Exped - Dura 8R

I might recommend the dura 8 then but that also drives up your cost not insignificantly (another $100 from what I recall). I’ve used the 5 down to 5C but also had an extra foam pad under and a wool blanket down under that as a “carpet” and since R is cumulative it was probably closer to 7-8 total. Granted I was also sleeping in just my under layers and was toasty warm through the entire night. Didn’t wake up once. The 5 may have been sufficient in colder with extra layers possibly, hard to say for sure. I haven’t done a ton of super cold camping like that outside of log cabins. I also assume your sleeping bag is rated for those temps.

I just recently got an exped Dura 8R LW and I HIGHLY recommend it! Very warm, very comfortable, but not very friendly to the wallet even though I got it on sale.

Exped Dura series hands down. 170d bottom face and 75d top face. Nothing else comes close.

That is probably more accurate description. From Exped's product listing: https://www.exped.com/en/products/sleeping-mats/dura-8r The Dura sleeping mat features recycled 75D/170D ripstop face fabric.

I own both the Duraz Ultra and both MegaMat 10 and 25 models. The Dura is better for base camping, car camping (where pack size is important) and winter camping. Way way more durable with the 170D bottom fabric face. Way better to use with dogs. Ultra will be fine if you are careful. Take out sharp objects from your pockets. Actually have nothing in your pockets. I have the Ultra 5 LW mummy, Dura 8, Dura 5 and both MegaMat series.

No. I don't have anywhere near the space for that. If you had a long sized bed that allows storage underneath it would be fine, but otherwise most people would never have the space for a MegaMat inflated all the time. If your aim is best durability and smallest pack size the Exped Dura is probably the best one to get. If you aim is maximum comfort with smallest pack size many people would argue that the Big Agnes Rapide, Big Agnes Boundary Deluxe or Nemo Tensor All Season or Nemo Tensor Extreme would be the best choice. These pads have a quilted baffled construction that many find to be very comfortable. If your aim is just pure comfort you can't go wrong with an Exped MegaMat 15, 10 or one of the MegaMat clones on the market: Sea the Summit Comfort Deluxe Big Agnes Captain Comfort Nemo Roamer 3D Stoic Cloud or Cloud Lux ALPS Mountaineering Outback Mat

I have an exped dura 8r I bought a few months ago and it is amazing. I got it almost 50% off too because there was a sale. Super warm, very comfortable, and it is definitely made from a durable material.

After buying and using nearly everything on the market, all of my sleeping pads are now Exped. They are just excellently made and they've never failed me in sub zero temperatures. They come with a shnozzel bag to inflate them up so you don't have to blow into them and introduce moisture which lowers their effectiveness. [Exped Dura 8R](https://www.expedusa.com/products/dura-8r)

I couldn’t get comfortable on mine. Couldn’t avoid waking up with lower back pain. I switched to an Exped Dura8 LW. Noticeably bigger and heavier in the pack but it’s worth the comfort.

I recently switched from the Thermarest XTherm NXT as I just couldn’t get comfortable on it. I loved the weight and small size of it when packed down and I really wanted to like it. I tried different levels of inflation, pillow under my knees etc, but in the end I just couldn’t avoid waking up with significant lower back pain. I went for the Exped Dura 8R MW which is HUGE when in my pack but god damn that thing is comfortable. I don’t have any concerns about its longevity either. It’s robust AF. It’s the cost, quality, weight triangle I guess.

I'm a side sleeper and bought the Dura 6R. Heavier than my old downmat 5m but thicker, warmer and just as durable.

I'm on my second exped. The first one, a downmat,is still going strong but I needed a thicker one for health reasons. I liked the durability of the downmat but they stopped producing them. I went for the dura 6R. Durable like the name suggests, filled with down for insulation and 7cm instead of the 5cm downmat. My wife uses my old downmat which is now 10 years old. As it is down, I only use a pumpsack and don't blow in to them. The old downmat has been used on bothy floors, stood on, sat on and used and abused but is still going strong.

I've always found exeds comfortable and warm. Have an old down mat 5m (discontinued) and a Dura 6r. Yeah the dura is heavy but it is durable, down filled and very comfortable. I am recovering from spinal injuries and my temperature regulation is bollocked now I'm on blood thinners. I can save weight elsewhere.

I set up an alert on marketplace so I can snag lightly used Expeds. I want the quality and the weight, not willing to get a cheaper pad that won’t hold up. Got a downmat 9 for $20. No stuff sack. Win. Got a double synmat for $100 with shnozzle/bag. Basically brand new. Win. As long as you check the inflate/deflate nozzles, any pinhole leaks should be easy to repair. To date neither of my pads have had any leaks.

Yeah, they really are the bees knees! If you ever get a chance, snag an older downmat. SO COMFY, R value is 9 and even though it’s bulky it’s definitely saved me suffering through chilly nights in the colder months (Canadian prairie/mountains). The double synmat is even smaller than my thermarest from a few years back. I don’t usually simp for brands, but unless exped seriously screws up their quality/production I’ll be a fan for a long time.

Look into exped insulated pads. They use insulation instead of the reflective inner layer other manufacturers are now using. Insulation instead of reflective layer is quieter, warm, but a bit heavier. Can’t stand the crinkly noise produced by reflective layer models.

That’s a legit complaint. Ive tried pads from every company and NONE has solved the noise caused by the sleeping bag sliding around on the pad. But the newer reflective tech layers that are inside the pads add an additional crinkling noise that the reflective layer makes when it moves. So yeah, the exped still makes noise but I find they’re less noisy than the reflective pads. I turn over nonstop all night long and am insanely sensitive to noise. I suspect pad reviewers who claim ANY current pad is silent probably aren’t turning over very much or are simply less sensitive to the noise. Overall, i find expeds less noisy.

Exped Dura. Sleeping mat is not something I cheap out on

Unless you are only ever going to use it at +10c or warmer, go 5R Edit: if mostly used inside a tent and on relatively "gentle" ground, ultra is fine, if you are like me and like to use it as a chair/couch in far from ideal conditions to, get dura or versa. Edit2: and unless you are really narrow, get MW or LW

Unless you are only ever going to use it at +10c or warmer, go 5R Edit: if mostly used inside a tent and on relatively "gentle" ground, ultra is fine, if you are like me and like to use it as a chair/couch in far from ideal conditions to, get dura or versa. Edit2: and unless you are really narrow, get MW or LW

Or the exped dura-series. They are heavier but more comfortable. God tur!

As others have mentioned, your requirements are unrealistic. You can't get light and durable or warm and cheap. Comfortable is also sadly somewhat tied to R-value since the thicker more comfortable pads also tend to have higher R-values and thus cost more. But with the exped duro series you can get quite durable and relatively warm and if you're willing to pay for it.

Exped dura/ultra. Good european quality, not comparable to all the US trash

Exped Ultra or if you will be in a bit rougher terrain the exped dura. I use a dura5r and its mor comfortable than my bed at home

To reiterate what I said in the comments, I got the Exped Dura for that same reason, I wanted a durable pad since I'm a bigger guy and the Dura is made with a stronger material

I have the Exped Dura, I was going to get the Ultra but I'm a bigger guy and wanted the extra durability, I like it a lot so far

They're not quite as light but I'm a huge fan of the Exped 5R, 4.8R Value and the Medium-Wide is about 23 oz.

I do like to sleep comfortably when backpacking, and have spent a lot of time trying to figure out what works best for me. I've tried many pads over the past decades, including these two, along with similar Exped sleeping pads like the Ultra, Versa, and Dura. I am primarily a side sleeper, so that informs some of my sleeping experience on these, and am 190cm and 95kg. Personally I was not able to sleep comfortably on the Exped MegaMat Lite, or its siblings (Dura/Versa/Ultra). A through-line in my testing of these is the vertical baffling: I regularly wake up and find my arm is numb. I think these might work better for me if I was primarily a back or chest sleeper; lots of people like them and recommend them. But in my adulthood I've probably maximum only got about two hours of sleep at a time on a design like these. I have only had to contact Exped for warranty once, and they ended up shipping me a new unit before I even had to send the old one back: top marks here in support. I just picked up the Therm-a-rest NeoLoft before the holidays and took it on two trips in Mt Hood National Forest. Maybe the most comfortable backpacking pad I've personally used recently, even if the large (long wide, 78x26) weighs 2lbs! When fully inflated it is 4.6" thick. One of the few pads I've slept more than six straight hours on, which is kind of how I prioritize pads. Not only comfortable, but has a soft-touch stretchy fabric which feels good against the skin (I tend to sleep with quilts rather than bags). The first night I did wake up to find my arm was numb, so curious if that was a one-off with a weird sleeping position... R-value is 4.7, so I haven't used it at all in the past 45 days because of the cold where I am. It looks like the REI exclusivity is now over in early 2025, and this can be picked up lots of different places. Honestly the thing I dislike the most is the valves; I just don't care for the old-style Therm-a-rest valves. Realizing your question was specifically about those two, I also wanted to recommend what I have found to be my most comfortable pads in recent years: 1. Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Extreme Insulated. This specific pad and its sibling, Ether Light XT Insulated, have been my primary pads the past four-ish years. They are 4" thick and the most comfortable pads I've used, probably tied with the NeoLoft. Never woken with my arm numb, and the only pad I've ever slept seven-plus hours straight-through. In the PNW I use the non-Extreme-variant in the warmer half of the year, and the Extreme-variant in the colder half. The stuff sack with the inflation aid built-in is the smartest I've seen. Extreme version has an r-value of 6.2, and the non-Extreme version r-value is 3.2. The Extreme has that spider-web looking Thermolite insulation, which in my mind is the most reliable winter/cold insulation; it doesn't crinkle and potentially fail like newer thin reflective films in other lighter pads (NEMO Tensor, Big Agnes Rapide, etc). On the flip side that makes the Extreme very heavy, more than 2lbs, and also packs down the biggest of any backpacking pad I've owned. 2. REI Helix. Been using this on-and-off for the past few seasons. One of the few pads that has me sleeping through the night. It is only 3" thick, but I have found the trick is to fully inflate: the dimples do a good jump of evening out my weight and not experiencing any arm numbness. The long wide is 1lb 13oz, and seems pretty sturdy compared to other REI-brand pads I've used in the past; no leaks yet... R-value of 4.9. I always wake up refreshed and feeling good on those mats, baring any environmental issues outside of the pad. I cannot recommend the NeoLoft in that way yet, but will continue to use and test it out in the near future with an additional foam pad underneath to make it safe for snow conditions (as the r-value stacks). And I don't think I will ever recommend an Exped pad for backpacking. Exped does make fantastic foam inflating car-camping pads though!