Therm-a-Rest
36 products
Overall rating | (6 reviews) |
Overall rating | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
Overall rating |
I had been looking for a wide and long foam mat for a long time. I thought for a long time between Thermarest RidgeRest Classic Large and Expedi Flexmat LW. However, due to the advantages of both, I ended up buying both. I mainly bought this roll-up one to use with my bivy bag instead of the foldable one. Now I get additional insulation for the winter cold, protection from sharp rocks and pine cones for the bivy, and a possible air mattress, and this rolls up neatly under the backpack in a Bivy-roll style in the same package with the bivy itself and the air-filled sleeping mat. At the same time, there is plenty of space in the backpack for other things. It works very well against the cold just like that, compared to previous traditional smaller foam mats. It is worth the price difference, if you can just take the larger size with you. I personally did not experience any problems when carrying it under the backpack in a roll. I also noticed that this rolls up into a smaller package, if you compare it to the so-called. to traditional flat-surfaced roll-up foam mats of the same size. I tested this under a bivy with a sleeping bag and an R4.9 air-filled sleeping pad in -13 degrees below zero on a cold stone mat and the mat actually worked pretty perfectly with that setup, I did notice the difference. You can then add an air mattress to it if necessary depending on the comfort and coldness, but with this foam mat alone, at least I felt that I could cope well with the sleeping bag during the thaw. The weaknesses of roll-up mats include the large size and the fact that the ends often seem to rise back onto the roll when you unroll it, but at least with that bivy it settles nicely when you open it. The packed size and weight are a bit larger compared to foldable foam mats, but this suited my needs perfectly. I can recommend this to anyone who is debating whether to take the lighter short and narrow one or this one. The picture shows the Thermarest RidgeRest Classic Large on the right (black) and the second picture shows a bivy bag, LW air mattress and this Thermarest foam pad in the same roll (Bivy-roll).