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View Full Version : Question for those who use air mattress's.



rustyb
12-29-2004, 11:46
Roughly, at what air temps do you feel the need to have more insulation (ie, foam pad or thermarest) between you and the ground?

I know there are many varibles. I'm just trying to get a general idea.....or more specifically, an approximate difference between something like a Mt Washington pad and an air mattress in terms of insulative effectiveness.

r

Alligator
12-29-2004, 12:21
I did use a thermarest ultralite full length year-round, supplemented with a generic foam pad in the winter (20 or below). I now have a prolite 4 and will probably keep the same plan.

rustyb
12-29-2004, 13:16
Alligator,

Sorry, I guess my question wasn't very clear. I'm trying to establish the coldest temps one could get by using an air mattress only, not foam or inflatable pad such as a thermarest.

Thanks,
r

alalskaman
01-07-2005, 01:55
I have one of those Exped foam-air mats, a light air mattress enclosed in "evazote" foam, which extends it somewhat - like to a bit below freezing. Otherwise, plain air will feel cold in the low 30's. Still one of those light air mats and a blue foam pad is a fairly light combination for colder weather. One of these days will experiment more, right now all the combinations of thermarests and ensolite, in the morning the snow under me is melted. That says I'm conducting heat to the snow - not good. IMO what you would want would be zero loss to the ground or snow, then you could work on how light a sleeping bag you could get away with.

poison_ivy
01-07-2005, 09:19
Rusty, I think this is one of those questions that will be different for everyone. I've used my Thermarest in a shelter at 20 degrees and have been fine. (I can't remember sleeping using a thermarest alone in particularly cold temperatures in my tent. But I'm thinking i would proabably feel colder in the tent more quickly.)
- Ivy

kncats
01-07-2005, 09:32
The insulative effectiveness of a plain air mattress is about zip. We use the Big Agnes Air Core. It's just an air mattress, no down, primaloft or foam on the inside. When the air temp gets down to 40-45 it starts to feel a bit cool under you. It all depends on your personal tolerance, but below that we add a closed cell foam pad.

TREE-HUGGER
01-07-2005, 11:00
I am using a "insulated" big agnes air core matress and it is rated to 15 degrees. I have had it down to 20 degress after being cold and wet all day and it did great, I am sure that it would have done fine at 15 also. I now have 2.5 inches of comfort in cold weather for 21 ounces ! ! !

The Solemates
01-07-2005, 11:20
For long distance hikes I use a full-length Z-Rest all the way down to 0F. You get used to it. For weekend or weeklong hikes, however, I will use a lightweight Thermarest when it is supposed to drop below 25F or so.

Youngblood
01-07-2005, 12:16
Alligator,

Sorry, I guess my question wasn't very clear. I'm trying to establish the coldest temps one could get by using an air mattress only, not foam or inflatable pad such as a thermarest.

Thanks,
rRusty,

Big Anges specs their 2.5" thick air mattress down to 35 degrees. Exped specs their 3" thick air mattress down to 50 degrees. I would be inclined to use Exped's rating and even wonder if it wasn't a little optimistic. I'd guess that an uninsulated airmattress is a 'room temperature' type pad, where the room ain't too cold.

Now, if you fill the air mattress with insulation, it is a whole different matter.

Youngblood

pdhoffman
01-07-2005, 18:07
I used a Big Agnes Horse Thief with the uninsulated Air Core mattress on the AT in '03. The bag is rated at 35 deg. F. When I originally tested at home (Corpus Christi) it was fine at this temperature. However, the ground temperature was warmer than the air temperature overnight.

One night in Maine (Aug. 31) it got to 35 degrees in the shelter. I was cold on the bottom and fine on top, so I spent the night rotating the warm side down and the cold side up. The difference is that on the elevated shelter floor the cold air temperature could get to the underside of the air mattress.
From Monson north, I carried the air mattress and a thermarest. Felt like the princess and the pea. The stack was high enough the that injury seemed like a possibility if I rolled off.

Sure liked the comfort of the air mattress. Nothing poked through to discomfort you. I have since purchased the insulated Air Core, but haven't tested it out at low temperatues. The insulated one was actually a couple of ounces lighter than the uninsulated one.

Pete Hoffman
"Old Corpus"

Youngblood
01-07-2005, 18:41
I used a Big Agnes Horse Thief with the uninsulated Air Core mattress on the AT in '03. The bag is rated at 35 deg. F. When I originally tested at home (Corpus Christi) it was fine at this temperature. However, the ground temperature was warmer than the air temperature overnight.

One night in Maine (Aug. 31) it got to 35 degrees in the shelter. I was cold on the bottom and fine on top, so I spent the night rotating the warm side down and the cold side up. The difference is that on the elevated shelter floor the cold air temperature could get to the underside of the air mattress.
From Monson north, I carried the air mattress and a thermarest. Felt like the princess and the pea. The stack was high enough the that injury seemed like a possibility if I rolled off.

Sure liked the comfort of the air mattress. Nothing poked through to discomfort you. I have since purchased the insulated Air Core, but haven't tested it out at low temperatues. The insulated one was actually a couple of ounces lighter than the uninsulated one.

Pete Hoffman
"Old Corpus"

Those are good points Pete. Would you venture a temperature rating to Rusty or just tell him an uninsulated air mattress likely isn't enough for three season use?

Youngblood

SiuWonfung
01-07-2005, 20:22
what's wrong with a regular mattress?
Personally, Sertas are the best, or if you don't want to splurge, I would definately recommend a Simmons or Tempur-Pedic. Or check out www.mattressbarn.com (http://www.mattressbarn.com), they have some pretty good deals on their twin and full size mattresses.
Anyways, I bring mine with me everywhere I go. just throw a rope around it and haul ass. Although, I will admit that carrying a mattress can be cumbersome at times, you can't find any better substitute for a good night's sleep!

rustyb
01-07-2005, 23:03
Thanks for the replies everyone. For some reason, the responses were not being emailed to me. I don't check the forum often and it was a surprise to see them.

I appreciate the info.