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 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.
I've got an Exped 5R in a long/wide size. It's listed as 77.6" x 25.6" x 3". I had a 7R a couple of years ago in the same size. It was a 3.5" thick mattress though. Honestly they've been some of the comfiest sleeping pads I've owned.
I'm pretty much the same size as you are as well. I'm 6'2" and 215. I've never found the size of the pad to be too short or narrow. And I toss and turn like I'm clothes in a dryer.
There's plenty of thickness to keep you from sinking in even if you're a side sleeper. The only downside to the pad is it's packed size. Which is bulkier than the traditional suggested sleeping pads, but it's really not that bad for what you get.
Also I just looked at the Megamat. The 5R has a higher r-value, is still 3" vs 4", but that megamat packed size isn't worth the extra space at all in my opinion. I think the bulk of the megamat will cause more problems than it solves in the long run.
Yeah 8 is pretty crazy, I have an exped 7R and sleep with it literally on top of snow with no problems. Slept in -20°C a few weeks ago and the pad was fine but my bag wasn’t warm enough
I have the 3R MW and 5R MW. I’m going on a bikepacking trip next week with temps around 5-10 at night. I will bring my 3R. If I have the room for it on the bike I might go for the 5R. I will make the final decision as I pack my bike.
I did buy a 7R to replace my xtherm, but the down seemed poorly distributed when I held it up to the light so I returned it.
5R with a ccf on top served me well at -5-10C last winter.
Top Sleeping Pads on Reddit
1
Exped
MegaMat Series
92% positive of 462 users
Car camping comfort champ, but some side sleepers find it thin.
Ambitious_Chard126
