Long gone are the days of having to strap giant sausage shaped packets to the outside of your rucksack and worrying about them getting wet in the rain and snagging on tree branches. Mats like the Superlight 25 pack up to the size of a large kitchen roll, and weigh not a whole lot more, at the same time as offering some very respectable comfort and warmth. I have been testing the full length model which comes in at 183cm. I am 195cm tall so am well used to my feet hanging off the end of my sleeping mat and didn’t notice with this model. Out of the bag it’s a simple matter of unscrewing the valve and rolling the mat out flat whence the internal foam structure expands to its natural shape and pattern and sucks in the air. I’ve never yet found a self-inflating mattress that doesn’t need topping up and this one’s no different. The key is to remember to lay it out as soon as you have pitched your tent to give it time to inflate before bed. It’s tapered towards the feet to save on weight. Perhaps I’ve gone soft in my old age, but 2.5cm is comfortable enough, and the mat needs pumping up pretty well to stop my hip bone touching the floor when sleeping on my side, but stay off the floor it does. With a season rating of 4 and a Tog value of 3.9 I’ve yet to feel even remotely chilly in it, including a bivvy at 1,700m in the Pyrenees. It comes with a super lightweight stuff sack that’s plenty big enough, and also a couple of elasticated straps to keep it snug inside its sack. Oh, it also has a repair kit inside a pocket in the stuff sack, though it has a 12 month guarantee. It retails at £70.50 which represents pretty good value for money in my book as a comfortable, but lightweight mat for trekking and backpacking.
Range Superlite
Type Self-inflating
Code CMSI-ARSL025L
Size 1830x510x25mm (L)
Weight 475g
Season Rating 4
Tog Value 3.9
Compactness 260x118mm (mid-folded)
Colour Chinese Red/Black, MoD/Black
Features
12 months guarantee
Easy valve can be locked while adding are by mouth
TPU membrane for air-tight seal
Quality ultra-lightweight vertically drilled 16kg/m3 PU foam core for lasting performance and full inflation
20D rip-stop polyester fabric
Mat supplied with stuff sack matching upper fabric retaining bands & repair kit
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