Long Term Report

Insul Mat Women’s Max Mtn Sleeping Pad Long-Term Report

Personal Information:
Name: Christine Korhonen
Age: 30
Gender: female
Height: 5’4” (1.6 m)
Weight: 165 lb (75 kg)
E-mail: chris@wormguy.com
Location: Western Montana
Date: July 6, 2004

Backpacking Background:
I'm in Montana where I’m becoming re-acquainted with winter. I’m a lightweight backpacker mentally, if not always in practice. I have a hammock, but I've been using my tent lately. I also tend to take more clothes than I really need -- just in case. I’ve gotten my summer multi-day pack weight down to 13 lb (6 kg), but my winter pack weight hovers around 25 lb (11 kg).

Product Information:
Manufacturer: Insul Mat
URL: www.pacoutdoor.com
Model: Women’s Edition Max Mtn
Size: Petite
Color: Stratus/Larix (Blue/Grey)
Model year: 2003
R-Value: 3.3~5.0
Listed weight: 34 oz (960 g)
Measured weigh: 33.5 oz (950 g)
MSRP: $64 US

Max Mtn Description:
The Max Mtn Women’s Edition Petite is a mummy-shaped sleeping pad. The Max Mtn is designed for cold weather use, and the Women’s Edition is meant to address size and warmth requirements of women.

Field Test Information:
I used this sleeping pad in a tent on frozen and thawed ground throughout Montana and Wyoming. Camping locations were next to glacial lakes in Glacier National Park, at backcountry thermal areas in Yellowstone, and in several car-camping campgrounds within and outside the parks. Elevations ranged from 4500 to 8000 ft (1400 to 2400 m). Nighttime temperatures were around 30 to 40 F (-1 to 4 C). The ground consisted of grass, packed earth, and gravel.

Comfort:
The Max Mtn is very comfortable. Lately I've been using the pad on hard ground, and the pad is just as comfortable on this surface as it was on cushy snow. Using the Max Mtn, I don't mind sleeping in a tent anymore! I haven't had problems with my arm and hip going numb that previously drove me to sleep in hammocks. I can't tell any difference in comfort between the types of cut-out foam sections of the Max Mtn, but it doesn't seem to matter since the whole thing works so well.

Warmth:
I have been extremely warm using the Max Mtn. I never felt the cold from the ground seep up through the pad. This pad, in combination with a 20 F (-7 C) down bag, and a Finbar Hood, have kept me toasty warm on all of my trips, even when it was snowing and blowing outside the tent. I did have some problems with body parts wandering off of the pad, and as soon as they got off of the pad, they got cold.

Sliding:
I haven't had any problems with my sleeping bag sliding off of this pad, even when pitched on obvious slants. The ovalback material seems to have enough grip to keep my sleeping bag reasonably secure. When my foot wandered off of the pad, it was because I was sleeping on my side, and the angle of my leg sent my foot off.

Shape:
In my field report I liked how much this coffin-shaped sleeping pad mirrored my coffin-shaped tent. The non-rectangular shape is advertised to reduce the weight of the pad, but I found I had a hard time staying on the pad when I slept on my side. I couldn't keep my knees, back, and feet all on the pad at the same time. I haven't noticed my feet wandering off of my rectangular self-inflating pad, but I haven't been so warm or slept so soundly on that pad, either. I didn't have any problems with the angles at the head end of the Max Mtn.

I like that the pad comes in a petite size. I feel that the pad is made just for me. However, the angled shape at the foot of this sleeping pad doesn't work that well when trying to join two sleeping pads together. There is always a hole between the two pads where the Max Mtn is cut away at the feet, and my feet invariably ended up in this hole.

Inflation:
It takes this pad about a minute to inflate as good as it's going to get. I like to overinflate the pad. I usually don't wait for it to self-inflate, but blow it up as soon as I get into camp. With the pad overinflated, it's thick enough to keep me from touching the ground. This insures that I'm warm and comfortable.

Packing:
I have gotten better at rolling up the pad. It now takes less than a minute to get it packed, a much shorter time compared to when I first got the pad. I still roll the pad up twice to make sure I've gotten all the air out.

Wear:
The pad has held up well to all of my abuse. There are no rips, punctures, or frayed areas, and the valve reinforcement looks like new. There are a couple of new stains on the pad which look like grease spots. I don't know where these came from, but they and their predecessors don't appear to have decreased the pad's functionality.

Overall:
I really like the Max Mtn pad. It’s very comfortable and has kept me warm and ache-free during the nights I've used it. It fits nicely in my pack. It does weigh over 2 lb (950 g), but a good night's sleep is worth it.

Likes:
With this pad, I get a good night's sleep!
Warm and comfortable.
I don't slide off.
Made for short people.

Dislikes:
Rectangular sleeping pads are easier to join for two.
My foot tends to wander off the angled edge.
Pad weighs a bit.

Thanks to Insul Mat for conducting these tests and for BackpackGearTest for allowing me to be a part.

Read more reviews of Pacific Outdoor Equipment gear
Read more gear reviews by Christine Korhonen

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Insul Mat Womens Max-Mtn > Christine Korhonen > Long Term Report

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