Lightweight, rectangle inflatable pad?

[cmoulder]

I don't know if I've got the guts for this, but I may need to seek your advice at some point...

Good link here with links to other links.

Just make very sure to inflate before measuring for length, because air mats shorten considerably when inflated.

It ain't rocket surgery and you don't have to do a bunch of tedious, fancy clamping like you see in some videos. I re-seal on a glass-top range and use a metal ruler to guide the heating iron, and the edge ends up quite neat. Then trim the corners round with scissors. I find a sealed edge overlap of somewhere between 1/4" and 1/2" to be about right. You can practice first with the end you cut off, if you like.

[Just Bill]

Some things to keep in mind-
Unless you are very small- you will need a 25" pad or a SPE (speer pad extender).

Inflatable Pads do not hit the same rating in the air as they do on the ground.

Pure air pads (like the neo-air series) fair the worst.

I had high hopes for the Exped line, as they insulate not only with dead air, but with physical insulation.
However they do not fill the last chamber on each edge with insulation... especially as they make the elusive wide in regular length. This is noticable as warm as 55-60*... and will wake you up at 45* easily.

As mentioned- the downmat is the best with zero loss of performance in the air. But it isn't light.

So at the moment... it appears that the venerable Xtherm model at 16 ounces has recaptured the top spot for me again. I've gone to about 20-25* in the air with it. (well below that on the ground).
If you insist on trimming it- that's your thing- but at 5'10" and the less than flat surface of the hammock I find myself using most of the length.

The lightest full R-value pad is technically the ridgerest SOlite, which comes in large and would be easy to trim. (likely bringing it to a pound even.)
https://www.thermarest.com/mattresses/ridge-rest-solite

It's foam... sucks to pack... but effective and cheap.

I know some like other brands... I hate Klymit.
The Exped hyperlight series is an excellent pad... on the ground. Unfortunately the uninsulated edges are a deal breaker in the air.

So Xtherm it is for now...
I suppose the next likely candidate would be Big Agnes.
https://www.rei.com/product/105158/b...x-sleeping-pad

While a hair outside the magical 1lb barrier...
They do offer the elusive wide/regular for 1lb 4 ounces. It does have physical insulation.
They don't have a particular baffle direction though (if you have an Amok)... not sure if the same issue is there for the 90* hammock models.

Closest alternative to the Xtherm I can think of.

[BillyBob58]

I you're willing to forgo the warranty, it is possible to buy a long, wide (25") and cut it down to whatever length you prefer and reseal it with a hot iron. This only works with horizontally baffled air mats, and I've done this with 3 different TR mats with zero problems. But I've got to admit I was a bit queasy taking an x-acto knife to a brand new $230 X-therm!

WOW!

[SteelAndInk]

I'm not sure if anyone is still checking this thread, but I have a question for the Klymit "V" users. Do you use them with a quilt? Does your back get cold where the pad isn't?
Also, I know it is quite heavy, but has anyone tried the Outdoor Vitals long wide insulated sleep pad? I would guess the vertical baffles would wrap pretty comfortably.
Thanks!

[OlTrailDog]

I like the vertical tube and warmth of the Synmat 7 MW for many of the uses you describe. The Downmat 7 MW or LW is even better, but more expensive and does not pack down as small as the Synmats.

[hang-loose]

The big Agnes sadly has a gal in insulation right in the middle, the are plenty of threads hating this pad out there.

Sea to summit has the new etherlight which sounds promising and also mw sizes, even rectangle. Though weight in real life seems higher than advertised - and more than I'd like to carry.

ATM I'm testing the tar uberlight in large, though r value and the point that air pads really seem to perform worse in hammocks really might make it a summer option only - while I was hoping for a three season pad.

That being said, I also realise how an air pad kills the contoured feeling of laying in my 90°hammock compared to a foam pad.

Currently I also have a z-lite like pad from robens, the slumber pad, which is wider, thought I did not like the packed size. I might try how far down a 5mm eva can go temperature wise. Anyone else has tested that?

[Just Bill]

The big Agnes sadly has a gal in insulation right in the middle, the are plenty of threads hating this pad out there.

Sea to summit has the new etherlight which sounds promising and also mw sizes, even rectangle. Though weight in real life seems higher than advertised - and more than I'd like to carry.

ATM I'm testing the tar uberlight in large, though r value and the point that air pads really seem to perform worse in hammocks really might make it a summer option only - while I was hoping for a three season pad.

That being said, I also realise how an air pad kills the contoured feeling of laying in my 90°hammock compared to a foam pad.

Currently I also have a z-lite like pad from robens, the slumber pad, which is wider, thought I did not like the packed size. I might try how far down a 5mm eva can go temperature wise. Anyone else has tested that?

A customer/tester/friend of mine seems to like it for summer into shoulder season. He actually cuts pieces and puts them into a shirt he wears, then tucks a piece into his pants.

So not going to do much better than the uberlight really.

As you note... foams work great in higher thickness... but you can't pack em.

Dual using the foam helps.
If you're using a Gossamer Gear style pack (foam backpad) already... it pairs well with a short air pad for your legs... or perhaps as a torso length under the uberlight.

A ridgerest style pad rolled up to create a frame for a frameless pack is a another solid technique.

But with many folks going to a vented backpanel style pack these old tricks make the foam harder to work with.
Z-lites are still popular but I suspect that has more to do with dirtbag budgets than any real love of the pads. Most eventually upgrade to air pads of some sort.

The best 'balance' I ever found was a womens neo-air or a cut down Xtherm for pushing closer to freezing while staying under a pound.

If the exped HL series insulated the edges... they'd be a winner... but as soon as it hits about 45* that glaring omission makes the pad unusable in the air.

[scrope]

I'm not sure if anyone is still checking this thread, but I have a question for the Klymit "V" users. Do you use them with a quilt? Does your back get cold where the pad isn't?
Also, I know it is quite heavy, but has anyone tried the Outdoor Vitals long wide insulated sleep pad? I would guess the vertical baffles would wrap pretty comfortably.
Thanks!

I use a Klymit V UL in my RidgeRunner and notice the ridges more if the pad is fully inflated. It seems to allow a bit of cold to creep into my back last night when it was 64 degrees but it wasn't very noticeable. I'm a side sleeper and it wasn't an issue but I though I detected some slight coolness when I was just laying back and hanging. I prefer a "flatter" pad but this one is the lightest one I own so I've switched to it from the downmat which I was using when it was colder.

[kentmatt]

Nemo Tensor Insulated - comes in a Regular length Wide (25").

I did find a bit of chill on my back when using it in my Ridgerunner and the temps dropped into the low 40s.