Sleeping mats

Sleeping mats for camping, hiking, and survival in the wild

A sleeping mat is a sleeping pad used generally under a sleeping bag when sleeping or bivouacking in the outdoors, for example when hiking or mountaineering and on climbing expeditions. A sleeping mat protects against moisture and cold from the ground and ensures relative comfort when resting.

How to choose a sleeping mat?

To begin with, you should know that a poorly chosen sleeping mat practically degrades even the best sleeping bag. Its purpose is to insulate against the cold that comes off the ground. It is important to know what purpose you will need the sleeping mat for.

It's a good idea to be clear on a few points before buying a sleeping mat:

1. Will you need the sleeping mat twice a year or will you use it regularly? The answer is linked to the amount of investment you make into your sleeping mat. Many people can get by perfectly well with foam sleeping mats, which are the most common and don't cost much. At the same time, they are almost impossible to destroy and so their lifespan is quite decent.

2. How important are the measurements of a packed sleeping mat to you? If you're looking for a camping tent mat, you'll prefer a thicker and larger mat with a high emphasis on comfort. You can choose from inflatable mats or self-inflating mats that are very comfortable. For hikes where weight and packed dimensions are essential, it's a good idea to emphasize completely different parameters. Such requirements are best met by ideal inflatable mats.

3. What size and shape should I choose? It is important that it is long enough for your figure. The classic shape of a sleeping mat is a rectangle, which can have straight or rounded edges. The resulting dimensions will affect the size of the packed mat.

4. What role does the thickness of the mat play when choosing a mat? Sleeping mats are primarily about insulating abilities. But thickness is also about how comfortable you sleep on it. Thinner is harder, thicker is softer.

5. How does the mattress fold and inflate? The most common sleeping mats are roll-up and most are inflated simply by mouth. Some mats also have special integrated pumps. You cannot inflate by mouth mats, which are large and have to be inflated with a pump.

What types of mats can you find on afg-defense.eu?

• self-inflating mats - they have a foam or construction inside which, when the valve is unfolded and opened, causes air to be sucked in spontaneously, so that after a few minutes the valve can be closed and the mat can be used, or it can be easily adjusted beforehand; 
• inflatable mats – they must be actively inflated and often come with a pump. They are lightweight and dimensionally great to store;  
• foam mats - they are unrivalled in terms of durability - they can withstand sparks from fire and sharp stones. Foam mats also excel in light weight. On the other hand, they are bulky, so there's nothing else to do but carry them strapped to the outside of your backpack;
• folding mats - their huge advantage is the speed with which you fold them. Folding mats are very practical thanks to the possibility of folding into a rectangle or square and they can also be used for sitting.