry
-just sleep on your coat, or on the floor. in warm weather in south of france this isn't as mad as it sounds.
-no mat needed in a hammock.

 

[Shanecycles]

Having moved over to exped a few years ago I haven't looked back and sleep better than ever. If only you could get a foam mat reliability with inflateable mat comfort .

Exped: Great comfort, weight, service and warranty, just such a shame you need the warranty. For every mat you buy you actually get 2 or 3 mats.

 

[willem]

Even lighter for exped comfort and almost as good insulation; the Thermarest Neoair All Season.
Willem

 

[snorri]

I find the cheapo foam maps perfectly adequate, you can always fold them over (lengthwise)so that you have double thickness under your body if you need more comfort.

 

[bigjim]

Thanks for these replies. This holiday is a test to see whether I wish to "carry on camping". Or go B&B route [which I find expensive for what you get] but I do love the freedom of camping and waking up in a tent. Last time out I was cold, wet and miserable[using a borrowed thermarest] but that was cool nights in Cumbria. Therefore I am not going to lay out on expensive options as it is only for a weeks trial so to speak. I should have asked those using foam mats what your weight is?

Cheers. Jim.

 

[Shanecycles]

Theres "carry on camping"and getting a little older and have more money camping.....

I used to hate camping, sore neck/back, damp gear, cold nights etc. Nowadays I can afford better gear. Nice spacious tent, 7/9cm bed that weighs around 1kg, comfy chair, pillow, compact warm down sleeping bag, goretex waterproofs with down body warmer, even down slippers if you want.

Assuming you can afford it, there's no need to suffer while camping, and if you do it often enough its cheaper than B+B's, and you'll do it more often because its cheaper than B+B's.

Shane (would rather sleep in my tent than in a naf B+B)

 

[willem]

I am always surprised by Brits who identify camping with cold and uncomfortable, but refuse to spend the money that is necessary to get decent gear. I am all with Shane: I spend many nights in business hotels, but there is nowhere I like more to sleep than in my tent. But it takes decent gear. I sleep on an Exped downmat, in a PHD design solo or Dutch Tatteljee duo bag, and in a Hilleberg tent. Yes that is quite a bit of money, but dirt cheap compared to hotels. And it can be done for less.
Willem

 

[bigjim]

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

 

[willem]

I feared someone might respond like this. My post was not about being well heeled or not. It was about people who on the one hand seriously consider hotels etc and yet do not want to invest in decent quality camping gear. There seems to be a British tradition that a festival tent is all you need. You simply cannot expect to get good stuff for a couple of quid. If you do, your experience is not representative of what camping can be like. On the upside, a complete quality outfit costs as little as what you save on one or at most two years in B&B's.
Willem

 

[Shanecycles]

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.

Or go B&B route [which I find expensive for what you get]

But expensive all the same so obviously you also have "quite a bit of money".....

Weekend away =Cheap mat +cheap tent + cheap sleeping bag x 2 nights= 100quid = 2x miserable nights.
B+B weekend = less weight, more miles= 60 quid plus 2x 20quid in the pub cos you dont want to watch eastenders in your B+B = 100 quid.

Or spend 500-1000quid on good gear and have 10 years camping under a million star hotel in comfort for free. Say 20 nights a year x 10 years = 5 quid a night........................

Think about it......

 

[bigjim]

But expensive all the same so obviously you also have "quite a bit of money"

LOL. Your post makes no sense at all. I don't watch TV, I read a book. So we are talking £60 not £100. If I had a lot of money I would not find B&B expensive. Think about it.
Both you and Willem are making assumptions about somebody you do not know. I.e that I am British and well off. When the reality is that I,m Irish and have little in the way of spare funds. You are also putting forward the idea, IMO, that if one does not have a lot of money, then do not go camping as you will not enjoy it. It makes no sense at all. Does it not follow, using your examples that if one has not got an expensive bike and gear, one should therefore not cycle as you will not enjoy it?
Willem if you feared such a response then maybe a little more sensitivity when you post would better? Surely it is ludicrous to expect somebody of possibly limited means to invest £1000+ to go away for the week to see if they like it? I just wanted to know if a foam mat was comfortable, not be denigrated because I can not afford expensive gear .

 

[Shanecycles]

Jim,

The fact that you already killed your inflating mat means its not your first time camping, so we dont need to convince you weather or not you want to camp,

Your post seemed to imply that your in doubts weather or not to continue with camping or go for a (more comfortable) alternative such as B+B. Which to me would seem more like a style choice than a money choice.

But should money come into it we're trying to prove the point that camping with good gear costs just as much as going for a B+B (assuming you do it a few weekends each year). And good gear gives you the option to increase you camping season up to 12 months IMO.

But yes camping with cheaper gear is good fun too, and theres no reason not to do it with an asda tent and a sleeping bag from the army navy store. I started at the age of 10 with an old army poncho, 2 sticks and a crappy sleeping bag with wet arse, it gave alot of freedom, cost nothing but I had a shoot nights sleep.....

Please dont change another boring gear discussion into a discusion about nationality and salary. This is a cyclilng forum. Cycle more talk less.

And for the record, If I didn't get a sore neck and back from a foam mat I'd use one pure due to the reliability of it and the fact that it lasts forever and costs 5% the price of an exped or thermarest.....

And if your are talking about 1 week a year, then I really would go for the cheap gear, because it too will last 10 years and you can choose your weather a little. I like to camp all year round in all weather so need a good sleeping bag and mat.

www.shanecycles.com

 

[bigjim]

Shane
lets clarify things.
I don't find gear talk boring.
I did not bring up the nationality or salary thing. I reacted to it.
I just wanted info on a foam mat. Somebody else shifted direction.
I did not kill the mat. I bought it s/h off one of the forums in good faith, probably this one and this is the first time I have blown it up and found it leaking.
I,ve also camped since being a kid but I'm not a kid anymore.
It's not a style choice but a comfort, as I get to my 60s, and cost choice .
Ask my kids I know nothing about style
If I had lots of spare dough I would be happy to invest in so called "good" gear.
This forum is about talking, which, the length of your posts suggests that you seem to do a lot of.
And as to cycling more/ Well if it ever stops raining.
Now can we please get back to [and stick with] Foam mats. Please!

Jim. [now sat spitting on a rubber mat looking for the puncture and not watching TV]

 

[rowan 46]

I used to use the foam mats and yes they are pretty bombproof . nowadays I use thermarest they are imo more comfortable and consequently I sleep better. Yes they are bulkier and yes they are a bit more of a fag to roll up. ultimately though the only way to find out is to try one. some people never get back into camping after being away some people love it. Having equipment up to the job makes the difference in camping. if you can't get dry and can't sleep you will hate it, it really is that simple. As to finding punctures on inflatables a solution of water and washing up liquid and a paintbrush may be better and quicker than spit.