ZERO MATTRESS R05

I bought a Flextail zero last year, £50 from aliexpress. I'd recommend if they do one long enough for you

I've used it at 0C. R value is 6

Have a look at Flextail I have their R05 version in the big size as I’m quite tall. I really rate it. R5.6 and about £100 or less with discount codes. They’ve also got a model called R09 with an R value of 9.4 which is pretty high! And on offer today £154

I actually just bought a naturehike Ultralight 6.5R sleeping pad to try. Definitely warm, lives up to the R value but for comfort wasn't as good as my Flextail Zero 6.0R pad, also very slippery in the tent but that can be fixed with some silicone dots. Overall wouldn't be bad as a starter pad but wasn't my cup of tea. FYI - sleeping pads, sleeping bags or quilts and a comfortable pack are VITAL to enjoying backpacking but there are good budget options for all. Also, check out the Sensory4U sleeping quilt on Amazon - $130 and it's a 850 down quilt, very light and warm. There are a ton of YouTube channels that talk about good budget gear to start with as well. Try Dose of Dirt, StepMassive, MyLifeOutdoors, or Dan Becker for good info on gear Darwin on theTrail, Homemade Waderlust, JupiterHikes or Oscar Hikes for good hiking info and tips as well.

I’ve had the original r05 since it came out, to preface I got it for an exceptionally low price and have not tried many others so take all of this with a pinch of salt. Saying that, I love it, it’s very comfortable, very warm and reasonably light but by all means not ‘ultra’ light. If you have tried other pads and found that you like the vertical baffle system then this pad is great i know true ultra lighters will say that comfort shouldn’t be a consideration but if you’re on a budget and can only buy one pad it really isn’t a bad option

Both of the guys that I talked to at REI were big fans of the Tensor and were anti Therm-a-Rest. I went with that and ordered a Flextail zero online. I’ve got it packed on my bike, and I’m going for a two day ride tomorrow to try it out. Thanks everybody, I appreciate this community!

I got it, first impressions was i loved it! after many pros and cons list i was inititall going to land on the Kilos mat then found this one, 10cm thick, R05 and 545g, i thought i was winning! iv used it 3 times and keep waking up with my ass on the ground. come winter this is going to be very cold. Iv tried soapy water, iv tried submerging it in water but cannot find a leak anywhere, i cant find any faults. iv used it 3 times and have woken up with this issue 3 times. i have just emailed customer support and am awaiting a response. actually jumped on redit to see if anyone else had the same issue. Yes there are lighter mats out there but i also wanted the thickness.

- ditch the wipes for biodegradable - ditch the multitool, good knife is all you’ll need. I use mossy oak and they have withheld for years. - MSR pocket rocket has been a super small and great camp stove for me, these cheap amazon brands I would be cautious of. - do not get that sleeping pad. It’s cheap and will be extremely uncomfortable and only good for summer. I use flextail gear mummy pad and my wife uses Hikenture 6.2 r value sleeping pad. Both comfortable and warm. Hikenture is more noisy but easy availability and cheaper. - can’t speak on the tent but a free standing is better for new campers. - sleeping bag is going to be very bulky. Try to find a 20F ultralight bag. I can’t speak on specific brands. I use a 30F REI mummy bag and it’s been good but I’m in the market for a new one too. This Coleman will not fit in a backpack. Your biggest expense will be your sleeping system. Don’t cheap out here especially if you plan on doing fall and spring trips.

Exped Dura 8 is going to be the more durable / warmest pad combination out there for an air pad. If you want something cheaper that is warm you can look at the FlexTailGear pads. They have an ASTM pad over an R value of 6.