Exped Downmat 7 Pump Gear Review
I recently purchased an Exped Downmat to replace my Thermarest Prolite 3 sleeping pad after seeing one that a friend had been using. I have yet to use the Exped Downmat 7 Pump, but my initial impressions are that it is a great upgrade. I will be putting it through a rigorous test this year and I will be sure to update this review. For reference I also own a Thermarest Z-rest and will likely spend nearly 200 days in 2010 on a sleeping pad at night.
Initial Impressions
The Exped Downmat 7 is heavier and less compact than my Thermarest Prolite 3 as is to be expected. However, given the obvious comfort and warmth improvement it is lighter and more compact than I was expecting. After inflating the pad (more on this later), the warmth and comfort improvement were as expected. I sleep on my side and never had any problem with my hip or shoulder hitting the ground. In a matter of minutes I could feel the wonderful insulation that the down provides keeping me warm. Overall my expectations for warmth and comfort were met and the tradeoff between that and weight/size is well in favor of the Exped Downmat.
Now on to the pump. Unlike other inflatable pads, you can not simply blow this pad up in a few breaths because there is much more air needed and the down can not hold up the moisture. With this pad there is a built in pump that works simply enough. It took me a couple minutes to inflate the pad, but it was not difficult to do and the valves seem to work well. This is certainly something to be aware of when thinking about this pad, but I think a couple minutes are worth it.
Durability wise it seems to be similar to any other inflatable pad.
I would recommend this pad to anyone else that camps and sleeps on the ground as often as I do and needs the increased warmth and comfort without the corresponding increase in weight and size found in other luxury sleeping pads.
Other Reviews
Exped Downmat 7 Short - blog review
Exped Downmat 9 (2006) - backpackgeartest review
Initial Impressions
The Exped Downmat 7 is heavier and less compact than my Thermarest Prolite 3 as is to be expected. However, given the obvious comfort and warmth improvement it is lighter and more compact than I was expecting. After inflating the pad (more on this later), the warmth and comfort improvement were as expected. I sleep on my side and never had any problem with my hip or shoulder hitting the ground. In a matter of minutes I could feel the wonderful insulation that the down provides keeping me warm. Overall my expectations for warmth and comfort were met and the tradeoff between that and weight/size is well in favor of the Exped Downmat.
Now on to the pump. Unlike other inflatable pads, you can not simply blow this pad up in a few breaths because there is much more air needed and the down can not hold up the moisture. With this pad there is a built in pump that works simply enough. It took me a couple minutes to inflate the pad, but it was not difficult to do and the valves seem to work well. This is certainly something to be aware of when thinking about this pad, but I think a couple minutes are worth it.
Durability wise it seems to be similar to any other inflatable pad.
I would recommend this pad to anyone else that camps and sleeps on the ground as often as I do and needs the increased warmth and comfort without the corresponding increase in weight and size found in other luxury sleeping pads.
Other Reviews
Exped Downmat 7 Short - blog review
Exped Downmat 9 (2006) - backpackgeartest review