I have never slept better in the backcountry than on one of these pads. Takes a little while to inflate but SOOOOO worth it. Get one and sleep well!

This is the second Exped/OR sleeping pad that I own. Be aware that Exped is changing this model for 2009 and the new pad has the pump built right into the mat. I thought that this would be great at first but after the pad is stored in the storage sack in combination with cooler temps the pump takes a very long time to fill the pad. The original pump/storage sack is the better choice in my opinion.

What value do you put on sleep? Can't beat it for the night's sleep you get. For the lightweight crazies, I think this thing is worth it's weight when considering that it's only 13 oz heavier than the therm 4 (comparing longs). Obviously sleep is critical for performance, so I'll truck the few extra ounces to sleep thru the night. I backpack hunt (sorry if hunting isn't your thing) and we usually setup shop about 6-7 miles in, and stay for a few days before moving, so I'm not carrying it everyday. I suppose if I could sleep perfectly still on my back and I was packing my pad everyday, I'd probably consider something lighter and smaller, but that's not the case. Every year I second guess myself on going extreme lightweight for my pad, and every year when I hear my buddies whine about their backs, I'm glad I stuck with it. It's the typical weight vs. comfort dilemma, and the trade off here makes this pad a no brainer. I guess the down (no pun intended) side would be, I have trouble waking up in the morning to get to my spot before the sun comes up. I'm 6'1 and went with the long...I guess the only thing better would be having a pillow top mattress flown in....it's that comfortable.

Forget wasting your time searching for the perfect outdoor sleeping pad, because this is it. The Exped Downmat is down filled so your body heat is held under you keeping you warm. Unlike other sleeping pads that are filled with nothing but air, that air gets cold outside and is like sleeping on an ice cube. The Exped Downmat is small and easy to carry, and you use the case it comes in as the pump to fill it. If you are trying to travel light, this is the best choice for you. So save your bulky air mattress for the beach and pick yourself up an Exped Downmat...it's well worth the money, trust me.

Its got my vote. Just be mindful of the 2 valves, one stays shut, while inflating. Bag works well as inflater and the "mat" basically becomes a air bed. Used on a negative chilly nite (along with a or advanced bivy) and its the only way to get a bags rating out of it. The ground is the most heat robbing point in a sleep system, thus this is as and even more important than a fancy bag. OR along with backcountry.com looking forward to other items, great return policy.

Really great heavy-duty constuction, hardcore pad! I'm 5'11", 178lbs and the 7 is plenty of pad between myself and the floor, keeping me warm.
Spent a few minutes to understand how the stuff bag / pump works, once I did, it inflated rather quickly and holds air well. It has 2 release valves, be sure the second is closed tight before inflating.
Well worth the extra weight and price. The stuff bag / pump does in fact double as a nice pillow too.

It's no contest that the Exped Downmat is the best sleeping mat out there. As a cold sleeper, I would know! It keeps me so warm and I don't wake up feeling sore or achy.

However, many people here have said that it takes awhile to pump up the mat. Initially I experienced the same thing, but I found out that I was inflating the mat the wrong way.

Exped has a tutorial video that shows you how: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGuMLopq370

And now it takes me less than five minutes - I hope this will help you enjoy your Exped Downmat experience even more!

Bought for aconcagua climb. real comfortable, small and relatively light for its size... but quite long to inflate... but the work is worth it specially if someone plans to move every other day instead of each day (like in a mountain ascent where acclimatization is needed). Really comfy if used with the chair kit.

Great sleeping pad. It is a little bit heavy but very comfortable and warm. If you go for the deluxe model make sure there is room for your buddy in the tent cause it is quite wide. It is easy and fast to inflate once you get the hang of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGuMLopq370

Purchased for comfort and the occasional use on snow. Expensive and heavier than other possibilities, but its durability (with caution) and cushiness with warmth justify those downsides. After carefully considering this purchase, I count it an investment and do not regret the choice.

I have to agree, I have never slept so well. It does take a bit of time to inflate, but with these, we just donated our other pads to the boyscouts last night! A small tip, a Therma-Rest Z Lite helps hold some more heat for us cold sleepers.. We were in the low teens to 8/9 degrees.

I've tried several different makes and models of pads looking to find one that was comfortable on my over 50 year old hips and still light enough that I could carry while backpacking. Found this one and decided to bite the bullet and spend the $$. I've had this one out now on 3 trips and enjoyed every nights sleep. The one time the temps rose pretty high, I just put the pad inside my silk liner and slept on top of it. I got the short size and use my backpack at my feet. Actually I'm pretty short myself so with having a bag stuffed with clothes for a pillow at the head means just my feet are off the other end. Works for me. I found you do have to make absolutely sure that you have both air valves closed tightly, do that and no leaks. Blowing up is easy once you get the hang of it. Practice at home a few times before trying it out in the woods!! I also like how I can roll it up into different sizes, that makes it so much easier to place inside my backpack. My next most comfortable pad is a therma rest trail comfort. Much heavier and my hips will sometimes ache in the mornings. Plus it doesn't pack small, I always have to tie it to the outside of my pack. The therma rest will be for sale!! The bag I use is a down quilt that I made. I made 2, summer & winter and so far I've only used the summer quilt with this pad. Can't wait to actually try out both the winter quilt and pad in really cold weather.

This is a very comfortable pad. It's fairly light for such a well-insulated, comfortable pad, and it folds down to a very small size. Hiking in the Sierras where I normally use a 20 deg F down bag to stay warm with my z-lite foam pad, this baby kept me too warm with the same bag. Might have to get a 40 deg F bag instead.

This also doubles as a nice flotation device for those cold 11,000 ft lakes.

Only gripes are that the stuff bag (which doubles as a pump and pillow) is a little on the large and heavy side. It has some unnecessary foam padding in it, which would probably be good if you were stuffing your pillow with glass shards, but is unnecessary for a normal clothing-stuffed pillow. They could save a few ounces in weight by making the sack with one layer.

Great sleeping pad for winter/snow camping. It's heavy for a pad, but light for the amount of R value (heat transfer resistance) you get. Very comfortable, but slow/difficult to inflate relative to typical thermorests. I would never use this pad for my typical three season camping (too heavy & too slow to inflate), but for winter, its the cat's meow.

my only issue is i bought the short and i should have bought the regular. while it is extremely comfortable the short puts my knees is an uncomfortable position that i feel the next day. when i tried this out in the store it did not seem like it would be an issue but for those with bad knees i would suggest getting the regular or long (ill be getting a larger one before my next bike tour).

Used this product 7 days camping in temps as low as 30 degrees in Glacier. Comfort is similar to bed once you discovdr optimal inflation level. I will be interested to see its warmth in below 0 temps this winter. Inflation dosen't take too long after you get the hang of it. You have to shake the bag so it opens fully and appears like a cylinder, then you roll up the open end just enough to seal it. Brace the inflated bag against your knees with the bottom tipped up slightly so the air tube running from the bottom of the tube to the matteress isn't cripmed, then push down on the cylinder to expell air into mattress. This whole process as described takes perhaps 4 seconds. Having a non slip surface under the cylinder helps it stay in place.
Negatives. 1. The connector hose between cylinder and mattresss exits fromm bottom of cylinder requiring that you tilt it on edge to use. Relocating the tube to side of cylinder whould eliminate this. 2. Top of cylinder should be sealable to it could be used as inflatable pillow rather than a stuff sack for clothes.

I love this pad. I am a side sleeper and I can get a sound night's sleep on my side and not wake up with my hip hurting. It weighs a few extra ounces, but it's well worth it for a sound night's sleep.

Great pad! Used it for the first time last weekend. Got to the lean-to and everyone got out their self inflaters. I pulled out the downmat 9 dlx and everyone was jealous. Quality is excellent. Liked it so much that I just ordered the uninsulated version for summer trips.

I have back problems, and sleeping on a typical camp pad or thermarest causes sleepless nights with sore and tenderness the next day. These DownMats are absolutely amazing! I feel like i am sleeping on by featherbed at the house! They are a bit bulky when packing, but if you have a sick down bad like the Marmot Helium EQ, you can make up for the space with a bag that condenses to the size of a loaf of bread. If you have back problems, pick one of these up...Chriropractor recommended!