Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Insul Mat Womens Max-Mtn > Laurie Shuster > Initial Report

Reviewer Information
Laurie Shuster
shustelm@yahoo.com
Olympia, WA

Age: 34, Female
Height: 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m)
Weight: 125 pounds (57 kg)

Backpacking Experience
I’ve been a dayhiker since the mid 1980s and a backpacker since 1992.  I love the outdoors and I get out as much as I can, taking daily walks/runs, weekly day hikes, monthly backpack trips, and some occasional car camping adventures.  In the winter I love to snowshoe and am learning to cross country ski.  I would not call myself a light weight backpacker, but I am happy to say that my pack weight is gradually coming down.  My goal is to have a manageable pack weight without sacrificing safety or a whole lot of comfort.

General Information
I received the max-mtn Insul Mat on Friday, December 12.  It arrived in excellent condition along with some nice little extras I didn't expect - a repair kit, a neat pocket at the bottom of the stuff sack to store the repair kit, and a velcro strap to secure the pad when it's rolled up.  

I was very pleased with the documentation that came with the sleeping pad - something I did not expect for such a user friendly piece of equipment.  At the head of the pad, close to the valve, was a sticker alerting the consumer that the pad has been stored in a compressed state.  It warns that the initial inflation may take 30 minutes and suggests inflating and deflating the pad several times before actual use.  A great tip before heading out to sleep in the cold!  A two sided instruction card  accompanied the pad as well. It includes instructions for first time use, step by step instructions in English and in pictures explaining how to inflate and deflate the pad, tips on caring for the mat, and warranty information.  The Insul Mat is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the product.  The warranty department's phone number and email are listed for further information.

Product Description
The Max-Mtn Insul Mat by Pacific Outdoor Equipment (POE) is a tapered sleeping pad designed as a less bulky, lighter weight, winter sleeping pad for women.  To put it plainly, heavier foam with a higher insulation value is used at the torso and feet, and lighter foam is used under the knees.  POE describes the system on their web site and in the materials accompanying the pad as a "hybrid mtn foam core".  Three types of foam are used in this product:  1)A  high R value lateral cored foam is used under the torso and the feet;  2) A lighter die cut foam  is used under the knees;  3) A slightly raised honeycomb insulation called "Ovalback" is layered over the thicker foam.  Ovalback is intended to add to the insulation factor and increase surface friction for non-slip sleeping.

Product Information and Observations

Straight out of the packaging, this sleeping pad looks very different than any other I've used.  The tapered shape reminds me of a mummy bag shape - narrow at the head, wider at the core and tapered at the feet.  The surface of the insul mat is covered by a grayish blue slip resistant fabric made of rip stop nylon.  That part is pretty normal, but what's underneath is obviously quite different.  I can plainly see three distinct insulation patterns just by looking at the top of the pad:  1) The core section from the neck to the upper thighs (32 in or 81 cm) is a slightly raised honey comb pattern of oval rings (the Ovalback insulation explained above under Product Description).  2) The same pattern is visible in the lower 10 in (25 cm) at the foot of the pad.  3) The 18 in (45 cm) section under the knees is a slightly raised diamond shaped pattern. This area is the lighter weight foam not covered by "Ovalback". 

When measuring the pad I did notice a slight inconsistency between the listed width and the measurements I took.  I believe the reason for this is that the insulation does not reach all the way to the edges of the pad; instead, a rim sealed fabric measuring .5 in (1 cm) surrounds the insulation.  In measuring the width of the pad, POE measured only the insulated material.  However, POE did include the non-insulated edge material in the length measurement.  According to my measurements, the insulated area of the pad measures 20 in (51 cm) x 65 in (165 cm) x 1.5 in (3.8 cm).  The entire pad (including the non-insulated edges) measures 21.25 in (54 cm) x 66 in (168 cm) x 1.5 in (3.8 cm).

The Insul Mat came with some other neat stuff I did not expect - a stuff sack, repair kit and Velcro strap. The coated nylon stuff sack is intended to be used with the pad folded in half before rolling.  I was quite pleased to find that the rolled pad fits easily in the sack.  A generous 6 in (15 cm) pocket is sewn into the bottom of the sack to store the repair kit.  What a great feature!  The repair kit is quite nice, too.  It contains two large pieces of fabric (one each of the top and bottom cover material) and a small tube of glue.  The velcro retaining strap is a fantastic addition as well.  One end is 6 in (15 cm) of hook material and the rest of the strap is loop material making it possible to secure the strap pretty much anywhere along its length.  The strap works just fine when the pad is rolled at full width or folded in half and then rolled. 

So far I am pleased with the way the pad works.  After its initial inflation, the max-mtn inflates very quickly.  In a heated house, it took only 4 minutes for the pad to reach its maximum self inflation level.  From there I only needed two breaths to fill it to capacity.  The valve is a very sturdy feeling, easy to twist, brass valve.  The pad is very easy to roll up as well.  The smaller, tapered foot and head reduces the bulk found in rectangular pads. 

I have not had the opportunity to try the pad in the great outdoors yet, but I did sleep on it in the house one night.  I had a very comfortable sleep and did not slide off the pad.  It felt a bit strange to sleep on a pad that was actually designed for someone my size.  The pad is the same height as me and just a few inches wider.  My first reaction was that the pad was a little too narrow and a little too short, but I am holding off judgment for now.  In actual outdoor use, I may discover advantages to this closer fit.  I was torn between the petite (66 in or 168 cm) and long (72 in or 183 cm) sizes when ordering.  A "regular" length somewhere between these two sizes would have been more appealing to me.

The sleeping pad is pretty much what I expected I'd receive from looking at the info on POE's website.  I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box and found the stuff sack, repair kit and velcro strap that came along with it.  These items aren't mentioned on the max-mtn overview page on the web.  However, the repair kit and sack are listed on the packaging that came with the pad. 

I'm impressed by POE's company culture as well.  They are committed to being good environmental citizens by creating gear that lasts.  One of their mottos is "good gear = less waste".  Their goal is to make durable, well designed gear that will stay out of landfills and in use for as long as possible.

Testing

Field Test Conditions

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Pads and Air Mattresses > Insul Mat Womens Max-Mtn > Laurie Shuster > Initial Report