Self-Inflating Matresses

[rossow]

Hi everyone.
Can those that have em, tell me what the difference is between a $200 one and a $70 one?
I'm looking at getting some for the kids to sleep on, on a big road trip (floor of cabins and stuff) But also to go into the camper on top of their bunk beds.
They may also be used in the house for "spare" bed type scenario's.

cheers
Rossow.

[Redback]

Oh no, quick pass me the popcorn

[cancan]

I have an expensive one which I purchased nearly 20 yrs ago.
I got it when I cycled around europe and wanted it as light as possible and also offering the best insulation possible.
I got caught in a cold snap for a week or so on an earlier trip (-12 on a bike in a tent) so learnt my lesson.

I do need to get another one for the kids but will buy a cheap one this time, weight and thermal quality is not as important.

[rossow]

haha... yes I know, can of worms much? But i'm not in the electrical section am i??? oops..  
anyway, some feedback of those that have them would be nice.

Rossow.

[earle]

Weight and comfort. When we first started hiking we bought oztrail self inflating matresses, the ones that are only a few cm thick, basically a solid piece of foam inside the outer layer. We soon upgraded to a premium brand for more comfort at less weight. They are shaped so they are broader at the shoulders and torseau, and taper at the legs. The foam inside also has numerous diamond cutouts to cut down on weight where you don't need support while still providing support where you need it. Either way the comfort level was not super high for adults.

If you're carrying them in a car the few hundred grams of weight difference won't matter, and being lighter the kids would probably find the cheap ones comfortable enough.

[Manjimike]

I have a Thermarest Pro 4 in the 3/4 length and have had it 6-7 years and it is great. I had an Oztrail eqivalent b4 that at double the weight, but as I was about to walk the Bibbulmun Track(965km) I decided to get the Thermarest.

It would depend on your kids as to whether to go cheap or light, if they are likely to jump up and down on them, I would go the cheap way.
Another aspect, if you are likely to want to use them in a creek or dam etc, then maybe the inflatable lilo style would be more suitable.

Cheers Mike

[JCOJ]

In my former life I was an outdoor Ed teacher spending half of my nights in a tent an on a mattress.  The price to comfort ratio definatley comes into play when it comes to self inflating mattresses.

For me the best has been the Exped down filled mats.  Not cheap at $255 but worth every cent in my book.

[hookedon4wding]

Thermal properties are much better in the more expensive ones. They don't let the cold come up through the mattress as much.

[Traveller]

We purchased our first Thermarests for bushwalking so went for the thin ones (only ones on the market back then). They were great and have been used a lot over the last 20 years or so. Started using them when the first 4x4 appeared, but ended up sooking out and buying the 2" thick Thermarest model (Camprest?). Camper trailer appeared on the scene with it's own (much praised) Queen sized mattress, and as is the way of the world, our daughter then made off with the thick Thermarests. Due to the fact that we still use the tent to go into the High Country, we waited until Anaconda had a sale on and then purchased some (cheaper) Denali mattresses for the daughter and her hubby and swapped them for ours.

By all reports the Denalis are good but not as good as the Thermarests. They have now purchased their own camper and the grandkids are using the the Denalis on bunk beds and are sleeping fine.

I would suggest buying the cheaper ones to start with, or maybe checking the Web and importing Thermarests from the States.

All the best with your choice.

[heath74]

I've got a thermarest which would be 16 yrs old now,  its advantage is its small size but it only inflates to about 20mm. About two years ago bought the kids a couple of 'denali' brand self inflating mats on sale from anaconda for about $70.  I have been so impressed I bought another one for myself these ones inflate to about 40mm.  They have served me in -5 and have probably done about 30 nights this year alone.  Highly recommended for 4wd camping.
For hiking though, the thermarest is the goods.

[Fivid]

We have a Q size one.  Bought it to replace an airbed because SWMBO has a bad back and needed somethign better.  We bought a 100mm thick one, have had a swag made to fit it.  Don't know what brand it is but paid around $200 6 or 7 years ago.  It is great to sleep on and is warm but bulky.

 
Dave

[Pete_R]

We've got Kathmandu ones which we got at half price when on sale. My wife & I got 70mm thick ones whilst got the kids 40mm ones - kids ones were $75 after the the 50% off. Can't remember how much the 70mm ones were as a few years ago now

[albyback1]

Ive got a queen size one, which I bought a little while ago that doesnt fit in my camper.

Its had a small leak fixed (my fault) which you can have for the cost of freight!!!! Set up a swagmail call and it would be free.

let me know if you want it...... I was about to put it in the general classifieds and thought id offer it to you first 

cheers

Alby

[MR MAC GU]

I have 2 king singles in the Roman brand. 10cm thick. They are one of the most comfortable mattreses that i have ever slept on, and at $80 each they were a bargain.

The only problem is the size when rolled up isn't much different to a foam mattress and they are a little heavy. But if you have the room quite comfortable.

Cheers

[darren]

I Imported my first self inflator, A Thermarest camprest LE from the states about 20 years ago when they were virtually unheard of over hear. I have 2 coast camping ones from about 12 years ago that are nearly as good quality. The camprest is about 40mm and the coast camping ones are about 50. They have a very durable material, strong valves and the thermarest has a non slip top.
 I also have a thermarest prolite 4 short and a prolite 3 long that i used for hiking. But i now use a Mont bell U.L.Comfort System Pad 90 that is a 15mm torso pad.

 My opinion is don't be fooled into buying a thick one as they take up heaps of room and defeat the purpose of it being self inflating, and secondly, my original thermarest is proof that buying quality represents long term value

Also, if possible store them inflated

[Alchemist]

We've just finished a seven week holiday through the Kimberley - our kids (aged 9 & 6), loved their self-inflating single sized OzTrails (80mm thick as opposed to the thicker King Singles at 100mm's).  A bit bulky, but not too bad (I had a lot of practice to get my rolling technique down to a fine art!).  They cost me $50 each, and also get used when their friends drop by for sleep overs.

Good luck with whatever you decide 

Alchemist

[rossow]

Thanks all for your opinions. Much appreciated. Albyback, thankyou very much for your very generous offer, however, I'm really after 2 singles.
Rossow.

[Lori]

Were you specifically after the hiking matresses or are you also interested in the 4WD matts?

We have 2 single Diamantina 4WD matts that cost about $90 each and no matter what the weather we havent had any issues with them, not even when it got so cold that my washing up water froze!

They are also very comfy, always happy to sleep on them - though they do tend to hold there heat in the summer.

[Matto]

Hey Rossow!

We've got 2 x OzTrail king single mats from BCF - the big 10cm thick ones. They're great. Perfect for a cold night if sleeping on the ground, they let none of the cold come through. Amazingly comfortable. The king singles are easy enough to roll up, a double would be nigh-on impossible, but that's not what you're after. We store ours inflated with the caps off, I think that's one of the keys to keeping them working well.

I've got a bad back/neck, so I'm pretty susceptible to a bad mattress, but love sleeping on these. That's also the reason we went with the 10cm thick ones instead of the smaller hiking-specific ones that are only a couple of cm thick. They pack down a lot smaller, but I need the more cushioning of the fatter mats. Plus they either go in the car, on the roof or in the trailer, so size/weight when packed isn't really a concern for me!

Friends of ours came with us camping a couple of weeks ago, and they used our tent and the mats. Saturday morning saw it at 1.6 degrees at 7am, but I don't doubt it was a lot colder than that between 4-6. They were perfectly warm and comfy, Jan even tried to smuggle one of the mats home  .

tldr; I'd buy a couple of the cheap OzTrail ones from BCF when they're next on sale, and give them a go. If you want to upgrade to an expensive one later, then you won't cry about retiring the OzTrail ones. Personally, I couldn't recommend them enough.

Good luck!
Matto

[MarkUnit]

Has anyone used a QS sized one in their camper trailer instead of an innerspring or foam mattress? I'm after a new mattress for our camper and was wondering if one of the OZtrail type '4WD' mats would be a worthwhile alternative.

Mark

[albyback1]

Has anyone used a QS sized one in their camper trailer instead of an innerspring or foam mattress? I'm after a new mattress for our camper and was wondering if one of the OZtrail type '4WD' mats would be a worthwhile alternative.

Mark

that is the exact reason i aquired the one I speak of earlier... the offer is open to you to have this one for the cost of freight to trial. I couldnt use it as it was too thick with the other mattress, so its not used bow!

let meknow if you want it

cheers Alby