Initial Report – Insul Mat Max Thermo Sleeping Pad

Biography

Name: Seth Middleton
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Height: 6'0" (182 cm)
Weight: 180 lb (81 kg)
Email Address: SDMiddleton@yahoo.com
City, State, and Country: Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.
Date of Report: 17 February 2004
Date Product Received: 12 February 2004

Backpacking Background: My first backpacking trip was probably when I was 12 or 13 years old and I've been hooked ever since (for the past 13 years). I generally attempt to keep my backpack fairly lightweight, but I'm not above bringing the extra comfort amenities. I mostly take weekend trips, with occasional longer trips. I've backpacked in many of the midwestern states and the Rockies, as well as the Adirondacks and the Appalachians. I normally hike in low altitude, hilly, woodland terrain.

Product Information

Manufacturer: Insul Mat
Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL: http://www.pacoutdoor.com

Outer Material: 70D nylon bottom / light 50D diamond ripstop top
Color: Black bottom / red top

Manufacturer's Weight:  23 oz (650 g)
Measured Weight (sleeping pad, stuff sack, repair kit): 25 oz (709 g)
   - Sleeping pad alone: 23.7 oz (672 g)
   - Stuff sack alone: 0.7 oz (20 g)
   - Repair kit alone: 0.6 oz (17 g)


Manufacturer's Stuff Size: N/A
Measured Stuff Size: 10.5 x 5.5 in (27 x 14 cm)

Manufacturer's dimensions: 20 x 72 x 2.5 in (51 x 183 x 6.3 cm)
My Measured Dimensions: 24 in (61 cm) at the widest point x 72 in (183 cm) long x 2.5 in (6.3 cm) high fully inflated


Product Description

The Insul Mat Max Thermo sleeping pad arrived in a rather long rectangular box, but when I opened it up, the sleeping pad was in its stuff sack and, much to my delight, only took up about a third of the box. The contents included a black stuff sack with drawstring. Attached to the drawstring was a small Max Thermo booklet that provided product specifications, instructions, and warranty in English, German, French, and Italian. There is a pouch at the bottom of the inside of the stuff sack that holds a repair kit. The repair kit is held in a small zip lock bag and includes instructions, two patches (with the top material and the bottom), and a tube of Mat-Fix A (an adhesive). The Max Thermo was also in the stuff sack. It was folded in half lengthwise and then in fourths lengthwise, and then rolled into a very small tube. The stuff size was surprisingly small; about the size of two large toilet paper rolls stacked on top of each other. The Max Thermo is mummy-shaped with wide shoulders and tapering down by the feet. There are six tubes that run the length of the sleeping pad at its widest point, but only four of these tubes that actually run from the top to the bottom. The valve is on the top left side (as I'm looking down on it from the foot) and is made of solid brass.

The manufacturer’s website was easy to navigate and included most of the information that I would find important. The sleeping pad did match the expectations that I had from the information on the website. However, I have two suggestions that I think would improve the website. It would be nice if they included the stuff size under the “dimensions” section. In my opinion, a major selling point of any piece of backpacking gear is how small it can pack. Also, I think that they should label the diagram of the Max Thermo so that it is clear that it is a cross-sectional diagram. Before it arrived, I wasn’t quite sure whether I was looking at the inside, outside, or both. Of course, now that I see it in real life, the diagram makes more sense.

Initial Testing

Although the instructions say that in order to inflate, one must blow into the sleeping mat, I wanted to see if it would self-inflate to any extent. When I unrolled it on my bedroom floor and opened the valve, I heard air being sucked in for a little while. After a few seconds it stopped and it did not noticeably inflate for the next five minutes, so I commenced to blow it up by mouth. It took 20 very full breaths to blow it up to its fullest. I laid down on my back but realized that it was too full so I reached up and unscrewed the valve a little bit to deflate it to the perfect level. It took about 30 normal breaths to inflate it to a reasonable level. I can inflate it in under a minute. It was easy to inflate and even easier to deflate. Since air is not being sucked back in, it is easier to deflate and roll up than the sleeping pads with the self-inflatable design. I folded and rolled it up the same way that it was originally rolled and it fit nicely back in the stuff sack. I was very impressed with how easy and fast it was to deflate and roll it into a very small package.

I was also impressed with the comfort. At 6 ft (182 cm) tall, my feet don't hang off the end when I lay on my back. Lying on my stomach with my toes pointed down, about half my foot hangs off the end. Since it is relatively narrow at the bottom, I have to keep my feet close together in order for them both to be on the pad. During my testing, I'll have to see if my feet fall off the narrow bottom of the sleeping pad while I'm sleeping in my mummy bag. One by-product of the tube design is that there is no comfortable platform for my head. When I lay my head on top of a tube, the tube is not wide enough to support my head so it slides off in between two tubes. I used a pillow off of my bed, and this was no longer a problem. While testing the sleeping pad, I plan on using a camping pillow.

The Max Thermo has synthetic fill insulation inserted into the air tubes, thus giving it "true 3-season insulation." I've never understood the term "3-season" since almost all of my gear is given that term and I use it all during each of the 4 seasons without a problem. Perhaps they are referring to the 4th season as experienced on top of Mt. Everest. Or perhaps the fourth season is the summer, but I digress. By pressing into the sleeping pad, I can feel a thin layer of insulation. It appears to be attached to the top of the sleeping pad, so that is what is closest to my body. The six tubes running lengthwise are advertised to reduce the airflow and thus create a warmer sleeping pad. I've only used it in my house so far, so I can't speak about the warmth value of the pad yet. My first impression was that it was very comfortable and a lot more padding than I'm used to with my other sleeping pads. With this pad, though, most of the padding seems to come from the air, not the insulation inside. It looks and feels very similar to those flotation rafts that people use in pools. I love the compact size and overall I'm favorably impressed so far.


Test Plan

I will test the Max Thermo by bringing it on a variety of backpacking trips in a variety of weather conditions. I will test its durability and comfort by sleeping on both the soft, pine needle filled forest terrain and on the rocky cliff-top terrain found in Red River Gorge. I will test its comfort at different air pressures, as well as its warmth capabilities. I will test its insulation and warmth claims by using it at low temperatures (at or below 32 F or 0 C), possibly during wet or snowy conditions. Although I will use it in my tent, I will test its ability to protect me and my sleeping bag from dampness due to condensation, ground moisture, and humidity. The Max Thermo is 72 in. (183 cm) long and I am exactly that tall, so I will be able to test whether it is too long or too short for someone of my height. I will also test how easy it is and the length of time it takes to fill with air or to take the air out both while setting up my campsite and in the dark at night while in my tent. I will also test whether it will lose any air pressure over time by testing the air pressure before I go to sleep and after my 180 lb (82 kg) has been laying on it for 8 hours. I will test the speed and difficulty level it will take to pack it on an internal frame backpack in a variety of weather conditions – with rain (hopefully) and without rain, with gloves and without gloves. I will test its propensity for sliding in my tent and whether it is easy to slide off the sleeping pad while sleeping. Finally, I will provide my overall impression of the comfort and sleeping experience while using the Max Thermo.

Field Information

I will test the Insul Mat Max Thermo mostly in Eastern Kentucky, specifically in the Red River Gorge / Natural Bridge / Clifty Wilderness areas. These locations are low altitude but contain rocky and rugged terrain. While hiking in the area, it is usual to climb or drop 1,000-1,500 ft (300 – 450 m) in the course of an hour or two. It is a thickly wooded area with occasional creeks or rivers running through it. I propose to test the Max Thermo this winter in cold temperatures (at or below 32 F or 0 C) as well as this spring in moderate temperatures (50 F or 10 C) when rain will be very likely. Regardless of the precipitation, there is a seemingly perpetual dampness in the valleys of the Red River Gorge area which might possibly affect the Max Thermo's performance.