Just curious if anyone has been using a Neoair Xtherm? I have been using my Exped DAM 9 (regular 20x72) and find it very comfortable and do not get cold shoulders, but would like to drop a chunk of weight. The Xtherm regular is only 15 oz, compared to the 34 for the DAM 9. For reference, I will be using in the WBRR dl. DAM UL 7 has essentially the same R-value (5.9 vs 5.7) as the Xtherm but is 20oz for the regular size.
I've been looking for a insulated air mat for quite a while. I have a Clark Tropical 2 hammock. Right now I use a JRB Greylock, but worry about it getting wet, plus not very good for those time I have to go to ground. Been looking for about 66" by 25". The only 25" wide mats are 76" to 77" long and from measuring inside my hammock, looks like a 76" + mat would be hard to fit inside the hammock. 20" wide just isn't enough. Exped does make a 72" by 25" SynMat 7 MW, but it's 36 oz. If they made one from the SynMat UL material, could maybe get down to below 20 oz, but they don't. Anyone seen a insulated mat that's about 66" by 25" anywhere? Thanks,
I just came back from a three day trip in the Central Cascades where the water froze in our water bottles each night. I was using my Exped UL 7 DownMat with a WB 0* top quilt. I had solved the problem of a shifting pad by using my wife's sewing machine to sew a 3' pad sleeve at a diagonal onto the bottom of my WBBB 1.1. I also cut a length of aluminum bubble reflectix the same size and shape as my pad and slipped it into the sleeve under the pad. Both stayed in place and kept me real cozy at night. The only problem I had was with the WB top quilt that would sometimes come un-tucked on the sides and let cold air in. However, now that I have a built-in pad sleeve I can use any light weight down bag I want and solve the side draft problem. I think I am slowly converging on a go-to sleep kit.
I have a medium length xtherm I plan to use with my clark tropical ultra. In order to make it wider, I'm using two sections of a spare zrest with 2 shock cord loops linking them together. I slide the shock cord over the xterm and then the zrest sections at as extension wings. Only adds b/t 2 and 3 ounces, so about the same weight as a 3/4 UQ, but no worries about water, you can go to ground, and I can use it as a frame for my frameless pack (and if you buy the 3 ounce stuff sack thermarest sells to blow it up, you can also make a stool out of it to sit on). I've not used it in the field yet but will report as soon as temps get low enough for an effective trial run.
I use the Neo air allseaon which has an r value close to 5. For me I started to feel cool around 25 degrees. The xtherm has some more r value so might be a little better all depending on how you sleep. I am wonder how much difference these air pads make being on the ground vs in a hammock. Seems like the design of these might drop the r value from the air bellow the hammock especially with the neoairs design.Originally Posted by BER
I camp in the Adirondacks of New York. I hang in trees mostly, but sometimes hang in the many lean-tos in the Adirondacks. Occasionally, there is no way, or no practical room to hang in the lean-to, so I am forced to sleep on the floor of the lean-to. For this reason, I use the Exped Down Air Mat and Jacks R Better Bridge hammock, which has a nice slot for a mattress underneath which holds it nicely in place. Correct, you have to put very little air in it if you use it in a hammock, compared to when you sleep on the ground. The ExPed matts are fantastic, and I would not get anything else. I have the Pump version which easily inflates in the hammock with one hand on top, where the instruction shows, and the other hand on the bottom, serving as the ground support.
I have the Synmat UL 7 "large-wide) 26" x 77.5" and picked up the Exped Schnozzel for about $25 and can fill the pad with only 3 bags full of air. For use in a hammock, you could probably get by with just 1 bag (2 at most) full of air. It's take a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, the Schozzel works very well.
One good thing about the Schozzel is that you can use it in or on your pack as a water proof clothes bag and also put stuff in it as a pillow.
How have the Expeds been getting on with the WBRR's?
I have a WBBB 1.1 dbl layer that I'll be using with a pad: either an old Thermarest Pro or my Exped Downmat 9. I may cross that with half a Z-Lite pad under the upper torso. Could you expand a little on the details of your pad sleeve -- did you just sew the 2 hammock layers together, or did you add more material? If the latter, to what surface did you sew it?
I too am trying to find a solution to pad shift, thanks!
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