Exped DURA 8R Sleeping Mat
With an R Value 7.8, it helped keep me nice and insulated from the ground even on some particularly chilly nights in New Mexico in March.
If you're not familiar with what an R Value is is a value scale based on the amount of insulation, it's often used to rate the insulation of homes, but also sleeping mats. The higher the R Value the colder temperatures you can sleep in and still be insulated from the heat sapping temperature of the ground underneath you.
This pad features Exped's Downmat Technology
with 700 cubic inches of actual down insulation so you can use this mat in all seasons, and ensures maximum warmth in any weather or for the coldest sleeper - like me.
It is 9 cm or 3.5 inches thick when inflated fully. I'm personally a side sleeper and am about 175 lbs and my hip does not touch the ground.
It is made with recycled ripstop face fabric and all exped mats are certified carbon neutral by myclimate.
It comes with Exped's Schnozzel Pumpbag, but my favorite way to inflate this mat is the next thing on our list:
Exped Widget Pump
Which is an electric, rechargeable pump, lamp and power bank in one.
It comes with Exped's Universal Valve Adapter so it can be used to inflate virtually any mat.
The built in camp light has three modes, and I use a carabiner to hook it to the top of my tent.
It's also a 3600 mAh power bank.
Using an electric air pump instead of using your breath to blow up your sleeping pad or air pillow, extends the life of your gear by preventing moisture buildup inside that could cause mold overtime.
Exped MegaPillow
While I still love my Nemo Fillo Pillow which was nice and soft, and I still love that pillow, but my biggest nitpick was that it was not tall enough for me, so I had to stuff a jacket under the pillow to make it tall enough for me personally.
That is not a problem with the Exped Mega Pillow which definitely met my needs and is so big I've never experienced it slipping out or off my matt in the middle of the night.
The compromise being that when packed it's a bit bigger than the Nemo Fillo, but it means that I don't have to put clothes under my pillow to make it a comfortable height for me personally.
Camp Booties
I've talked about down booties before on the channel, this year Exped send me these Camp Booties before I went on the Flight South.
They're lightweight, collapsible, and very cozy. These have a quick-dry synthetic insulation so the insulation is less susceptible to moisture.
There's a 4 mm thick sole made of recycled material. Just enough there to allow you to walk around camp in them, but not enough that'd you'd want to go very far. The elastic around the top means it traps the warm around your feet, so when the temperature drops I will wear these in my sleeping bag to prevent the cold feet dilemma.
Collapsible Tea Infuser
This little collapsible tea infuser has let me take some of my favorite loose leaf teas on the road this year, and produce less trash at camp. I still carry tea bags for those mornings I just don't have time to stick around camp, but this has been a game changer for me. With a filter it could also easily be a pour over situation for coffee as well.
Enlightened Equipment | Revelation Down Quilt
Quilts are essentially just a large blanket. The idea is very similar to the Diamond Park bag, the majority of the insulation is meant to be on top like a comforter, while your sleeping pad insulates you from beneath.
This quilt has a footbox with a 20" zipper and shock cord combination for adjustability.
It has an 850 fill down. Ethically sourced from an RDS certified supplier.
The Outer fabric is 10 Denier with a DWR finish.
It comes with a pad attachment system using elastic straps and clips built into the quilt so you can secure the bag to your sleeping pad.
They're also stuffed, finished and inspected in Minnesota.
It has many of the features I love about my Diamond Park bag, with a awesome pack size.
