[Closed] Thermarests and alternatives.

Alpkit

iDave is correct, close the thread.

Nothing to compare it with as previously I used karrimats but our two thermarests have been faultless. No leaks or seepage and as comfortable as you could reasonably expect from something an inch thick.

Plenty alternatives - how many others have you tried iDave? 🙄

I got a £30 Pacific from Amazon, 7cm thick 600gm and comfy as. My old thermarest was great too (bought when no one else was doing them), but I don't see how they are any better than the cheaper-brand stuff these days.

I've not used other brands recently, so (unlike others) I won't make global statements!

What are worthwhile alternatives?

Alpkit

Cutlery-Al, did I make some huge error not evaluating every alternative? Alpkit was good value and performs well, so I'd happily recommend to anyone.

Much that it pains me to say this those new neoair therm a rests are quite amazing. Firkin expensive yes but amazing. Been using mine fr over 14 months and absolutely unmarked

Neoair is lighter and rolls smaller than equivalent Alpkit. More expensive yes, but "Alpkit - thread closed"...no. Depends on priorities of the OP & whether a couple of hundred grams and a couple of inches (!) saved are worth the extra ££.

NZCol... I prefered "neoair therapists". Freudian slip or iphone? 🙂

I have a basic thermarest - for me the balance of robustness cost and comfort worked out that way.

I bought my thermarest a few years ago, again before there were any real alternatives, many camping trips later and it's still in perfect condition, but I haven't felt the need to try any of the alternatives so don't know how they compare.

Our Thermarests are 10 years old and going strong. Plenty of mates have replaced cheaper alternatives in that time, so for me, Thermarests are worth the premium.

neoair pisses on standard style thermarests - i have used trek mates - did what your did mcmoonter. used alpkits x 2 - developed blisters within 3 weeks used kathmandu - actually quite good but heavy.

bought a neoair - never looked back , smaller , lighter , longer , comfier.

Sorry IDave I meant Cougar.

I went to a local millets-alike and they had full length thick ones for £30 or so. Not light or small but ideal for car camping being just as comfy as the originals.

Sorry IDave I meant Cougar.

TBH, the fact that you're rolling your eyes in response to my post whilst having absolutely no idea whether I've evaluated one product or a thousand doesn't particularly make me want to compose an in-depth reply.

I looked at a [i]lot[/i] of mats before purchasing, going to the extent of demoing them in shops by lying down on them in the middle of the store. I found that the Thermarests were generally better than the competition by quite some way, but that you paid a hefty premium for this. In the end, I took a punt on an Alpkit mat on the back of favourable reviews, and was subsequently impressed at both the quality of the kit and the level of service provided by Alpkit. As a result I've got something that's at least as good as the Thermarest, at a third of the price.

Horses + courses....

I've had genuine Thermarests for ~20 years and have had no manufacturing or materials problems - ever. I have a Neo Air and a motley collection of standard, pro and ultralite's bought over time. All hammered, all good.

I also have a couple of Alpkit 'wannabees'. They are Fat Airic's (or whatever the latest fatty mat is called) for car camping. Both failed after ~1 year and replaced under warranty.

If you want light and dependable and have deep(ish) pockets, go Thermarest. If any of those three don't apply, go for a copy.

BTW, if you're in the market for a Neo Air, there's a competitor out now that's supposed to be very good. Unhelpfully, I can't recall what it is (Pacific Outdoors?). Google will find it.

Chapeau Cougar, shoedhuvv posted that first time innit, saved us the BATTLE 😛

I use alpkits and am happy to reccomend them. If the cost difference was not quite so big i'd rather have thermarests tho to be honest.

Costco have a 7.5cm thick thermarest style mat for £15, might buy to try out.

Unless they have changed recently even the small and light Alpkit ones are significantly bulkier and heavier than comparable thermarest models (in the real world/ ignoring manufacturers figures). But then they are way cheaper.

shoedhuvv posted that first time innit,

Shouldn't have had to. (-:

Thermarests are pretty good on their lifetime guarantee too. One of our 6+ year old thermarests delaminated, took it to a thermarest retailer, it was sent away and brand shiny new replacement ready to collect in less than a week.

I've used Alpkit mats for years and had no problems. If you're concerned about weight / pack size then a lot of folk will advise a NeoAir (for good reason) ... I've just bought a POE Peak Elite AC which is lighter than a NeoAir, has a higher R value and is quite a bit cheaper - you pays your money, etc really.

Stuart, what's the comfort like on that Peak Elite AC mat? The figures look impressive

Had a neoair...now have the new Pacific which was £60 with DoE discount,is warmer that the neoair and weighs 320g. The good thing about this is that TR will have to scoop that weight.

@duckman

Was your Neoair the same length as the Peak Elite?

If so, how does it compare packsize wise please? IIRC the Neo is ~420g for medium (~180cm) length. Does the 320g relate to the same length?

My wallet is twitching 🙂

Exped Downmat 7's or 9's, all the way 🙂 (best tradeoff of depth, warmth and price I could find).

http://www.husky.uk.com/Exped-DownMat-Pump-7-Inflatable-Mattress

And with a 5 year warranty.

Something to consider about thermarest: I had mine for about 9 years before it started to delaminate (big bubble forming at one end). This was definitely due to user error, but when I contacted thermarest about it they replaced it with a newer, lighter one for free.

Not sure even the mighty alpkit offer such an excellent no-quibbles guarantee.

My old man has an Exped matt. Kicks the arse right out my thermarest.

@pedalhead ... not tried it in anger yet. Saying that I've used a full length POE Ether mat for the last year or so and the comfort has been great. I believe the Peak Elite to be even better.

coffeeking - Member

Exped Downmat 7's or 9's, all the way (best tradeoff of depth, warmth and price I could find).

http://www.husky.uk.com/Exped-DownMat-Pump-7-Inflatable-Mattress

And with a 5 year warranty.

I've got a SynMat as I don't get on with down. Bloody awesome. I can fit it, my Snugpak elite3, and a snuggy pillow easily into my Kriega US20 pack.
Having had a Thermarest, and a Gelert and Karrimor copy in the past, the SynMat 7LDX kicks the arse clear out of them all.

I've got 2 fat airics for car camping and 2 wee airics for bivvying, which the kids also use when car camping.

One of the wee's delaminated after about 18 months, Alpkit replaced it immediately.

If you're just bivvying/wild camping in the uk then I wouldn't spend more unless I really wanted to save 200g.

pedalhead - iPad , bluddy thing, giggled when i saw it too !!

I bought a Thermarest six years ago

The missus has used four different mats in that time. they are all broken.
I bought her a Thermarest 6 months ago

still s8tannorm - Member
@pedalhead ... not tried it in anger yet. Saying that I've used a full length POE Ether mat for the last year or so and the comfort has been great. I believe the Peak Elite to be even better.

cheers, was thinking of selling my regular Neoair (which I really like, but want something smaller/lighter) & going with a short version, but the short Peak Elite looks like a good alternative.

NZCol - Member
pedalhead - iPad , bluddy thing, giggled when i saw it too !!

😀

My NeoAir has been brilliant in multi-day adv races - combo of a very ligth 400gm bag, Adv medical turkey bag and my neoair means my 1hr of sleep a day has been very restful - possibly too comfortable. Might have to look at the peak elite tho...

Things have moved on a lot since a karrimat.

I've had a look at the neoair thermarest on youtube and online reviews. It looks really compact. I like the look of the Exped Synmat7. I think the synthetic filling maybe more durable long term.

Compact pack size is important for bike touring, and I think the extra insulation of the exped will be a bonus over the neoair.

Alpkit every time

Are thermarests supposed to be stored flat or can you keep them in the stuff sac?

Are thermarests supposed to be stored flat or can you keep them in the stuff sac?

Flat with the valve open. Ours live under the bed.

Had two vangos fail on the seam. Best to avoid them

Now on an Exped lilo type thing. It's very comfy, packs very small, and around 600g. Cheap too.

RE mats delaminating/splitting etc - try not to leave them blown up with the valve shut in hot tents. They heat up, the air expands, they get unhappy...

Oh.. good point...

Things have moved on a lot since a karrimat.

One thing Karrimat have going for them though is they are still very very light.

IIRC, Karrimat ~250g. So light. Trouble is, it's also bulky and not so comfy.

We used to carry them on the outside, they'd get wet and then so would everything else when sleeping on them. I still have a couple of the pukka yellow ones in the gear cupboard.

I have a whole family's worth of thermarests and have never had a problem with any of them. My personal one also the oldest is approximately 17 years old and has been slept on for up to 8 weeks a year each year. I store it flat behind the wardrobe. My wife has a big delux thing which if you are car camping is amazingly comfy and the kids have the little 3/4 length ones. Can you really put a price on a comfy nights sleep. I have tried cheeper alternatives and all have only lasted a very short prefiod of time most less than 1 year. I rekon my old standard one works out about £6 per year so far and still going strong.

All these good words and it is bound to leak on me tonight, off to find a big peice of wood to touch.

I also have a couple of Alpkit 'wannabees'. They are Fat Airic's (or whatever the latest fatty mat is called) for car camping. Both failed after ~1 year and replaced under warranty.

Alpkit re-jigged its entire mat range quite recently. New models made in a different factory, better quality, replacement for the Fat Airic is called the Dozer. Should be more reliable, mine's been fine anyway, had leakage around the valve on an early Fat Airic, another, bought at the same time, has been flawless.

American brand called Nemo does an interesting self-inflating mat - two layers with separate valves so you can keep the bottom layer firm to cope with rocks etc while the top layer is softer for comfort.

Oh, and generally, the lighter you go, the more likely you are to have puncture issues - lighter mats use thinner materials, more likely to hole. Carry them inside a pack not hanging off it and beware of itchy grass and similar, particularly if you're bivvying or using it as an impromptu sun-lounger.

Went for the Exped Synmat7. Thanks for all the advice folks. Bought it for the Transam, so eighty plus days of back to back use, should be a good test for its durability.