Whether you’re camping, backpacking or hiking, if you’re staying in the outdoors over night you need to be looking at camping sleeping mats, so that you can stay comfortable and get a full night of sleep, so that you’re refreshed for the next day. You should know that there are plenty of options available when buying a camping sleeping mat, but the one thing that really matters is your sleep. If you cant get a full night of sleep, the sleeping mat you’ve chosen is not the right one for you. Keep that in mind when reviewing sleeping mats.
Camping Sleeping Mats
What to look for when looking for a camping sleeping mat.- R-Value – One of the more important variables when it comes to camping sleeping mats that many people aren’t aware of is R-value. Depending on how well insulated your sleeping mat is, more or less of your body heat will be reflected back at you while you sleep. In cold conditions, for example, it can be extremely useful to have a sleeping mat with a high R-value that will reflect back a lot of heat.
- Shape – Sleeping mats come in all different shapes and sizes, and you want to make sure to get the one most comfortable for you. A rectangular sleeping mat, for instance, is ideally suited to those that move around a lot while they sleep, while a mummy shape is better for those that stay quite still while sleeping.
Best Camping Sleeping Mats
Some of the very best camping sleeping mats to choose from for your next adventure.- Therm-A-Rest NeoAir - First, what is very likely the most popular sleeping pad on the market. It's rectangular and inflatable, but it would be a mistake to assume that that means it's heavy, because at 14.5 ounces, or 410 grams, it's relatively lightweight. It also won the 2009 Backpacker Magazine Editor's Choice award, so you know it's a quality product. The R-value is 2.5, which wont keep you very warm in the winter, but is more than suitable for the other 3 seasons of the year.
- Exped Downmat 9 - For the fourth season of the year, winter, you need a sleeping bag with a high R-Value, and with an R-value of 8, this is one of the warmest sleeping mats currently on the market. What separates it out from the rest of the winter sleeping mats is its use of a layer of down to achieve both a high R-value and a low weight, of just 2.2 pounds, or 1.02 kilograms, which compares extremely well with other winter sleeping mats. It's also rectangular and inflatable, with a plush thickness of 3.5 inches.
- Big Agnes Clearview Air Pad - If what you want is something cheap and basic, then the Clearview is an excellent choice. It comes in either a mummy shape or rectangular shape, and several different lengths. And despite the low price the weight is also very low, being just 14 ounces, or 396 grams for the medium mummy shaped sleeping mat. The only real drawback here is an R-value of 1, which is quite low and will provide little to no warmth.
