Exped - SynMat HL Winter

No the sleeping bag won’t help much. To get a significant bump in comfort you’ll have to jump into some heavier pads that are still compressible enough to bring backpacking. Pads like the Thermarest Neoloft or Exped Megamat Ultra. I have a Tensor All Season and find it comfortable, however my Exped Synmat 3D (older version of the Megamat Ultra) is definitely more comfortable. My brother has the Rapide SL which is similar to the Tensor in comfort.

Those are all pads my friends and I use. I have Exped pads, but mummy-shaped wide. One is the older Exped SynMat HL Winter R=5.2. What can one say since it is all about opinion and personal preference. I think one will get recommendations for all those choices and you are left where you started. Here's a video clip of me finding a miniscule air leak in my friend's Nemo demonstrating the failure mode of thermal weld fail: https://imgur.com/DwWWONu

I also want to mention that the valves of some pads are not designed to be mistreated. For instance, on Exped pads, DO NOT simply pull the flap to open the valve. BE SURE to hold the part of the valve that is permanently attached to the pad fabric separately so that the forces of opening the flap do not tear the valve out of the fabric.

I don't know the weight of the Exped you listed, but you are right about the website weights of the vendors. I do have an older R=5.2 Exped SynMat Winter HL in medium wide that weighs 539 g. Here is a photo of it rolled up: [https://imgur.com/a/SZs4DAy](https://imgur.com/a/SZs4DAy) And a photo of it in a tent with another pad: [https://imgur.com/a/F4cSV7j](https://imgur.com/a/F4cSV7j) I recommend a WIDE mummy pad. Your listed sizes suggest that those pads are not wide and other numbers seem off to me, too. Probably you might need to see the m in person.

A similar thread from yesterday might be worth visiting: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/1l5j7gk/noisy\_sleeping\_pad\_what\_is\_a\_good\_alternative/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/1l5j7gk/noisy_sleeping_pad_what_is_a_good_alternative/) Exped Ultra 5R (aka SynMat Winter H) works for me below freezing temps. Also a WIDE pad is worth it for me. A problem with all these daily pad questions is that the daily responses are not representative of the universe of pad users. One probably has to read at least 3 months of such threads to come to the conclusion that there is no consensus. Good luck with your search and please report back what ended up working for you.

My exped is a piece of magic.

I have a exped 9 cm thick pad. Mine is the synpad, it is a bit larger than the down equivalent when folded up, but it is really super comfortable, and with a great R rating

I really like my Exped Synmat 9. It’s not produced anymore but they have a lot of other models.

I have an Exped Synmat and it's quite comfortable. It's more "air mattress" than my Thermarest Prolite Plus but more comfortable. So much so I'm insisting my wife use my Synmat mattress instead of her existing Thermarest on our next trip. I can handle the lesser one (I hope). I think basically if you're spending some money it's always going to be more complicated than "air mattress". I think OP means a classic vinyl sack filled with air. They tend to have poor support, zero vapor management, and are cold (because air convection inside the mattress takes all your heat and moves it to the ground).

G'Day Practical, I've had an Exped Synmat which I recently replaced with an Exped 5R (I haven't used this yet, but it is the successor the Synmat). The Synmat lasted quite a few years and I was very happy with it. Both mats are rectangular rather than tapered so I think you will be less likely to slide off it. I certainly never had any problems, which is why I bought the 5R. Regarding sleeping bags, I have a three season bag (Exped Ultralite 300, \~300 g down) which I can pair with an inner bag (Macpac Snowflake, 130 g down). I used this combination (along with a silk inner sheet) in Nepal up to 4000 m (in accommodation) and was always comfortable. Note, you didn't mention having an inner sheet. If you do not have one, I advise you to get one (silk, not cotton). I think it is worth buying quality products from reputable manufacturers. They will last you a long time and be reliable.

What time of year are you going? I've done a lot of camping in Iceland in a range of seasons over the course of about 7 trips, if you're going in summer you don't need anything particularly large, just think UK spring or Autumn really. I took a Synmat in May/June and it was fine. All I would say is that it's very windy and there are very few trees or vegetation so your tent needs to be able to stand up to the wind exceptionally well. I stayed at a campsite on the south cost where someone's tent literally blew away with about half their stuff in. It ended up in the sea. So get good pegs. The ground isn't very soily! Definitely take a ground sheet protector there's some spikey rocks.

I floor slept with my Exped and a wool blanket, same results! My body evened out and woke up feeling much more refreshed.

Exped and Nemo both have thick pads and they aren’t crinkly like Thermarest. :)

cancel all these and get an Exped

xped makes a great pad/mattress, it's kind of a cross between the two, mine has lasted for years

love my xped for car camping. kind of a cross between the two

if it helps i think i'm on year 5 with it.

I (64M) love an Exped air mattress or a cot for sleeping. I always used a cot for many years but got talked into an Exped, not cheap, and I have to say it is awesome. It stays firm and fills up in minutes with the supplied pump and takes up minimum space when empty and it is light.

I (64M) swear by my Exped. Not cheap but comfort in a relatively small package. It comes in a bag that can be attached to anything. YMMV

I (64M) always used a cot when camping. REI had Expeds on sale and I have read such good things about them, so I bought one. They are the best mattress for camping I have ever used. Even weighing 230lbs, side sleeper, I would have a tough time touching the ground through the mattress. They are quick to fill up with the enclosed hand pump and quick to deflate. They are light and I now prefer it over the cot that I have used for many years.