Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > EXPED Down Air Mattress > Jack Corrigan > Long Term Report

Product Name:

Exped Down Air Mattress

Personal Biographical Information:

Name: John (Jack) Corrigan

Age: 40 years old

Gender: Male

Height: 5 feet 10 inches (1.8 meters)

Weight: 175 pounds (79 kilograms)

Torso: 20 inches (51 centimeters)

Email: jack@jackquest.com

Region: Fredericksburg, Virginia (Spotsylvania County)

Report Date: 27APR2004

Background:

I have always been one to do the outdoor thing as compared to the organized sport thing. It started as a youngster in the Boy Scouts and continues today as an adult. The majority of my experience has been in Pennsylvania but I have hiked, camped or paddled in New York, California and even Alaska. I am also currently a volunteer search and rescue canine handler. Although search and rescue doesn't always result in an overnight or multi-day trip, I am required to be prepared, equipped and trained for it. Training a search dog results in many hours of trekking through the outdoors.

My "style" is best described as recreational camping, mid-weight backpacking (2-3 day treks), day hiking, flat water paddling, hunting and canine search and rescue activities. My last extended (more than 1 week) outing was the summer of 2001, as a volunteer for the Armed Forces Eco-Challenge in interior Alaska. I also include two of my four dogs in most of my outdoor activities.

Product Information:

Manufactured By: Exped Expedition Equipment

Manufactured Date: 2003

Manufacturer URL: http://www.exped.com

Listed Weight:
Mattress- 32 ounces (920 grams)
Pump/Packsack- 6 ounces (160 grams)

Delivered Weight:
Mattress- 2 pounds (0.91 kilograms)
Pump/Packsack- 7 ounces (198 grams)

Note: Weighed on a digital 0-25 pound postal scale.

Additional Product Information:

Thickness: 3.5 inches (9 centimeters)

Size: 70 inches by 20.5 inches (178 centimeters by 52 centimeters)

Rolled Size: 12 inches by 5 inches (30 centimeters by 13 centimeters)

Fill: 8.8 ounces (250 grams) 700 fill, high loft goose down, safe Nocar treatment to prevents effects caused by moisture build up

MSRP: 149.00 US Dollars

Field Information:

Location:

Field testing locations were in the Mid-Atlantic region, primarily in Virginia and included Shenandoah National Park/Big Meadows Area (17S 724067mE 4265333mN)

Description of Location:

Long term testing locations were varied, and ranged from lightly forested regions with "elevations" of 150 to 3500 feet (46 to 1100 meters). Trail systems range from established foot paths to undeveloped logging roads.

Weather Conditions:

This field test series was conducted from January through April.

Conditions were varied and included crisp clear evenings and rain. The "warmest" night time temperature was 55°F (13°C) while the "coldest" was 45°F (7°C).

Product Experience:

The Exped Down Air Mattress (DAM) is in excellent shape and has performed without any mechanical (valves or Pump/Packsack) or material failure throughout the long term test period. I continue to use the DAM during what has been a very changeable Virginia spring weather pattern.

During the entire long term testing period, I have used the DAM with a Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin sleeping bag. The Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin sleeping bag is a synthetic filled bag rated for Comfort 41°F (5°C) and Low 32°F (0°C) temperatures.

Sleepwear for this test period was pretty low frills (t shirt and cotton lounge pants) with the exception of Integral Designs Hot Socks for keeping my feet comfortable. This choice of sleepwear was more for the concurrent testing of the Snugpak sleeping bag than the DAM. But this choice would have allowed me to feel any cold originating in the ground very easily.

Inflating the DAM is my one and only downside to this mattress. During this test period I was using a smaller tent (Mountain Hardwear Thru-Hiker) than during my field test, so the ability to lay the mattress out completely flat and inflate it was more difficult. Although, I found that "folding" the DAM back to allow enough room for me and the Pump/Packsack at the head of the mattress worked just fine. At the point which the DAM almost straightened itself out, I had reached the optimal amount of air for comfortable night's rest. It did occur to me that if the valves were located on the sides rather than the head of the mattress, it could be inflated while laid out flat. The advantage of a comfortable and warm foundation far outweighs this minor inconvenience. I do recommend inflating the DAM first thing after setting up camp. It was just a bummer when I was ready to settle down for the night and realized that I still had to configure the Pump/Packsack and pump up the mattress, when all I wanted to do was curl up and saw some logs! All in all it only takes me between 15 and 20 sack fulls of air to inflate the mattress.

The Exped Down Air Mattress has performed to my expectations and even when my topside became chilled I was never cold from the ground up. As far as durability goes, the DAM stood up to the paws of a 90 pound (41 kilogram) German Shepherd, who always seemed to prefer the mattress to his foam pad when given the chance. The DAM was an excellent compliment to my Big Agnes sleep system for fit, comfort and performance.

TEAM JackQuest
http://www.jackquest.com

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > EXPED Down Air Mattress > Jack Corrigan > Long Term Report