That said, the STS Ultralight Insulated pad delivers an all-around great three season performance for the price. It is a true 4-season sleeping pad with an R-Value of 6.8. This provides excellent insulation between you and the floor for effective winter-use.

While this pad is insulated – it does not deliver the same cold weather protection from the freezing terrain beneath the pad as well as some of the other pads on this list. When it comes to saving weight, there are always going to be compromises – and the compromise here is the relatively low R value. I am looking to upgrade my sleep system to be able to continue my trail running and wild camping adventures into the winter. It is a big investment for me so I really need to get it right first time.

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I sleep on my side and often find that I wake up with sore shoulders when camping out, the Static V2 is a perfect sleeping pad for side sleepers and I found it very comfortable to sleep on, unlike the X Frame. In this article we concentrate on our experience and recommendations for the choice of best self inflating mattress, and so the size and weight of the product is of less concern than how comfortable it is and how well it stays inflated etc. So the babble of words above is my findings of testing this Berghaus sleeping mat, here are some key features of the manufacturers blurb; After inflation, just screw the valve cap in and hey presto, it’s ready to lie on! Berghaus Air 10 In Use Fully-inflated dimensions are 201 x 132 x 10cm and so it can cater for somebody up to 6ft 7 in height. I found I had plenty of room at 6ft3 tall.

The Shangri-La is exceptionally easy to inflate and deflate, and this is one of its major strengths. The Cyclone ‘flip-valve’ as seen on the Comfort 10 Double is a joy to use. Simply flip it around to the correct airflow direction required. Inflation happens automatically, and deflation can be achieved in a couple of minutes by the old “roll and kneel” manoeuvre.We recommend an R-Value of 3 or higher for 3-season use, and 5 or higher if you will be lying on the ground in winter too. We really love Outdoor Revolution – they make great quality items at the mid-to-top end of the camping spectrum. Yes they may be slightly more expensive than the Decathlon’s of this world, but we’ve never been let down by their tents or their general camping gear. Measuring 201 x 74 x 5cm when inflated, the IForrest includes both an integrated pillow and armrests for significant added comfort. What is great about the armrests is that they stop you rolling off the mattress in the night very effectively. If you are planning to use it on top of a camp bed then this is an important consideration – you might be a foot off the floor! Operation is simple. The Berghaus uses a rotatable ‘flip valve’ with a protective sealed cap to secure in place. When the flip valve is is one position air can get in but not escape (i.e. use when inflating). In the other orientation, air can escape but not get in – use for deflating. The comfort of the MondoKing is exceptionally good. I lay down on it for a few minutes to ‘test it out’ and found myself dropping off surprisingly rapidly – that wasn’t the plan, but it’s testament to the cushioning on offer. Thermarest use a ‘Stratacore’ construction to achieve this which combines a continuous layer of thermal foam with alternating ridges of air and foam. It works very well.

The most awesome thing about this air mattress is the ‘internal stabiliser’ that makes sure your weight is distributed evenly while you snooze. I hiked with the smaller version of this pad on the Appalachian Trail, and though not an ultralight choice, I got excellent sleep night after night – which makes it worth its weight in gold.

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Quilt – I am currently looking at either a Cumulus 350 (comfort 2 limit -4 deg weight 600g) or 450 quilt (comfort -1 limit -7deg weight 710g). I am leaning towards the 350 as I think it would be more versatile (as well as a little lighter) I would use this for 3 seasons, supplementing with clothing as necessary and then buy an ultralight down bag for summer use. The KingCamp Deluxe Double SIM comes in two great covers a delicious electric blue or a gorgeous grey/anthracite mix. It uses a novel ‘wave-like’ top surface layer to provide a tactile 150D surface to lie on and hold your sleeping bag in position.