Does anyone have any experience with a Exped DownMat 7 Sleeping Pad. I am thinking of giving the 47"X20" for use in my HH asm backpacker.
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Does anyone have any experience with a Exped DownMat 7 Sleeping Pad. I am thinking of giving the 47"X20" for use in my HH asm backpacker.
Those are great pads on the ground but most find that they are a balancing act of sorts in a hammock. However, a few folks have figured out how to use air matresses so give it a shot.
The trick is very little inflation. Enough to keep from compressing the insulation but not so much that it's stiff. Seems the mat stays under you better. I've used it twice in 25* weather and it worked well. Left shoulder and rear got cool but not cold. Good luck, let us know how you make out!
-Bob
I use an Exped 9 that is 25" wide. I think you'd find 20" to be too narrow, and you'd end up with cold shoulders.
I guess part of the reason I want to get it is I know I can use it in for winter camping with the family. I would probably go with a regular length, but sierra tradding co only has the extra small and its over 50% off with their usual available discounts.
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I use the Synmat 7 in my Clark NA (I know it is a little goofy, but I haven't gotten around to making my own Z-liners yet) and I have loved it from the standpoint of insulation. It is a little bit shifty inside the hammock. If it were to be used in a double layer hammock I think that it would be awesome. I do have to say that I do like the notion of having it in the unfortunate event that I should ever have to go to ground again with it.
Exactly. I sleep on a DAM 7 basically every night & have done so for years.Quote:
Originally Posted by joizee camper
I used a full length 20" Exped 9 DM all last summer and loved the warmth and comfort. But was not necessarily thrilled about the 2 lb weight. I kept it fully inflated and got around the shifting problem by using a Sierra Designs sleeping bag with pad loops on the bottom. You could do the same thing with a Big Agnes bag that has a pad sleeve. I have since bought a 3 season Yeti UQ but have not have had a chance to test it in the field yet. But I gotta say, I love that Exped 9 pad and have the option of going to ground if needed.
Good to here I ordered one I am hoping to get up to the desolation wilderness in a couple weeks for a good test. I am going to bring my usgi sleep system and place the pad in the bivy.
When I first started out in the hammock camping, I transitioned using my Synmat for months.
If you give it just the right amount of air, you will be extremely comfortable.
It insullated well with my mummy sleeping bag (30-40*'s easy). Bigest problem is the weight for one, size consumption in the backpack and inflating and deflating is very time consuming.
I used the synmat 7 pump last weekend on my second hang in my DL. Isolation is good, no CBS at 40 F. But you add a new parameter in the search for a comfy position, which is the amount of air to pump in. I pumped abt 3/4 which seemed still too much to find a good asym position. But that can also go on the account of sag.
I do the inflating with the 'schnozzle' solution using an exped compression bag as a pump. 4 -5 squeezes and the pad is full. Another advantage with this is that the pad can be in the hammock instead of the floor when you pump
+1 on the Schnozzle-no Exped downmat should come without one :)
2 squeezes and the mat is full.
I've spent 14 nights on my new 9 lw mat in the hammock and on the ground and it functions in both. I still prefer an UQ though.
You must have a big compression bag :DQuote:
Originally Posted by turnerminator
Standard exped bag apparently :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Womble
Looked like 20-30l.
I used a DownMat 9 (long and wide) in 4 degF with little wind and I was fine. Yes, do not fully inflate.
I gave my Exped 9 downmat to my daughter because I thought it was too heavy. I went to an Exped UL 7 Downmat this spring because it is lighter and has a much better R-value. I tried several methods to keep it from shifting but now just use a Big Agnes Zirkel 20* bag that has a built-in pad sleeve. It works great and gives me a nice comfy nights sleep. I have a slightly different opinion about inflation level. I keep mime blown up full. It gives me a flater lay and helps me stay diagonal. But that's just me. Your milage may vary.
+1 on the Downmat 7 UL. I have the long-wide version and two pumps from the shnoz bag inflates to ~30 percent; just enough so the mat fits the contour for a good diagonal lay and provides good insulation. No CBS in 50* weather (awaiting colder weather). Agree with other poster that the 20" width might be too narrow.
Getting it rolled up to fit in the original bag is a pain (rolling up in bed of hammock), so I just fold in half/roll and store in the shnoz bag (all air evacuated); takes up less space, and is only slightly heavier than my HG 40* UQ. Used both recently and was ultra-warm. Takes about a minute longer to set up or stow compared to an UQ.
The pic in my gallery shows the pad and TQ combo with DB.
Yeah, ditto on having a hard time getting the Exped UL 7 back into the original bag. I gave up fighting that and now just use a slightly larger bag from one of my therm-a-rest pads. Also, I tend to use a small volume pack and ususlly end up putting the rolled-up pad on top the closed pack under the top lid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HangingOut
+1 on more air in the shorty pads - they do make for a flatter lay. With longer pads, no matter what I do, the ends wind up making for more of a banana shape than just the hammock itself.Quote:
Originally Posted by Newtohanging
I used to use a Big Agnes insulated short in my Explorer with a SPE to account for side insulation. In a different hammock now and tried the L&W Downmat 9, which is ultra warm and comfy, but too long for a hammock. Great on the ground, though, and from what I hear its great in a bridge hammock.
I think the DM7 is a very good compromise, down in weight/bulk from the 9 but still pretty darn warm. Got to think about side insulation, though. Would love to see a 25-26" wide & short pad, but I don't think anyone makes one.
I've used both the 9 and 7, wide and regular size, in my Blackbird, and they always worked pretty well. I vastly prefer them to something like a thermarest, which I also used in the BB and hated.
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.Quote:
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by uncle_ray_ray
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by sbeauchamp
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?Quote:
Originally Posted by HangingOut
I too am trying to find a solution to pad shift, thanks!
I used a Downmat in my Ridgerunner and it worked quite well. Due to how thick the pad is, it raises you up quite a bit, which can make you feel slightly unstable. I suggest using the hammock with the middle piece of the head-end spreader bar removed, if you're going to use a downmat - that makes the hammock body a bit deeper and helps compensate for the thickness of the pad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slo
Thanks for the tip MM, glad to hear it works good togetherQuote:
Originally Posted by Mustardman
FWIW I slept Sunday night on the back porch with the SOL thermal bivy I've ripped apart/re-taped as a blanket/emergency ground pad spread out between the layers of my WBBB 1.1 DL, BA insulated pad fully inflated + Marmot Helium bag just loaded into the top. Very minimal fussing beyond just getting in and everything zipped up, and slept fine until 3AM when I woke up comfortable but too cold to sleep... the moon was beautiful and I contemplated just staying there watching it for a while, but I had to go to work in a few hours so I retreated back to the house.
I was a little surprised then to note the thermometer said 26F! The EN women's comfort rating on the Helium is 27F, so with just a mid-weight smartwool base layer, wool socks, and a couple buffs for my head/neck I'd taken the bag right to it's stated limit in the hammock without any extraordinary maneuvers. If I had been in the back country on a night that cold I'd probably climb in with another pants layer and my nanopuff jacket anyway.
Husby has a DM 7 UL. His situation might require a little more work because his arms are getting cold, just hoping the SPE I picked up used on here will be the cure. We definitely want to keep the ability to go to ground... crap happens.
Exped Downmats are very warm in hammocks and on the floor. Its my goto for serious winter work where I don't know If I'll need to ground dwell at any time.
2 points to consider though;
1. The seals on the mat are awful at 10f and under. They still hold air but need warming with something to get the valves open again. I hate the mat for these valves but its still the best sleep option for flexibilty and comfort IMO. A chemical hand warmer or hot nalgene warms them up again, as does warm hands. :)
2. A shnozzle is essential if your using them in the cold too. 20f and lower and the pump doesn't self inflate fully. 30 mins of pumping needed-the Schnozzle solves this.
I made my own smaller Schnozzle from some PU coated nylon and an HDPE acrylic caulk nozzle. 7-10 fills and its inflated.
I heard on the Downmat 7 UL's that they fixed the valve problem. I've seen it's a common problem with users and often complained about in reviews. Also uses the Schnozzle bag which I think would be much easier to use in a hammock let al one the ground, plus double duty dry sack for your sb. That's rock n roll.
Anyway, can you confirm the valve issue being corrected on newer models at all?
I can't Slo. There were 3 on the last trip of differeing ages, including a new UL.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slo
Exped replied to an email sent to my friend who has the issue. To summarise, they basically said that it was impossible to find a plastic that doesn't go stiff at low temps-this was the best they could do with it.
Using a charcoal heat pad to squeeze warmth into the valve worked the best. Breathing onto it for a couple of minutes also works.
I modified my ENO Double Nest with a pad pocket and have used my DownMat in it a couple of times. I only partially inflate it so that it conforms more to me and the hammock. Works well.
Makes sense, NASA even has a hard time with gaskets in cold weather. Thanks for the tips on how to overcome this issue in the bush. Thanks Turner.Quote:
Originally Posted by turnerminator
Perdue, could you tell me how far you've been able to take it in temp?
Hello to everyone here in the forum! I'm a new guy here and I found this thread very informative and wished the discussion had kept going! I LOVE laying in my hammock after a long hike but I don't have a good setup I can sleep overnight in (down to 30-40 degrees). After reading this thread however, I think I'm one step closer.
I already own an Exped Downmat UL7 LW(77.5 x 26) I can use for insulation, but I don't know which hammock to buy for it. The two hammocks I have are not ideal. I currently have a Grand Trunk Nano 7 and an Eno Double Nest w/bug net.
I would like to lay as close to flat as possible and a pad sleeve/double layer seems ideal. I'm 6'3" 250lb. I'm considering the Bear Mountain Bridge-Deluxe and the Warbonnet Ridgerunner so far.
If anyone has any other advice or suggestions I would be very grateful for their shared opinion!
Cheers,
Marcus
Pulled the trigger on the RidgeRunner yesterday. Don't have the funds for an UQ this year. My only concern is getting cold shoulders with the exped only.
You'll be fine MarDog, I don't come close to the edges on mine, tossing and turning all night. Those outter baffles work great in the RR. You WILL want to hang your rain gear over the foot end to cover the pad sleeve or some kind of undercover since drafts will travel up, especially the more inflated your mat is (and I like to really inflate mine for the flattest lay possible) Once I started doing this, it alleviated the issues I had with it initially. I really enjoy being able to go to ground if needed and sleep nearly as comfortably as hanging for 25oz, you can't beat that versatility. You'll be happy with your buy. If you need help trouble-shooting, PM me
How much inflation did you give the Downmat for it to make a "slightly unstable" condition or feeling? Just curious.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mustardman
I have the UL Downmat and will be trying it at different inflation levels when my Warbonnet Ridgerunner arrives.
You can inflate it pretty far inside of the Ridgerunner. I recommend inflating it nearly all the way, and using it without the extra spacer for the head-end spreader. I found that combination to be the best balance of flatness, great insulation, stability, and comfort.