Just taken delivery of my Alpkit Numo.

Numo

very impressed for the money. Tough nylon, packs nice and tight, took 2mins to inflate. Very comfy and wide enough for my shoulder blades, even long enough for head support with only feet off the end and I’m 6’4″ and 95Kg. If anything I reckon they could make a 3/4 version and it would still work for head support and hips/arse.

Looking forward to giving it a run out on some Alpine walks in June. this year.

Was looking at one of them. My pipedream 300 showed up last week. I dont know a great deal about sleeping bags but it kept my feet warm under the desk last week.

I was “living” in my Pipedream last week in an empty flat, and the campervan. SOoooooOOOoooo cosy.

One of the nicest bits of kit Ive ever treated myself to. Roomy, well cut, nice baffle, nice texture and of course warm.

Wife was not impressed when I suggested that I could happily use it for my regular bedding needs 😉

Got the Numo delivered for my daughter yesterday (had to go for the next day delivery) as she was off on her DofE at 10 this morning. Pretty impressive. Thick, big and light ( 😯 ).
She had a lie on both the Numo and a thermarest I’d bought off eBay and she’s gone with the numo…. although as a teenager she express incredulity that she had to blow it up herself!

I think apart from the inflate-it-yourself-o-matic function, the only downside of the Numo over a self-inflator with foam cores, is going to be insulation loss. And for that I fancy doing something with that smart fabric I linked to on the other thread and at backpackinglight.co.uk

Looking for an sleeping mat and not too fussed about the insulation as only for summer use – wondering how comfy the numo mat is versus the dirtbag?

How much does it weigh, how small does it pack, how long does it last? I know Alpkit have a decent warranty history but that’s not much use if you’re away somewhere and it goes phut.

It weighs less than my 3/4 Thermarest classic
It packs smaller than my 3/4 Thermarest classic
Its 4x thicker than my 3/4 Thermarest classic.

Ive owned it 5 mins, whereas Ive owned my Thermarest for 8 yrs.
I’ll let you know how long it last in 8yrs time…
As I said in the OP, it’s made of a tough looking nylon, ripstop style. Comes with some patch material and glue.

nickswolves – I have an Alpkit Dozer for car camping. It’s the equivalent model to the new dirtbag. But since theyve changed design, Im not sure how comparable between the ranges it is. (In fact if you take Airic range to, it’s their third production range in 4 or 5 years I think) It’s not as thick as the Numo, but it’s very comfortable. Nice texture finish to the material too (like a very fine flock), the Numo is just nylon finish. The Dozer self ingflates pretty well, and then just needs a top up. It is big when packed though, and heavy.

The numo is probably a bit more slippy, But I intend to use it inside my bivvy bag so I will be less likely to slip off it.

If you have the space and the car to carry it in, then Id go for the dirtbag, but it isnt very versatile.

Aaah well. So it’s a fake Neo Air. £35 for 375g and packed size all seem good. It’s just got to last longer than my last 2 Fat Airic’s have and it’ll be a winner. Granted Alpkit swapped them without grief but as my cold arse will confirm, that counts for nought if you’re mid trip when it all goes wrong. BTW my first gen Neo Air managed to grow a nasty goitre after 5 years and a couple of hundred nights so they’re not infallible either.

The numo is probably a bit more slippy, But I intend to use it inside my bivvy bag so I will be less likely to slip off it.

I hope you’ve got a spacious bivi bag. I took my new Numo on a bike tour around Brittany with my Gelert Solo tent (a previously unused combination) and hadn’t considered the fact that the Numo’s so thick that my legs were practically compressed against the inner. Luckily, I was able to sleep under the stars for most of the trip.

Numo pros…

Small when deflated. Easily fits inside hydration pocket of pack or wrapped around sleeping bag in a dry bag in a handle bar harness.

Comfy.

Cons…

Too thick to fit inside my bivi bag (or my one man tent!) with me and a sleeping bag as well.

Poor insulation in freezing conditions. Even on top of a thick closed cell mattress I could feel the cold. I suspect cold air can easily circulate between the compartments. In Norway, in February the falling snow got in between the compartments and melted so I woke up on a backwoods water bed!

Quickly blows away in windy conditions if you turn your back on the b****r.

It’s a bit slippery if fully blown up.

A brilliant, compact mattress otherwise.

In Norway, in February

I think I see the problem right there…

🙂

Fortunately I have an army goretex bivvy bag. At 6’4″ I need something the size of a Blue Whale’s condom anyway.

I just got one of these on your recommendation Stoner. Very impressed so far. Much smaller, lighter and more comfortable than my ‘self-inflating’ mat.

Will report back when I’ve tested it out properly.