Outback Mat

I was very leary about spending so much money on an expensive mat, but I saw the self-inflating mats at REI and liked what they presented, but refused to spend THAT much money.
While it is bulkier amd heavier than an air mattress when deflated and only 4" thick vs an airmattess 8"+ the sleep quality i got on this FAR exceeds the air mattress.
It is so much more comfortable than an air mattress and definitely better than a foam pad.
The R-factor is no joke. I've been camping in cool nights and air mattress just transfer the cold air to you. I've taken this mat on PolarBear campouts and have been comfortable!

The only negative I can think of is that the valve is a bit confusing at first. It's a "free-floating" pivoting valve. You just have to push on the edge of the disc and it flips to the other side.

I was so impressed with this I purchased TWO more in the XL size. Trust me, those few extra inches of width are well worth the money.

[This review was originally posted on alpsmountaineering.com]

I have used this mat now on multiple camping trips and it is amazing. Well worth the investment.

[This review was originally posted on alpsmountaineering.com]

I have owned 9 different camping sleeping pads/cots in the past. Granted, you can immediately scratch four for backpacking. It's only competitor is a 3.5" self inflating matt on a cot (I own both a Coleman and Alps Mountaineering cot. The Alps cot is more comfortable but is too big for my car tent). Oddly this mat is noticeably superior to to the 3.5" mat, much more than what 0.5 inches should make. The problem with the cot/mat combination is that since it sags slightly in the middle, it is not a perfectly flat surface like this pad. And this costs less than the combo.

When I am by myself I bring along a piece of memory foam which when used with this mat is as comfortable as my expensive bed at home.

[This review was originally posted on alpsmountaineering.com]