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The key factors to take into consideration when choosing a sleeping mat are the pack size, weight, your budget and most importantly what time of year you will be using it which, determines the level of insulation you need. Comfort in an outdoor sense is partly dictated by being able to iron out the lumps and bumps in the ground with the mat, but insulation is king and if you’re cold you won’t slee …

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. — The Ultra mats are the lightest series and are made using 20D recycled ripstop Polyester. The Dura mats are built to be durable (what else?) and use 75D Polyester on the top and 170D Polyester on the base, so they are much more puncture resistant than th …

We stock the key ranges of Nemo sleeping mats, find out which they are and what they do here. — Improving on our original, best-selling Tensor line, Tensor™ Trail offers versatile warmth for three-season adventures where weight is the top priority. Designed to take you from spring to fall, it keeps nights restful and packs up light. The pad’s interior features NEMO’s proprietary Spacefra …

2023 was an excellent year for new ultralight equipment and clothing, and we wanted to highlight some of our favourite gear that hit the market this year. Some pieces, like the Montbell Plasma 1000, pushed the limits of what it means to be ultralight even further. Others, like the Nemo Tensor Extreme Conditions sleeping pad, showed real innovation by raising their R-value to an industry-leading 8. …

Winter camping enthusiasts understand the importance of a good night's sleep in extreme conditions. When the temperatures drop and the elements become more challenging, having the right gear makes all the difference. This article explores the perfect winter camping sleep system that combines cutting-edge technology, lightweight design, and unparalleled warmth. The trifecta of the Neutrino 800 Down …

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 …

Built with the backcountry in mind, NEMO’s ultralight gear sheds every gram possible while maintaining peak performance and liveability. NEMO’s ultralight tents trim weight by relying heavily on stakes for tension and structure support. Fewer poles and more mesh panels net out to a lighter load — and the ability to pack down smaller! …

As a cold sleeper, I find the combination of the Nemo Women’s Riff 15 Sleeping bag and the Tensor Insulated sleeping mat perfect for 3 and 4-season use in the UK. The spoon shaped Riff 15 has 825g of down in the Women’s (and 540g in the men’s) and 800 fill power in both versions giving a comfort limit of -9C for both men and women. As a side sleeper, I find the Riff has the ben …

May means one thing here in the Ultralight office, The Great Outdoors Challenge, or the TGO for short. We are incredibly proud to be a sponsor of this communal coast-to-coast crossing of Scotland. Three of our team, Danny, Chris and myself, are participating in this year’s TGO, so I thought I’d give you an insight into what’s in my pack and some of the gear I’ll be taking for this year’s chal …

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 …

Thermarest had, for us, changed our approach to wild-camping when we first received a NeoAir XLite around a decade ago. We have now used the XLite and XTherm as our core piece of kit for multi-day wild-camping group activities since we started our business 9 years ago. We suppose that once you put trust in a product it’s easy to stick with it, with  Thermarest offering a dependabl …