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What's in a Name? Exped have named their mats in a way that identifies the key features of the mat. Some examples are dissected here.

Incredibly eager to start this year's winter camping season, I headed to the Cairngorms for this year's first glimpses of snow. I wasn't planning to camp on the plateau itself, and the expected temperature was supposed to hover around 0° throughout the night. I arrived at the Corrour Bothy at about 3, pitched my tent, The Hillerberg Soulo, next to the river Dee, and settled in for …

As the nights are drawing in and the temperature is starting to dip, we are excited about the prospect of the upcoming winter camping season. Winter camping can be more challenging, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. Cosy nights curled up in the tents, crisp frosty mornings, and dark star-filled skies are all only a few months away. So, we have teamed up with our friends at EXPED to de …

Exped describes the Dura 5R M as a ‘durable, extra-warm mat for demanding adventures, including extended outings in alpine and polar regions, rugged paddling trips and overlanding.’ Compared to their Ultra range this is quite large in comparison with a weight of approx. 900 grams including the inflation bag and an R-value of 4.8. Having also been using the Exped Ultra 7R alon …

This is a tent we are certainly familiar with, having been one of the first pieces of kit we tested and  reviewed for UOG back in 2017. The Orion II UL is back with us again with a few updates for added strength and more liveable space internally. Previously we commented on how impressed we had been with the weather resistance of the  Orion II UL. The new DAC poles have b …

With a weight of 650 grams and an R-Value rating of 7.1, this is a mat reserved for the winter seasons or travel in below freezing environments. These were our first thoughts when first looking up the specs for the Ultra 7R. What we found out after only our first few nights sleep is this is a mat which we kept reaching to place in our kit over a winter season that fluctuated widely in t …

Exped’s Lightning 60 rucksack has recently been updated to be lighter and tougher, whilst importantly keeping its minimalist roots. We gave the Lightning 60 some heavy use in the Cairngorms and the Isle of Arran to see how it would fit into life for multi-day wild-camping in the late Scottish winter months. With a weight of 1180 grams and a high capacity of 60L, you’d expect the low w …

For longer journeys an extra pair of footwear can come in very handy. This will often be a super light option to wear around camp after a long day in the hills. Letting your feet relax, breathe, and recover is not only for comfort but also helps prevent foot niggles and injuries. This is all part of self-management on route and will ultimately make your overall journey as easy as possib …

We love working with, Exped, so we compiled a summer backpacking kit list, an all-encompassing kit list perfect for one-night adventures and week-long trips.Exped’s new Mira II HL Tent – is a robust and roomy two-person tent that isn’t just a place to bed down but is a nice place to hang out; the tent has a lot of headroom, so if you are confined to it for any length of time, you can still si …

About EXPEDEXPED's history is closely linked to the life story of Heidi and Andi Brun, who set off to fulfill their common dream of experiencing solitude in the wilderness. The experience they gained turned them into extraordinary innovators. A honeymoon of a different kind began in 1980.After selecting a location, they embarked for northern Canada with the bare necessities and built a log cabin b …

Exped have revamped their sleeping mat ranges and are now using recycled fabrics and are producing the mats to a carbon neutral standard, furthermore they have simplified their naming convention so that the mats now feature the R-Value in the name. This is only a good thing if you understand R-Values and we think the names could have been better. The R3 is a regular sized mat 7cm th …

Straight out of the packaging you can see that this is a product of very high quality. The mat is incredibly compact and instantly nudges the memory back towards the bulky foam mats that would have to be strapped to the outside of your rucksack. How things have changed! Certainly, some of the most innovative designs of modern lightweight trekking have to be the advancements in sleeping mats. Ultra …