Exped Down Mat XP 9 vs Therma-A-Rest NeoAir XTherm

[sandhillhunter]

I have a synmat wide UL7 and a downmat Lite 5.

I just bought the downmat 7 for my hunt this year.

I’m using a quilt and don’t like being cold at night. I’ll be hunting above 10,000 this year and want to make sure I’ve got enough insulation.

I also wanted the thicker downmat 7 vs downmat Lite 5- I think it will be more comfortable for a full week trip.

I use the Schnozzel Pump Bag with all these to inflate the pads, and it also doubles as a dry sack for my quilt during the day in my pack.

It may not be the lightest, but I think it’s a great system.


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[Eric4]

I also own the downmat 9 LW and have had nearly zero complaints. It is a heavy mat, and the down seems to float around the inside if the mat is left inflated and vertical - something to keep in mind.

The built in pump is NOT ideal. I definitely suggest the schnozzle bag for inflation, unless you want to feel like an angry chimpanzee pushing your mat into the ground.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I picked up my DownMat XP 9 LW yesterday so I could hardly wait to unbox it and pump it up. It seemed to be pretty tight in the stuff sack and I was kind of concerned about being able to get it back in. The Schnozzel worked great for inflating the mat. Once inflated, I was surprised by how big it was -- 25” x 77” really dwarfs the 20” x 72” pads I have used in the past. Of course, I pumped it up tight right off, but as SuperA previously posted, it felt better after I let some air out. Since I had it pumped up, I figured I might as well sleep on it. I was very comfortable sleeping on my side on the Exped (I do acknowledge that the wood floor in our living room was free of rocks, roots, sticks and pine ones). Being able to sleep on my side is good news for the three guys going with me to Wyoming because my wife claims that I snore when I sleep on my back and one of my hunting partners sleeps wearing earplugs when we are out. Anyway, my initial impression of the Exped DownMat is very favorable. BTW, it deflated easily and went right back into the stuff sack, with room to spare.

 

[Firehole Hunter]

I just ordered the Downmat 7 from Moosejaw after tip from "SuperA" from OK. I will let you know what I think after I check it out. I thought it was a nice compromise between the 5 and 9. I don't need a 4 season unless I am stuck out from base camp in a spike camp and I am on the ground with my KUIU Refuge. I am using it for both the base camp and spike camp. I figured what the hay I needed a pad for the cot in base camp.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I've been a proponent of the Exped Downmat series for many years, after having them recommended to me by a friend. A couple of friends are now using the DM 7 and seem to be extremely satisfied. The Schnozzle is semi-mandatory given it's very minimal weight and how easily it inflates the mat.

Last September my DM 9 leaked air at the start of my hunt. I woke up a couple times to a soft mat. I couldn't find a leak or damaged area. I opened both ports (inflate/deflate) and then closed them carefully. That did it. Apparently I didn't have the deflate port cover securely in place and it bled off some air under pressure of my body. After that I had no further air loss....the lesson being to check those port covers and keep them clean/tight.

 

[Rokwiia]

The purpose of the Schnozzle is not to quickly inflate the pad. It is to keep people from using their breath to inflate it. The moisture from our breath would freeze inside the mat and make the down useless.

 

[Kevin Dill]

The purpose of the Schnozzle is not to quickly inflate the pad. It is to keep people from using their breath to inflate it. The moisture from our breath would freeze inside the mat and make the down useless.

Actually, the Downmat 9 is equipped with an integral 2-hand pump built into the pad, and this is because Exped has always advised against using one's breath to inflate the mat. I used the 2-hand pump method for many years, but added a Schnozzle to my gear just last year. The Schnozzle isn't necessarily needed to prevent breath-inflation, depending on the pad in use. It speeds the inflation process, reduces the effort required, and avoids the introduction of exhaled breath. If I'm interpreting the Exped website correctly, the Downmat XP 9 appears to delete the integral pump in favor of using a provided Schnozzle pump. Thanks.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Kevin is correct, the DownMat XP 9 I just got does not have the integral two hand pump. I thought it inflated fairly rapidly with the included Schnozzel.