Reviewer Information:
Name: Jim Hatch
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Height: 5'9" (1.8 m)
Weight: 180 lbs (82 kg)
Chest: 44" (112 cm)
Shoulder Width: 21" (53 cm)
Hip Width: 16" (41 cm)
Sleep Type: Back & side sleeper (neither warm nor cold)
Email: colonelcorn76@yahoo.com
City/State: Simsbury, Connecticut
Date: December 7, 2004
 
Backpacking Background: 
I've been backpacking and camping for 30 years (ever since I was a Boy Scout). I'm out once a month for a weekend or more and for 5 nights or more, 2 or 3 times during the year. Most of my backpacking is done in the mountains of the East Coast (Appalachians, Whites, Berkshires, Adirondacks) but I will occasionally camp as far south as the Florida Keys or as far west as the Grand Canyon. Having tired of 60 lb (27 kg) loads, I caught the lightweight bug about 5 years ago and am currently carrying a base pack weight of  less than 10 lbs (4.5 kg) before food and fuel and rarely venture out with more than 20 lbs (9 kg) anymore. I am now trying to develop a low-volume style to go with the lightweight nature of my gear. 
 
 
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Big Agnes, Inc.
Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL: http://www.bigagnes.com
Style: Mummy shaped air mattress, PrimaLoft filled
Mfg Temp Range: down to 15 F (-9 C)
Mfg Weight (web): 21 oz (595 g)
Mfg Weight (hangtag): 20 oz (567 g)
Tested Weight (mat): 18.9 oz (534 g)
Tested Weight (stuff sack): 1.2 oz (38 g)
Tested Total Weight: 20.1 oz (572 g)
Mfg Size: 20 in X 72 in (51 cm X 183 cm)
Tested Size: See below
Thickness: 2.5 in (6.4 cm)
Tested Rolled Size: 11 in X 4.5 in (28 cm X 11 cm)
MSRP: $65
 

Description:
The Big Agnes Air Core Insulated pad is a mummy (coffin) shaped air mattress with a layer of PrimaLoft insulation bonded to the underside of the top layer of fabric. Physically it is smaller when rolled than any other pad I have, including the one I bought a year ago that was billed as the smallest stuffing pad available (a self-inflating pad). It's in the low to light weight category and the size puts it into (my favorite) the low volume one.

The Air Core Insulated pad is a non-self-inflating pad that takes 14 full breaths to fill. That puts enough air in it to allow me to let a little air out to tune it for comfort while I'm laying on it without needing to get up again to add more air. When letting air out for adjustment I can do so by reaching up over my right shoulder and twisting the valve slightly. If I let too much out I have to roll over and fill it (yeah, right...with all my weight on the pad I'm fighting myself to refill the mattress so that ain't happening) or get off and add some air. The valve is located by my right ear which makes it easy to let some air out while staying in position to evaluate when to stop.

The stuff sack the pad goes into is a nicely constructed simple stuff sack with a slot/pocket sewn in the bottom which provides a very nice handle to pull on when removing the pad (which addresses one of my biggest gripes with mattress/pad stuff sacks) and a pocket in the dust flap that contains a small repair kit. Big Agnes has taken care to pay attention to all of the details.

Long Term Results:
The table below briefly summarizes my findings after 6 months of backpacking use. Big Agnes' claims are from their website or included hang-tags and my findings are from my use over 3 seasons.

Big Agnes Claims:	My Findings:
Thermally efficient	I found the Air Core to be warm down to freezing temps both in a hammock and a tent. The weather has not been sufficiently cold to test the manufacturer's low temperature rating.
Water resistant	This is a definite "yes indeed". I spilled a water bottle on it and was easily able to wipe it dry before it soaked through. I also happened to leave it hanging on a makeshift line to air out along with my sleeping bag (quilt) one day when it poured while I was out & about. The pad got surface wet but dried with a wipe down with my t-shirt. The downpour did not soak through the fabric of the Air Core. The quilt was down for the count completely soaked through and I slept in my clothes (all of them...except the wet t-shirt).
Breathable	I'm not sure how to evaluate this. It seems that if it's "breathable" that it would leak, but then I'm not an air mattress engineer. I never experienced a leak of any sort with the mattress which in my estimation is a good thing.
Lightweight and compressible	Most definitely. Although "lightweight" is relative, it's certainly lighter than any other comparably comfortable mattress option I've tried; and not that much heavier than self-inflating pads which I would not put in the same league in terms of comfort. As for its compressibilty, I give it top marks for any mattress, air or self-inflating, that I've ever used. Only my silk liner stuffs smaller in my sleep system.
Fast drying	See water resistant above. Dries as fast as I can wipe it down.
Soft	Not so much soft as comfortable.
Provides the best comfort to weight ratio of any pad	As far as my experience goes this is true for pads with similar temperature ratings. Only one other of my mattresses/pads is better in terms of comfort and it's primarily a very cold weather mattress (but correspondingly heavier).
With the added PrimaLoft it's a 3 season pad that's super comfortable and lightweight	It's certainly comfortable and light and has worked well throughout the spring, summer and fall.
Unique I-beam construction allows the air to flow freely as you move for constant support and makes inflation and deflation quick and easy	This appears to be true as well. Whether it's due to the I-beam construction or not, the mattress is comfortably supporting and does inflate & deflate easily.
Non-breakable valve with a lifetime warranty	No part of the mattress has suffered any damage during the test period from either wear & tear or part failure. I still wonder about a mattress with a "non-breakable" valve that comes with a replacement valve in the repair kit.
Lightweight, durable 40 denier nylon fabric	Yep, light & durable.
And a repair kit is included	Also a "yes" and a thoughtful accessory with a very minimal weight penalty.

In my Initial Report I was able to verify that it was definitely lightweight, compressible and comfortable. My Field Report validated the comfort (in my hammock) and water resistance claims. Since then I have used the Air Core on several ground-dwelling (tenting) trips with nearly equal comfort results (I still find hammock camping more comfortable than a tent-especially a hammock with an Air Core). The downpour test of the Air Core's water resistance totally confirmed the water resistance claim for me. I haven't seen any delamination of the insulation layer & the mattress fabric, nor have I experienced any seam or valve failures; the durability of the mattress isn't a question for me anymore. I'm not sure how well it will perform down to the lower limits of its temperature rating, but it certainly suffices for my 3-season trips in the Northeast.

Other Results:
A couple of other things I checked on was the ability to use it in the pad sleeve of my Moonlite or G4 packs (yep, it works) and if I could use it rolled & slipped vertically into my backpack (Moonlite and Thompson Peak packs) to give it shape (yes, but it's not as convenient as a small section of Z-Rest so I carry the Air Core in its stuff sack and use the Z-Rest for pack shape/stiffness and a seating pad). I've also found that the Air Core is an excellent fit with my Nunatak Arc-Alpinist quilt. The narrow foot of the mattress fits well into the footbox of the quilt and the shaped form factor of the mattress allows the straps of the quilt to be snugged underneath to keep it all together as a single unit. I'm looking forward to using it with a new Big Agnes winter bag that's on my Christmas list. I haven't had any issue with slipping around in or on the mattress or even "falling off".