Owner Review: Insul Mat Uber-Lite Sleeping Pad

Reviewer Information:
Name: Brett Costley
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 10'' (177 cm)
Weight: 145 lb (66 kg)
Email address: bcostley@agalis.net
City, State, Country: Vernonia, OR 97064 USA
Date: Sept 15, 2006
Backpacking Background: I'm a long time hiker who decided to take up backpacking this year. After a overnight test run, I jumped straight into 54 mile (87 km)/5 night trek on the PCT in Oregon with another novice backpacker. We survived and followed up with a 56 mile (90 km)/6 night trip also on the PCT in Oregon. I go lightweight but not ultralight. My base pack weight is just under 20 pounds (9 kg).

Note on measurment discrepancies: There is no way my pad could ever be inflated to the 1.0 in (2.5 cm) Insul Mat claims. The weight discrepancy is a little troubling so I confirmed the weight with three scales.

Product Description from the manufacturer: Pushing the concept of weight-saving and compactness to new levels, the Über-Lite supplies insulation and comfort just where you need it; under your shoulders and hips. Less weight and bulk than a 3/4 length pad with all the same perceived comfort. The secret weapon for the comfortable ultralite packer.

Owner note: The self-inflating foam is in an hour-glass shaped area such that the foam is only under your hips and shoulders. There is also some extra material and a small amount of foam around the hour-glass foam presumably to help with insulation from the ground. Also, there is a six inch long "stem" of self-inflating foam going to the valve which really shouldn't be counted in the size of the pad but is included in the 37 in (94 cm) length above.

My Experience:

I've used this pad for 13 nights and mostly sleep on my side. Other than my tent and an emergency blanket I use as a ground sheet, there was nothing between the pad and ground. Nighttime temperatures ranged from about 48 to 60F (9 to 15C). Altitude ranged from 600 to 5800 ft (180 to 1800 m). Surfaces were dirt, volcanic ash, and/or duff. Campsites were generally well established official campsites on or near the PCT on Oregon and such as Paradise Park and Whatum Lake. As such, the campsites were pretty nice and flat, though the soil was well packed and hard from the regular and heavy usage. I generally policed the sites well for small debris and rocks. One night I was lazy and didn't do so and wound up having to reach under my tent to get some twigs and rocks out from under my legs. I did not have to do this for the rest of my body which was on the pad.

There isn't much to inflate in this pad so this is done easily and quickly, just a couple of breaths. As noted below I find it best just to let it self-inflate, which takes just a minute or two.

The pad is tiny so it doesn't take much movement (up and down or side to side) such that the pad is no longer aligned with your shoulders and hips. Someone with a particularly long torso may not be able to align both their hips and shoulders at the same time. However, despite the fact that I toss and turn a lot while sleeping, I didn't find it hard to stay on the pad. The fact that I usually wake up pretty fully while turning in the night likely helped me stay on the mat.

Against the manufacturers recommendation, I fully inflated the pad the first night I used it and I found it pretty uncomfortable. I kept waking up with some part of my body "asleep" from lack of blood circulation. When I just let it self-inflate on subsequent nights, the pad was much more comfortable. I did not find that the lack of padding in the middle of the pad detracted from the comfort. As with any 3/4 length pad, there is no leg support. I did not have any issue with the pad moving in the night, including one night where I camped on a significant slope.

The pad is extremely easy to deflate and pack per the manufacturers instructions which is two rounds of rolling the pad up before folding in half and rolling once again. It takes me just over a minute to pack. The pad fits easily in the provided stuff sack.

Other than the night I fully inflated the pad, I never had the occasion where I felt my sleep quality was particularly hindered by the pad. A more substantial pad would have certainly been more comfortable but for the weight and bulk of the pad, it performed as well for me and certainly as well as the full sized closed cell pad I use for car camping. More sensitive sleepers may not like it: my wife tried it one night and hated it. I wouldn't recommend this pad to anyone who needs leg support.

The pad appears to be well made and I expect that it will be quite durable with standard care.

My Recommendation:

This pad is targeted towards ultra-lite backpackers and hits the market well in my opinion. It can be a good choice even for heavier packs. I personally plan to keep using this pad for a long time on trips where weight and bulk are of more of a concern than comfort.