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

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

Age: 35, 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 frequent walks/runs, weekly day hikes, monthly backpack trips, and some occasional car camping adventures. I would not call myself a lightweight 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.

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.  Three types of foam are used in this product.  A  heavier foam with a higher insulation value is used at the torso and feet, a lighter foam is used under the knees, and 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.  It has a tapered shape that reminds me of a mummy bag - 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.  The imprints of three distinctive insulation patterns are visible 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". 

The Insul Mat  also came with a stuff sack, repair kit and Velcro strap.

• The coated nylon stuff sack is short and wide.  It is intended to be used when the sleeping pad is folded in half before it is rolled up.  A 6 in (15 cm) pocket is sewn into the bottom of the sack to store the repair kit.
• The repair kit 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 measures 30 inches (76 cm) in length.  A plastic retaining loop is at one end of the strap, followed by 24 inches (61 cm) of loop material, and ending with 6 inches (15 cm) of hook material at the opposite end of the strap.  This makes it easy to secure the strap pretty much anywhere along its length, and enables you to use the strap when rolling a pad that is folded in half length wise before rolling or a pad that is rolled at normal width.

Observations from the Field

Weather Conditions and Test Locations

Since posting my Field Report, I've used the Max-Mtn pad on two weekend trips to Washington's Olympic Peninsula and on one weekend trip to Mt. St. Helens.  Elevation has ranged from 4,000 to 5,000 ft. (1,200 - 1,524 m). The weather was clear and dry on these trips, except for one afternoon thundershower.  Wind speed was limited to a light breeze.

Until May, I slept in a women's Sierra Designs mummy bag  rated to 0 degrees F (-18 C) and insulated with Polarguard 3D.  On those trips we used a GoLite Hex  2 floorless tent.  Nighttime low temperatures ranged between 35 and 40 F (1 C - 4 C). 

On my most recent trip, I slept in a 20 degree (-6 C), unisex, Mountain Hardware bag also insulated with Polarguard 3D.  This time I used a Hennessy Hammock, a mesh enclosed camping hammock.  Nighttime lows were between 45 and 48 F (7 C - 9 C).

During the trips covered by my previous report, I experienced night time low temperatures between 28 and 45 F ( -2 to 7 C).  Weather varied from clear skies to driving rain, wind and hail. 

The Max-Mtn has continued to perform well since my Field Report.  I've continued using it in our floorless tent, and recently used it in a Hennessy Hammock with great success.

Comfort/Warmth

The tapered shape of  the Max-Mtn proved to be a great advantage when I used it in the Hennessy Hammock.  I've always had a hard time positioning some kind of insulation under my body when I get into the hammock, and an even more difficult time repositioning the insulation when I move around at night.   This was easily fixed with the Max-Mtn!  I added a sleeping bag width extender to my mummy bag, slipped the Max-Mtn pad inside my sleeping bag, and loaded the whole unit into the hammock.  The tapered shape and short length of the pad fit perfectly inside my bag; it even filled in a portion of the hood.  When I got into the hammock, all I needed to do was crawl inside the bag.  No extreme gymnastics were needed to get the insulation under all parts of my body. 

For the first few minutes, I could feel the cold surface of the pad through my poly pro long underwear, but the Max-Mtn quickly absorbed and retained my body heat.  I slept warm all night long, only woke up only once or twice, and was very rested in the morning.   I will definitely keep bring the Max-Mtn on future trips with the Hennessy Hammock.

While great in the hammock or when sleeping solo on the ground, the tapered shape does have a disadvantage when coupling the Max-Mtn to another sleeping pad.   When joined with another pad, the tapered foot area of the Max-Mtn does not meet the edge of my partner's pad.  As a result, a small triangular gap is created from about my lower calf down to the bottom of the pad.  The tapered foot of our connected bags draws my feet into this gap, and I've woken up with cold feet during the night.  Fortunately, they warm up soon after I move them back onto my pad, but it can be an unwelcome distraction from sleep.

Inflation/Deflation

The Max-Mtn has continued to inflate and deflate easily.  When it's time to inflate the pad in camp, I normally unroll the pad, open the inflation valve, and let the pad self inflate for about 20 minutes. That's usually enough time for the pad to reach it's maximum self inflation level, then I finish it off with three or four additional breaths and it's ready to go.   I haven't noticed any differences in inflation time or effort at various temperatures or elevations.

The valve is still in top notch condition.  I have continued to appreciate its sturdy feel and ease of use.

The Max-Mtn can be folded in half before being rolled up or left unfolded and rolled at its full width. I normally secure my sleeping pad to the outside of my pack near the sleeping bag compartment, so I've been rolling the pad at its full width to make it a thinner package.  I haven't been using the stuff sack since it will only fit the pad when it is folded and then rolled.  However, I have found the Velcro strap to be incredibly convenient!  I can roll up the pad at any point in the process of breaking camp, wrap the Velcro strap around it, and be sure the pad will stay in a tight roll.  Without the strap, I've always needed to wait until my pack is nearly full, then roll up my sleeping pad, and immediately lash it to the pack.  Using the Velcro strap is much more convenient.

So far so good with the surface fabric of the Max-Mtn.  I 've found no visible wear and tear on the pad, and I haven't needed to use the repair kit.

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