There's a huge difference.
Being in a damp leaking tent in a cold sleeping bag feeling every lump of a cold ground is one thing.
Being snug and warm on a comfortable mattress whilst listening to the rain drumming on a taut waterproof tent is another.
A completely different experience.
Camping mattresses have changed radically since the first thin yellow closed-cell foam Karri-mats replaced cumbersome rubberised inflatable nylon mattresses. The first big development was the Thermorest self- inflating mattress - more comfortable but heavier. Then came the born-again inflatable mattress - light, super compact, comfortable but cold as anything. Then finally the happy medium - inflatable mattresses with insulation.
Every manufacturer produces their own versions of inflatable mattresses, with various R-ratings (denoting the heat reflecting/retaining quality of the mat), patterns of baffles and tubes, and different shapes. Outdoor comparison websites are full of tables of weight, comfort, warmth, thickness and volume. Permutations and permutations! All share the fact that they are not cheap. An inflatable mattress for north of £200 seems incredible but the tantalizing dream of a a perfect night's sleep is the carrot that draws people in, to dig deep into their wallets. We'll hold our hands up and say that's us too! Sitting at home we have an old style Thermorest (¾ length of course - to save weight!), an Alpkit Cloud-base (light but cold), a Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe (clever 2 chamber design but heavy), a Big Agnes Rapide SL (longitudinal tubes make it feel too much like a lilo!) and, most recently, a Zenbivy Flex Air mattress.
In a “Pepsi Challenge” of the last three mats, each covered with a Zenbivy Light, the consistent winner for me and all we have asked is the Flex Air. Lighter and more compact when packed than the Sea to Summit but with a similar multiple offset dimple design, it is made of this very clever fabric. Whereas on a normal mattress the material barely stretches when you lie on it, resulting in the mat surface trying to form straight plains between pressure points, the Flex Air stretches to conform to your body contour. Much more of a Memory Foam feel if that makes sense. The result is a mattress that is super comfortable.
We're delighted to be able to offer a 5% discount on Zenbivy sleep systems!
Just follow this link and it will automatically be applied
