I'm a back-sleeper who has never been comfortable sleeping on flat surfaces. I need a significant dip for my glutes (butt) or I wake up after a couple of hours with a stiff and sore lower back. The first inflatable pad I ever used that was thick enough to provide the countour I needed was the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core. I would deflate it just enough so my butt didn't bottom out, creating the dip in the mattress like my bed at home.

However, I soon discovered that the Big Agnes did not live up to the "Insulated" part of the product title. In consecutive nights in the low 30's using the BA vs a heavy old well-insulated pad, I woke up chilled on the BA and had to put on some extra clothes. The insulating value of a pad and a sleeping bag work together as a system for keeping warm.

The Exped Downmat 9 does everything the BA does in terms of my back-sleeping needs, plus it insulates enough so that I don't have to also carry a foam pad in cold weather. It inflates very easily with the integrated hand pump: just press down repeatedly with the palm of your hand covering the opened valve.

I have only used the Downmat 9 on one trip so far so I can't attest to its durability, but it seems very well constructed and comes with a lightweight repair kit for use in the field. I would recommend this product for cold-weather use and for those who need a thick pad for a comfortable night's sleep.

After rteading many positive reviews, I ordered a pair of size 12's online. They felt pretty good out of the box and had enough toe room as far as the length goes, but during the first long dayhike my forefeet started feeling cramped and sore -- especially my left foot, which has a lump of arthritis on top of the big toe knuckle above the ball of the foot. These are the first shoes I ever purchased without trying them on first, and I'm afraid I may not be able to use them much. I went on several dayhikes, hoping that adjusting the tightness of the lacing system might make a difference. I also replaced the inserts with my old Superfeet, and that seemed to help a little though not enough. Right now I've got some foot-shaped forms crammed into the forefeet, hoping to stretch them out a bit.

I gave the Boa's 3 stars in this review because my problem has to do with fit and not the quality & performance of the product. Other than discomfort due to fit my overall impression is favorable, though I have not yet put them to the test of big hikes with a backpack load or repeated creek crossings.

The lacing system is very convenient to adjust, but what you can't do is adjust the tightness differently between the forefoot and instep. If you buy these shoes and they fit well, before you get past the point where you can return them you need to make sure the lacing snugs the boot to your satisfaction.