I just wrapped up a week in central Japan with the exped versa 5r.
Pro:
very comfortable, quick setup, seems quite durable.
Con:
Slightly heavy/bulky ( took up ½-⅓ of the volume of 1 front pannier).
Sleep is important and it was a nice addition to my packout.
I have the 5R too. When I compare the pump to my thermarest pump bag with my old thermarest pad, I think the exped integrated pump is actually much faster. The pump bag gives and illusion of speed with the big fill volumes but there's the hassle of connecting, getting the bag full of air and sealed every time, and you can't squeeze like a gorilla either so the actual fill rate isn't that quick in any case. With the integrated exped pump you just get on with. Given the correct technique, the pad fills pretty quickly.
Modern-day insulated inflatable hiking pads are 3 to 4" thick and the comfiest are miles better than anything I've seen any military force use. Reliable brands include Thermarest, Exped and Sea to Summit, with the latter having an "air sprung cell" structure I find the comfiest of them all. Model names include Neoair for Thermarest, Versa for Exped, and Etherlight and Aircell for Sea to Summit.
Add an inflatable pillow and you're set for an actual night of sleep instead of just waiting for time to pass.
Some bag manufacturers make wide or extra wide models. I'm not as well updated on bags.
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...🤷
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.
Top Sleeping Pads on Reddit
1
Exped
MegaMat Series
92% positive of 454 users
Car camping comfort champ, but some side sleepers find it thin.
guchopa
