I just spent 4 nights in my hammock at a base camp near the AT in Pennsylvania. Lowest temp was 38 degrees with a chilly wind. Didn't close up tarp or even set it up with edges close to ground. Used my winter down sleeping bag and the Exped Downmat 9 Deluxe mat and stayed nice and toasty. Was even shedding layers. I NEVER shed layers.
Was wondering if I'd need side wings, but was fine, no cold spots. Because it's longer and wider it's easy to stay completely on the mat -- at least for me at 5'7". The longer you are on this mat, the more it heats up. And the comfort was great.
This mat is too heavy for me to backpack with, but for car camping or a short hike in, it's the bomb! Can't wait to see how low it will go.
Thanks tomswyer222 for the great mat.
Last edited by HappyCamper; 11-12-2008 at 09:52.
For any long term users- any trouble keeping the mats inflated through the night or just plain old leaks developing?
My son's 7 short has three nights on it. No leaks, but one of the valve caps has come apart. It will still hold air, but opening the valve allows the upper cap and inner spring to come off. I believe a shot of super glue will repair and I've also emailed OR for how to handle.
To Boldly Hang Where No One Has Hung Before...
Now that I have an Exped Deluxe 9 AND a 3-season underquilt, I was wondering if there is any benefit in using the underquilt when using the Exped and a top quilt in my hammock in extreme cold?
My thinking is no. That this mat is so insulated and wide (26 inches) that it would keep my body from heating up the down underquilt and the underquilt would add no additional warmth. But I have no experience with this and was wondering if my logic is flawed and if it's worth experimenting with in cold weather?
I do see where the underquilt would come up higher on the sides of the hammock and add extra insulation there. But would pad wings on the sides of the Exped be a lighter solution than 21 ounces of underquilt in extreme cold?
PS: Hey Grizz, I was yard testing the Exped on the ground in 18 degrees while my hammock was on loan and that hot water bottle trick was great! Pumped out a ton of heat, warmed up the pad nicely, and the bottle was still warm in the morning.
My son's troop has an overnighter this coming weekend. I plan on using an Exped 7 Short and a BA Yampa (and probably a liner) and my son will use a 7 short with a BA Cross Mountain and my homemade down quilt as an inner blanket. Temps are expected to be near 32d and both of the BA bags are rated for 40d. I've read reviews that the 40d rating is conservative, but we'll have to see especially since we're using them with the expeds. Will report back after the trip.
To Boldly Hang Where No One Has Hung Before...
You are not trying to heat up the insulation. You are trying to stay warm and in that process you heat up some of the insulation, more so the closer the insulation is to you since you are the heat source. The underquilt should add insulation when used with the down air mat since both insulators are operating primarily via conductive heat transfer, that means their R-values should just add together. But like you figured, I suspect the DAM will likely be all the insulation you will need underneath you unless you are going for some very cold conditions.
Youngblood AT2000
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