Best Glamping Mat

[stioc]

Sounds like Exped Megamat is the most comfortable but from what I read it's also the bulkiest. I currently have two foam Thermarests that I double up and still find my hips aching when I wake up. I ordered the Intex air-mattress to try as a camping bed and to keep it as an extra guest bed. Turns out it's too heavy and bulky (granted it's probably only 12lbs or so but compared to the foam pads it seemed like an anvil) so that it's now somewhere in the attic. The gf has an Alps Mountaineering self inflating pad which is a step up from my Thermarests but a little too compact for me (I'm 6').

All that to ask what's a happy medium (or a bang-for-the-buck) pad when it comes to size/weight/comfort/price? Honu?

 

[ab1985]

Sounds like Exped Megamat is the most comfortable but from what I read it's also the bulkiest.

This is exactly why I love the Nemo Cosmo Air Pillowtop so much. Best compromise IMO.

 

[Honu]

Yup why we went with the nemo pillow top %90 the comfort of the mega mat or more and 1/3 to 1/4 the bulk

Might be selling one of ours purely cause it does not fit one of the kids big Agnes bags his bag needed a 20 inch width

 

[stioc]

Nemo sounds like a very viable candidate. Out of curiosity where would you guys rate the REI camp bed 3.5 and the Therma-rest BaseCamp (or MapLuxury) amongst these glamping mats?

Honu, if the one you're looking to sell is the XL size (30" x 72" or so) please PM me, I'd be interested.

 

[madmax718]

Well, I tried it, and damn, is a 4" memory foam not the most comfortable thing ever.lol

 

[Honu]

Nemo sounds like a very viable candidate. Out of curiosity where would you guys rate the REI camp bed 3.5 and the Therma-rest BaseCamp (or MapLuxury) amongst these glamping mats?

Honu, if the one you're looking to sell is the XL size (30" x 72" or so) please PM me, I'd be interested.

its the 25 inch one not the 30 got them to fit out big agnes but the kids bags took 20 inch pads
sorry its not the XL not sure do they have the pillow top one for the XL ?

the other pad that looks nice is that quilted looking one big agnes has we picked that up for our little kid try to see if it helps him from rolling around so much

 

[pcut]

I use a Jack's Plastic paco pad with a Thermarest pad on top- makes it kind of like the pillow top beds at the W Hotels. The princess uses the Megamat and swears by it. The Megamat, paco pad and thermarest are kind of bulky, but with just the two of us and the dog, we have plenty of room to carry whatever we need to keep comfortable.

 

[Honu]

one thing about the megamat with its square edges bringing two together makes a very nice double setup that and put a thin something over it we have this exped super thin matt thing they make and we tried that out and loved it but again our bags and other things dictated something else

but for couples with no kids or who want to zip bags together they are the best !!!!

 

[PlacidWaters]

Yet another update on the Exped Megamat. I recently had to sleep in the livingroom on the Megamat for three weeks due to a roof leak in my house. I set it up on the Camptime Roll-a-Cot wide. As I said before, the Megamat is too wide for this cot and it was hard to keep it centered. However, I slept fairly well for those three weeks. I have pretty serious hip, back, and shoulder arthritis, so this is really saying a lot. I think that for expeditions the Megamat is a reasonable size rolled up. I put it in my compact car with no problem. The Megamat is a simpler mattress than the Nemo Pillow Top.

 

[PlacidWaters]

Out of curiosity where would you guys rate the REI camp bed 3.5? QUOTE]

See my comparison ratings of several mattresses, including the Campbed, elsewhere in this forum. http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...5-camping-mattresses?highlight=exped+mega+mat

The Campbed 3.5 might be the best mattress you can buy in the $100-$120 range. Younger people would find it comfortable on the ground. Older people with joint problems might find it good but not excellent. It's very comfortable on a cot. But the Megamat is definitely more comfortable.

The Megamat is only slightly larger than the XL Campbed when rolled, and the Megamat is actually lighter. Since you get significantly more comfort, the real deciding factor is price. After studying all the specs of just about every mattress and being shocked at the price of the Megamat, I bit the bullet and bought it because a comfortable night of sleep makes such a big difference in your camping experience. I paid $166 at Campmor. If you camp a lot it's worth it. It's not worth arguing with yourself over a $50 difference. That's $5 a night extra for your first 10 nights. On the first morning you'll know you made the right purchase.

 

[mhiscox]

If you camp a lot it's worth it.

Just got back from sleeping nine nights on the Megamat on the floor of my Sprinter. Totally comfortable every one of them.

 

[madmax718]

Yet another update on the Exped Megamat. I recently had to sleep in the livingroom on the Megamat for three weeks due to a roof leak in my house.

Oh, is that the code word for it nowadays? lol, sorry, just kidding.

 

[hoser]

When I said my Mega Mat deflated well, I forgot to mention that I took out the small flap that serves as a check valve on the deflation side. This seemed to make deflation notably faster, and while I now have the possibility of air coming back in while I'm trying to deflate it, the amount is small and if I'm attending to the deflation task, not really an impediment.

That might (or might not) account for the difference of opinion.

I forgot to report back on this since Mike had suggested it almost a year ago. Deflation time has been MUCH improved since removing the deflation check valve. None of my previous self-inflating mats had check valves and so the method of deflating is the same for me as it has always been.

 

[PlacidWaters]

I forgot to report back on this since Mike had suggested it almost a year ago. Deflation time has been MUCH improved since removing the deflation check valve. None of my previous self-inflating mats had check valves and so the method of deflating is the same for me as it has always been.

I find it pretty laborious to deflate the Mega Mat. It takes two steps: Fold in half several times and get out as much air as you can. Unfold and roll up. I don't recommend removing the deflation check valve as air will come back in when you unfold the mattress for step 2.

 

[hoser]

I always close the deflation valve before proceeding to step two. Then roll the mat until the "air bubble" forms. Kneel on the mat, reopen the valve and finish the roll. Replace valve again. The time saved is worth the extra step for me.