trade offs w/ partly inflated air matts

**slowhike** · 07-01-2007, 07:28

for some time i & others have talked about how the air mats are more comfortable when only partly inflated. if they are blown up to their fullest, they become more rigid & stiff, and you're more likely to roll off.
the air mats i'm talking about here in particular are the thicker air mats like the big agness (BA) insulated air core or the exped down air mat (DAM).
this type air mat is insulated w/ a lighter type insulation (pirmiloft or down) & require some help w/ inflation as opposed to the self inflators that are insulated w/ open cell foam, and are usually close to 3" thick or more depending on the model.
i use this type air mat on a nightly basis, but part of the reason is because of an injury a few years ago (broken back & ribs) and a couple surgeries on the spine.
my back has improved to the point that i can sleep fine in the hammock with out the air mat if i want, but the air mat just adds cushion. feels great!!!

i find the air mats most comfortable when they are under-inflated to the point that my hips & shoulders are almost touching the hammock... some times they are touching.
the thickness of the air mat supports every void in between.
but of course the closer your body comes to the hammock, the more insulation you loose in those spots.
so it becomes a trade off. at some point you need a little extra insulation on bottom to help the under-inflated air mat if you find that soft, cushion important enough to justify the extra weight & bulk.

**Just Jeff** · 07-01-2007, 08:15

I like my Exped Downmat 7...it's the only pad I haven't had sweat problems with. But I inflate mine fully. It holds the hammock open wider, sits me up a bit so I can see out better, and keeps the insulation more consistent. Plus, since it sits me up higher I can use it w/o worrying about a SPE or anything.

It's also a good idea b/c I have a pad as backup in case I need to go to ground...but since it's inflatable, there's another point of failure over a CCF pad.

But anyway, I like the Downmat...the trade-offs I see between partly and fully inflating it are that you may still need a SPE or similar since you're not sitting up as high, and you lose quite a bit of insulation at the compressed points, esp your butt. Other than that...it's all about comfort. Do what works best!

**dsshepard** · 07-01-2007, 10:29

Being a nooby I never even thought about trying my air mattress. I have two Pacific Outdoor Equipment - Max Thermo 78" long air mattresses. My son and I will give them a try some time. On our only camp out so far we used CCF pads. I am waiting for it to cool off a bit before we head back into the woods. I am keeping an eye on the temps in the Asheville, NC area for it to cool off so we can get some more backpacking in soon. One nice thing I noticed is that they pack up a lot easier than the bulky but light ccf pad.

**headchange4u** · 07-01-2007, 12:10

I also keep my pad partially inflated. I like it where when I sit on the pad my butt just barely touches the bottom. Sometimes I will put more air in my BA pad than I normally would like then lie on the pad and crack the air valve until it is deflated just the right amount for me to be comfortable.

**slowhike** · 07-01-2007, 14:24

Originally Posted by headchange4u

I also keep my pad partially inflated. I like it where when I sit on the pad my butt just barely touches the bottom. Sometimes I will put more air in my BA pad than I normally would like then lie on the pad and crack the air valve until it is deflated just the right amount for me to be comfortable.

yep, that's how i do it too. do you use your air mat on a regular basis headchange? and what kind do you use?
i thought about doing some of my summer trips w/o a mat to save that much bulk & weight, but the extra comfort thing keeps bringing it back.
also like jeff said, having a pad just in case something so traumatic happened to the hammock that i couldn't repair it in the field & had to sleep on the ground

**headchange4u** · 07-01-2007, 20:37

I have a BA Air Core pad. Honestly it doesn't see much use anymore. It was more for my ground dwelling days. Those thick air pads make me feel like I am sitting to high in my hammock. I have used it in my HH about 6-7 times before I made to switch to under quilts.

**slowhike** · 07-01-2007, 21:49

yep, i believe that riding high feeling is more noticeable in a hh because of the way it spreads out flatter.

**dsshepard** · 07-03-2007, 04:04

Originally Posted by dsshepard

Being a nooby I never even thought about trying my air mattress. I have two Pacific Outdoor Equipment - Max Thermo 78" long air mattresses. My son and I will give them a try some time. On our only camp out so far we used CCF pads. I am waiting for it to cool off a bit before we head back into the woods. I am keeping an eye on the temps in the Asheville, NC area for it to cool off so we can get some more backpacking in soon. One nice thing I noticed is that they pack up a lot easier than the bulky but light ccf pad.

Well I tried my air mattress last night in the back yard and ended up getting my home made Neat Frost ccf pad after about an hour and a half. I just couldn't get comfortable with the air mattress. Plus I noticed if I laid on my side, my back would be exposed to chilly sides of the hammock. With the Neat Frost pad, I had nice side extensions keeping me warm and the Neat sheet prevented any condensation issues. Too bad, because the air mattress packs down so much nicer. I am glad I tried it in the back yard and not some distance into the woods.

**Hooch** · 07-03-2007, 04:13

Originally Posted by dsshepard

Well I tried my air mattress last night in the back yard and ended up getting my home made Neat Frost ccf pad after about an hour and a half. I just couldn't get comfortable with the air mattress. Plus I noticed if I laid on my side, my back would be exposed to chilly sides of the hammock. With the Neat Frost pad, I had nice side extensions keeping me warm and the Neat sheet prevented any condensation issues. Too bad, because the air mattress packs down so much nicer. I am glad I tried it in the back yard and not some distance into the woods.

Sometimes it's funny what we expect to work and what we don't. I'm glad that you found a system that works for you.

**dsshepard** · 07-03-2007, 06:37

At least it was nice sleeping in the back yard last night, nice and cool. It is nice having a reason to set the hammock up in the back yard, gotta keep doing that research.