Exped - LuxeMat

My back is ok now but has been a misery in the past, and I sleep very comfortably on our Exped mat. I think it’s the Luxemat. I bring a slim body pillow and my ergonomic head pillow for good spine alignment. We also sleep with regular sheets and a camping comforter usually, rather than a sleeping bag, which can make me feel restricted and tense up. This is obviously not a backpacking arrangement, but it works well for me.

I’ve had a DIY platform in a Subaru Outback, a go fast camper, and have done plenty of ground tenting on all manner of CCF, air mattress, and inflatable pads. Spent plenty of nights on the cold hard ground, too. Currently I’m rocking a springbar tent and the exped luxe mat. There are trade offs to everything, there’s no one perfect solution - it doesn’t exist no matter how many times someone says the words “game-changer”. Sleeping in the vehicle can create condensation, feel like a coffin, and take up valuable cargo space but it’s simple, reliable, and super cozy when done right. RTTs are expensive and suck to drive with, but they’re fun and can be easy to deploy. A canvas tent is what I’ve settled on due to its dead simplicity, the ability to stand up inside, and the fact that it can be thrown in a closet when not in use. My springbar sets up in less than 5 minutes, doesn’t require any guylines and doesn’t even have rain fly. It’s so stupidly simple it makes me giggle every time I set it up. The long/extra wide exped is literally like a plush mattress from home. Super cozy, super effective, super simple, but quite costly. I bought a topper for the back of my truck but never built it out for sleeping in, and sold it a week after I bought it. The sleep setup in the bed would have just taken up too much cargo space in my 5” bed. It’s a really sweet option if you have the right vehicle for it though. Good luck!

I started with the mega may duo and loved it. Then my cat decided to use it as a climbing wall. It was just under 5-year warranty, and ExPed fixed it for free. It took several months to get it back. So I needed something for the wife and I, and I picked up the LuxeMat mats that zip together, and boy did my wife love it! No longer do you feel when your partner rolls or moves in the middle of the night. Each person can also select the hardness for their own comfort. Expensive, but it’s cheaper than 6 nights in a hotel, and was very comfortable even when it dipped into the 40s over night. Slept on them for 6 nights straight with no problems. Looking forward to using these for the foreseeable future.

There are generics that are almost as good. I have the lxw and wish mine was smaller. I've carried it a bit but just a bit smaller would be nice. I found mine unused but on marketplace.

I have an Exped. Not loud. And of them can make some noise sliding about on say tent floors, depending on the relative texture etc of the fabrics. Not way to know for sure until you try it. Or, more easily, just use something between them if it's an issue.

I've had great success with Thermarest, REI, and Exped self inflating mattresses. All have good customer support too. I wouldn't ever bother with an all air mattress. Poor insulation, rotten in cold. Get a FlexTail pump.

I tried long term sleeping on an Exped. They're a seif inflating pad. It did not last a full year. The fabric in those is glued to the foam, and as it turns out tossing and turning can eventually break that bond, and the fabric blister.

Yes. They were going to honor the warranty, but it was less than a year so just easier to drop it at REI where I bought it and get a refund. Definite bummer; great mattress even at home. If they ever do a long lasting home version I'll be all over it...literally. :)

I agree, and one that's relatively high, so easier to get up. The Roll a Cots fit these criteria very well, and come in different sizes. On that, a self inflating foam/air pad, like the Exped, Thermarest, etc. You can essentially change the firmess when you're on it via letting out air. Mine is at least as good as my bed at home; I use a 4" Exped. Even on the ground they're great.

100% this. I as well have a 4 inch exped and it's great, but my hammock is far and away the best sleep I've ever had in my entire life. I'm 6'6" with a long list of back and shoulder issues, and I wake up feeling better from a night in my hammock than any bed I've ever slept in.

Exped are the best. In my opinion.

Exped. I’m 6-5. It’s one of the few pads they make large enough for me.

Exped. I have a 4 inch thick one I think. I’m 6-5 280. It’s comfortable for side sleeping.

Wiggy sleeping bag. High r value pad like a thick exped. Ignik heated pad cover if you have power. Sleep in clothes so you don’t get cold taking them off then cold again putting them back on in the AM. Get super organized so you’re not wasting time dicking about. Things that you don’t mind doing in summer warmth can get really annoying really quickly in the cold.

I used one for a bit and it definitely collects condensation. It did feel good for my back though. Ended up investing in an Ex Ped camping mattress, full size for me and my spouse. Takes up the same amount of space in the car but fits 2 people and no condensation problem. Also purchased a $20 rechargeable micro air pump to inflate it fast. They’re not the cheapest, but also didn’t get sore back after a week on it.

Two x-large expeds and you'll wake up happy.