Sleeping pads

[ndforbes]

Yes they were the SL and taken care of under warranty.

 

[MAT]

Some also mix in mineral water to thin out the silicon, which I would do if I were to do it again. Also adding a couple lines to the floor of the tent can help too depending on what tent you have this may or may not be necessary.

You mean mineral spirits (paint thinner). Trying to mix silicone/shoe goo and water would be a messy experiment...

 

[COlineman78]

You mean mineral spirits (paint thinner). Trying to mix silicone/shoe goo and water would be a messy experiment...

Haha, yeah thanks for the correction.

 

[mlob1one]

Exped UL 9 Long/Wide for me. 4 season comfort and all I'll ever need. I am willing to sacrifice weight for sleep quality and the Exped has all I'll ever want. I also got the Exped schnozzel pump bag and have not looked back. Don't have to waste energy or breath to fill it and I'm comfortable all night long.

 

[COlineman78]

Exped UL 9 Long/Wide for me. 4 season comfort and all I'll ever need. I am willing to sacrifice weight for sleep quality and the Exped has all I'll ever want. I also got the Exped schnozzel pump bag and have not looked back. Don't have to waste energy or breath to fill it and I'm comfortable all night long.

Having both styles, I would definitely rather have an external pump like the schnozzel than an integrated pump as the integrated add weight, take up room, make it awkward to pack the pad, and take longer to inflate which is far too many issues to make up for the inconvenience. How is Exped's slickness? I don't use my Exped pillow as much as my S2S due to how slick it is and am worried their pads will be the same.

 

[mlob1one]

I run the pad typically on the ground and don't have any challenges whatsoever with it being too slick. I will occasionally carry some Tyvek as a drop cloth if it is really wet, but the mat has two different surfaces for top & bottom. Most nights if it is warm, I'll sleep directly on the mat w/my bag over me. For cold nights, even wrapped up there is give and movement, but it is comfortable to me. I move a lot while I sleep and too much or too little friction would bug.
I haven't used their pillow, but I didn't find a pad I liked better. Oh and they are a little overspec on the width which made me happy.

 

[Shrek]

I have no problem with my UL9 synmat being too slick and the snozzle bag is the bomb ! I stuff the snozzle bag full of clothes for a pillow.

 

[camping1601]

Another vote for the Insulated Q-core. I'm a very lite sleeper and this thing is so comfy. The trade off is the weight.

 

[geriggs]

Q core insulated long wide. Not the most pack able or lightest but I will sacrifice that for the warmth and comfort. It's awesome. I would get the SL version now. A bit lighter.

 

[COlineman78]

Q core insulated long wide. Not the most pack able or lightest but I will sacrifice that for the warmth and comfort. It's awesome. I would get the SL version now. A bit lighter.

I'd think twice about getting the SL as every issue I have seen with durability has been with the SL. I have never heard of a standard being sent in for warranty, but many of reviews out there of the SL having leaks. Also, slightly lower warmth as it is a half inch thinner.

 

[geriggs]

^^^^^^ good to know. I will stick with my standard. I love that thing.

 

[1shotgear]

I just ordered an SL in a long wide... should i consider canceling my order and getting something else?

 

[COlineman78]

I just ordered an SL in a long wide... should i consider canceling my order and getting something else?

Dmitriy, I'd say it depends on how rough you are going to be on it and how important saving the half pound is to you. I personally would carry the extra half pound but I'm far from an ounce counter. I can bring my standard q-core (20" long) over if you want to check it out along with my Nemo 25L. Also, back in 2013 they had sizing issues with the SL, but I'm sure they've fixed it by now. To be fair, I have only seen a a handful of reports of leaking which compared to how many are sold is probably a small amount. I'd say stick with it if that's what you want. BA's customer service is good and if you always carry a patch kit or some Tenacious like me you'll be fine. People are also complaining about the noise of the SL which has an internal heat reflective coating which the regular does not.