SIM Comfort 7.5

We have an Exped SIM Comfort Duo 7.5 and it was pricey but it has served us for over 10 years and has been amazing. I’m pretty sure it was in the $200-$300 range. 😖 and I would not still be sleeping on the ground if it wasn’t for that bad boy.

I've had four Expeds. Still have two. Both have the built-in pump. One has synthetic fill. The other has some down insulation which makes it good for ~10F colder than without. The first two developed tiny leaks (could not find them even with submerging). They were a few years out of warranty. Exped still replaced both. I appreciate a company that stands behind their products. I also like side-sleeping. I have not used these as much as what you will. So durability...🤷

This may not help in the short term, but I highly recommend looking into hammock camping. I genuinely prefer it to my bed at home. I also have a 3” exped mattress that I find very comfortable as well, although I would prefer the thicker model.

You are off to a great start and almost anything you need is gonna just depend on your activity. It doesn’t look like you have a sleeping pad. I would highly recommend a thick self inflating type, like an exped, if you are car camping. If you are interested in backpacking, you could get a more compact style, but I find the self inflators pretty bombproof and very comfortable. I sleep better in my hammock than I do at home, but that is gonna require a tarp, hammock, and under quilt; all of which can be pretty expensive.

To get this right so that you will feel like you are sleeping at home every night, you will most likely have to move your sleep system gear more to the LW side on one or two pieces. I have already recommended ZenBivy. Aim for a pad (ideally insulated) that inflates to a 4 inch max or better. Inflate the pad 3/4 — never fully. When you roll over, your shoulder bones should not feel the ground. But when you sit up in the pad, your seat bones will probably feel the ground. The ideally inflated pad is designed to sleep on, not to sit on. You mention pillows. By far the most reliable system for me has been the Nemo Fillo series in combination with a down-stuffed pillow “base” that lies under the head of my insulated pad. To create this “base” I take my UL INSULATION (MontBell down pants) and zip it inside an UL container/sack that measures roughly the width of my pad and works to slightly elevate the head area of the pad, before adding a pillow under my head. I add very little air to the bladder. All air bladders give a stiff feel. Any other discomfort is usually fixed by adding a bolster pillow as needed beneath or between my legs. This is created from my clothes. Hope this helps.

Plus one on Exped pads!

I want to comment on this as a greybeard who is still out 40 nights a year, year after year for decades now. Guys, the CCF sleeping literally ends in a wreck the minute you turn 35. As muscle mass begins to slowly decline, you no longer will have enough muscle to make the CCF nights comfortable. Almost every guide and long term backcountry user I know started making a hard and past pivot to INSULATED inflatable pads around 35-40. If you anticipate that, do yourself a favor and start now. Invest in the best Exped insulated pad you can afford. You’ll thank me!

Just reminding folks here that based on broad experience, star sleepers and people who regularly sleep back-side-stomach will never be able to adjust to hammock sleeping.

Guys read my comments but let me tell you the problem is usually age related. After 35, usually a good idea to start shifting your sleep system weight a bit toward LW from UL to get the sleep you need. Good sleep translates into more energy during travel.

Exped all the way. Love my green whatever name it is, it's insulated, so it's nice in cold months and works good in summer months.

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. :)

Exped is the current king of the semi self inflating mattresses but there are other worthy considerations which are more affordable, especially on sale. I went with a Lost Horizon I found on clearance for half price. Probably not as bomb proof as the Exped, but after about a dozen trips this summer it’s going strong without issues. The bottom line is these type of mattresses are exponentially more comfortable than anything else on the market. I will never go back. The only drawback is they don’t roll up small.