Warm up to the notion of sleeping on snow,cold rocks with Exped's Downmat 9 DLX air mattress. This down-filled mattress features high loft goose down with three times the insulating warmth of any mat with a similar weight, so it helps keep your backpacking,climbing sleeping bags working at their optimal thermal rating potential. Exped noted in recent studies that heat loss to the ground is often three times greater than heat loss to exposed air, which means that many climbers, snowshoe enthusiasts,winter backpackers are better off spending their money on a better mattress than warmer sleeping bags with lower temperature ratings. The Exped Downmat 9 DLX air mattress can reduce heat loss by a staggering 65%,,because the mattress is insulated with down instead of foam, it packs into a diminutive 15 x 7 in. stuff sack. While the Exped Downmat 9 DLX air mattress could compress further, light foam barriers built into the mattress prevent the down from sifting through the valves or migrating between the baffled chambers, eliminating cold spots. This Exped Downmat 9 DLX includes a distinctive pump/packsack that allows quick,full inflation within minutes, so you never have to worry about the humidity in your breath dampening the down fill (the down fill has a special Nocar treatment to minimize condensation throughout many seasons of use). If you want to save a few ounces,don't need a sub-zero rating, take a moment to compare features on the Exped Downmat 7.
I bought this bag about a month ago. The first thing I did when it arrived was inflate it. The next thing was to flop down on it and see how it felt. I adjusted the inflation to a comfortable level and then just lay there. I was very surprised, within a few minutes (2 or 3) it felt like I was laying on an electric blanket, the reflected heat was amazing. I have bad knees and this is a God send after a few hours of humping a 50LB pack, the warmth and comfort of this mat is truly a blessing. I like it so much that I bought its little brother for a spare.
This is a super product. You can't get anthing better for winter camping. If you are not winter camping try the Exped 7. It is lighter and would do fine for summer and fall camping. The great thing about the Exped 9 is that it is about the same size as a normal sleeping pad but considerably warmer. You have to take two sleeping pads to be as warm as an Exped 9. I like the deluxe because of my size, 6'4". My son has the 9 and it fits him just fine. My son and I both found that we got a better nights sleep on the Expeds. They are a little bit of a hassle to set up but not so much so that I would not buy another one. It does take more bags full of air than the manufacters recommended but only a few more. I also use it in the summer when I go canoeing or kayaking and it works fine and fits into the boat better than a thermorest and comes in a waterproof container. You can't go wrong with this product. (Hint do not blow one up and have it sit very long standing up. The down will settle at the bottom end. You can fix this by tapping the pad until the down is evenly spread out.)
Anything good has to come with a cost. In this case, its not only the price, but setting up the pad is a bit tedious. Other than the light-headed-ness from inflating the pad, everything is exactly what I hoped for. The comfort and warmth the Downmat 9 Deluxe provided is incomparable to any other sleeping pads I had. I've used it every time I camped and have always found myself rejuvenated in the mornings. Although I haven't tested it at it's rated temperature of -40 degrees, I have used it from 0-80 degrees without problems. All in all, I would definately reconmend this sleeping pad for any camper looking for a good night's sleep. One more suggestion - be seated when inflating the sleeping pad!!
Unless you want to carry around an electric pump or sit there for an hour hyperventilating, this mat offers a great system for inflation. The mat is very warm and comfortable... even when hungover. I'm 6'3 220lbs so I dont think the Downmat7 would be adequate for me. I have the deluxe and it offers the right armound of room to keep me and my bag off the frosty ground.
Definitely keeps you warm and off the ground. Maybe a little too much for the average joe though- the loft and width of the 9 deluxe makes you feel a bit silly compared to other campers. Also, pumping it up takes a bit of effort though I think its worth it in the end. We took them out on a trial run for a 14 day canoeing trip so it got a little old pumping all the time, but it was very plush and we were never cold. Two mats entirely took up our three man tent and didn't leave much room for the dog! If I had it to do over again I'd go for the downmat 7- I think it would take less time to pump, its a more reasonable camping width, and I think it would keep most folks just as warm in less than extreme conditions.
THE MAT HAS EXTREME HEAT AND IS PUT TOGETHER WELL. THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE IS THE INFLATING OF THE PAD. THE STUFF SACK TO BLOW UP THE PAD IS A LITTLE BIT OF A HASSLE TO USE, WHERE THE ENDS MEET,THEY KEEP ON SEPERATING WHEN TRYING TO FILL IT AND IT TAKES SOME TIME FOR IT TO FINISH FILLING. OTHER THEN THAT IT'S GREAT.
