Exped syn mat 7 UL (sleeping pad)

By Shane Hutton


Weighing in at around 460g this camping mattress is perfect for any ultralight hiker or bike packer. It rolls up to approx 200mm long and about as wide as a fist so it's pretty slimline to fit in your pack


I use a schnozzle to inflate my mattress to avoid bacteria build up from your breath. It inflates almost to the size of a lilo. It has separate inflate and deflate 1 way valve system to ensure you don't lose any air


The insulation in the bottom is perfect for reflecting the cold ground ensuring a warm nights sleep. I have used this mat at above 4000 metres whilst camping in Nepal and it was perfect. I have also been camping in snow and have not felt the cold from the ground at all. 


This mat is also relatively quiet when you are rolling over. I won't say it's silent but it is better than most of other mats. 


We are currently using 2 of these mats as we bike tour the Great Divide MTB Route, and so far they have been robust enough to be used almost everyday for nearly 2 months...pretty good for ultralight gear.


The only problem I have experienced with this mat and I think it is only in the older models is there is a valve in the deflate port. This can make it painful to dump all the air out and get a good roll done with the mat. I have solved the problem by removing the valve. The only time my mat has gone down is when a small piece of fibre has been wedged in the closed deflate valve causing it to weep slowly and result in an uncomfortable nights sleep. 


So if you are looking for a quality lightweight roll mat for pretty much any camping situation I would certainly advise the Exped syn mat 7 UL.


You can get them from Bogong Equipment Melbourne CBD