Hi! Are you planning to use it on Kilimanjaro?
Many tour operators already include sleeping mats in their packages, and they’re usually about 2–3 inches thick, which is comfortable enough for most hikers.
An R-value of 3.6 is basically the minimum for Kilimanjaro - it can work, but you’re definitely taking a risk, especially if you get cold easily. If you haven’t tested it in similar conditions with your sleeping bag setup and still prefer to bring your own, it might be safer to go with the Ether Light XR or even the XR Pro if you tend to get cold easily.
I’ll second the XR. It’s pretty comfy for stomach/side sleeping. But also, I tried out the NeoLoft at REI this weekend and holy crap is it a comfy cradle of air.
I have an Exped Dura 3R and it’s very warm and so far, has proven to be durable. I’ve taken it down to 30°f with no extra foam pad beneath and slept warm. Never had any air leak out.
I’m not a huge fan of the vertical baffles, but I must say that the edge baffles being slightly thicker does help keep me centered. Exped uses a microfiber insulation on these pads instead of reflective film, and I’m sold on it. I intended to swap the Exped for the new Sea to Summit Etherlite XR that has reflective insulation, but I shivered my way through a 42°f night on it.
So I bought the ether light XR in the spring and was happy with it until October. My backside was constantly chilled on a 38°f night with a z lite sol under it and 10° down quilt. I was wearing wool socks, beanie, and baselayers.
The second night was 45°f and I was more comfortable, but I was pretty disappointed given that it slept colder than the 3R Exped it was meant to replace. The old XT had reports of sleeping cold, but I was hoping that S2S had fixed that with the new iteration. If I were you, I’d get the Exped.
Yes, I could feel the cold coming through the XR with the ccf under it. I’d never had that issue with my 3R Exped, in fact, I have taken that down to 32°f with no ccf under it and never felt the cold. They have different insulation types, but I didn’t think that would matter based on the R ratings.
The XR is more comfortable though, so I’ll probably keep it for warmer temps.
I wasn’t pleased with the XR’s performance around 40°, it slept cold even with a foam pad under it. I wish I’d gotten the cold weather version. I’ve read that the Rapide also has underperformance issues related to R-value. There are a lot of good thread on this topic in r/ultralight.
I use nemo, used to have sea to summit one but sold it as it was too loud. I was waking other people up when changing sides. I would not recommend. Nemo is comfortable too
I returned the Ether Light XR because it slept way colder than the hyped 4.1 r-value. I was cold over two nights in the mid-40s with a quilt comfort-rated to 30. I was wearing full thermals, socks, and a grid fleece. I could feel the cold from my waist down. Terrible experience.
Got the Nemo Tensor All Season on sale to replace it.
AltezzaTravel
