Sleeping mats

A warm, comfortable sleeping mat makes all the difference when wild camping and backpacking. Chris Townsend and Lucy Wallace put a range of men’s and women’s mats to the test

TTHE RIGHT SLEEPING MAT is a crucial piece of kit in wild camping and backpacking; no matter how good your tent or sleeping bag is, without a decent foundation you’re in for a bad night’s sleep and, potentially, a ruined trip. Insulation and comfort are the most important aspects of a camping mat. But on top of these considerations, the durability of the mat and its weight are also important when it comes to wild camping and backpacking. There is a trade-off between all these four aspects depending on the season, the type of trip, and how portable the mat needs to be.

When selecting the right mat, personal sleeping preferences also come in to play.

Lucy, who reviews the women’s mats features here, says: “I don’t mind a bit of discomfort, but can’t abide being cold. I’m tall for a woman, but often opt for a short mat to save weight, and then insulate my feet with my rucksack.

As a side sleeper, I can tolerate quite a narrow mat.”

Chris, who reviews the men’s mats, says: “I’m a front sleeper so I like a fairly wide mat. For long trips I take a short mat – I’m not tall – and use clothes as a pillow and under my feet if necessary.”

Durability can be a concern with inflatable mats – nobody wants a puncture when far from home. Most are supplied with a repair kit, but how useful it is will depend on the type of failure. Split valves and large tears are more difficult to repair. Lucy says: “For longer trips, I carry a closed cell foam mat, which is both lightweight and indestructible, if not the most comfortable. On ‘luxury’ trips I carry both.”

Chris adds: “Having had four failures with airbeds I’ve finally learnt my lesson and now take a closed cell mat as well on long trips and in cold weather. Trying to repair a hole in a mat, or even find it, out in the wilds is not easy and sometimes impossible. I’ve found self-inflating mats to be much tougher than airbeds – on two occasions one has replaced an airbed that failed – so if I only take one mat on long trips it’s one of these.”