Sleeping Mats: A thorny issue.

[daveporter]

I must be old fashioned because you can still see me wandering the hills with a yellow Karrimat strapped to the outside of my pack. I place the foam mat underneath the tent, thus protecting the groundsheet and providing insulation from the ground - this negates the need for a tent "footprint".

In recent years some lovely lightweight air filled mats have come on the market. But, these have to be placed inside the tent. How do ultra lightweight tent groundsheets withstand the thorns or scree of the Sierra Nevada once the snow has gone?? Or, if using a tarp, what type of material is placed under the mat.

After any trip to the Spanish hills or anywhere where rough scree or dry thorny vegetation is encountered
our karrimats are badly beat up. I work on the basis that it is far cheaper to buy a new mat than a tent footprint or new tent!

In the UK, the company to contact is Multimat.uk.com if you are curious.


Dave Porter

[El Perro Negro]

Hi Dave

There's nothing out there can cope with the Sierras. I have ruined 2 or 3 Thermarests in the past 7 years and now have gone back to the cheap and cheerful Karimat. I only keep "Thermarest" type mats for sleeping and camping in the snows.

I like the look of the http://multimat.uk.com though. Do you think these are any better than the "Thermarests" or "Alpkit" self inflating types?

[Tinkerbell]

Yes I like the look of these mats too. Do they only sell them in the UK

[daveporter]

I recently purchased the Multimat Expedition XL mat from "www.upandunder.co.uk" an outdoor store/web based shop based in Cardiff. I ordered online and received the goods within 3 or 4 days - it will take a bit longer for you.

I got the longer mat to provide a bit more protection for the ground sheet of the tent. I can vouch for the quality and impressive insulation properties. We had a bitterly cold high camp in Scotland a couple of weeks ago and I didn't experience much cold coming up from the snow covered ground.

As a nice little aside, I emailed Multimat directly to enquire about stockists and also to ask if their mats are Fox and Pig proof! I had a very helpful response re stockists and the type of mat to purchase - unfortunately, they cannot guarantee that Spanish Foxes or Greek Pigs will not eat the mats!!
Dave Porter

[daveporter]

Sorry, I forgot to answer your question.

I've never actually used a Thermarest. Mainly because I've been worried about their durability on longer extended trips that invlove as much travelling as backpacking/mountain work. The karrimat/multimat can be used anywhere of course - we've just plonked them down on the roadside to sit and wait for buses or rides in remote places. And they work just fine even with great chunks ripped out of them.

Cheers,

Dave Porter (off to Keswick in 10 mins)