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- Use this mat season after season, the laminated polyester fabric is slip proof, air tight, and UV- and abrasion-resistant
- Stay warm at night while insulated from the ground by 700-fill goose down
- Don't worry about cold spots - the baffled chambers eliminate them
- Inflate easily, with high-frequency welded dual valves that provide maximum airflow
- Includes a unique pump-sack for rapid inflation and mat storage
- Weight: 1 lb 4.5 oz (size 7 Short); 1 lb 11 oz (size 7); 1 lb 9.3 oz (size 7 Deluxe); 2 lb 3 oz (size 9); 2 lb 12 oz (size 9 Deluxe)
- Dimensions: 47 x 20 x 2.8 inches (size 7 Short); 70 x 20 x 2.8 inches (Size 7); 76 x 26 x 2.8 (size 7 Deluxe); 70 x 20 x 3.5 (Size 9); 76 x 26 x 3.5 (size 9 Deluxe)
- Insulation: down
- R value: 5.9 (size 7 Short); 5.9 (size 7); 5.9 (size 7 Deluxe); 8 (size 9); 8 (size 9 Deluxe)
- Stuff size: 7 x 6 inches (size 7 Short); 7 x 6 inches (size 7); 7 x 6 (size 7 Deluxe); 9 x 6 (size 9); 11 x 7 (size 9 Deluxe)
Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
from Spokane, WA on 9/15/2008
I’m a huge fan of this mat. I went with the 9 deluxe because a good night sleep is worth more then a pound of gold to me. I’ve used this from in the Nevada desert, Washington Cascades, Montana Rockies, as well as numerous floors and backs of vehicles and it works great every time. It is rated to -40 so you don’t have to carry multiple pads on snowshoe trips. The stuff sack has a ¼ inch of padding all around it so I just stuff my clothes in the bag and get a soft pillow and warm clothes in the morning. If you value a good night sleep as much as I do this is worth every penny.
from Indiana on 6/30/2008
My wife and I used this product on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Pad is very comfortable even on very rought rocky terrain. The pad provided great insulation against the ice and wet ground where most of the heat is lost. At 5' 10" and 200 lbs, I slept solid every night without the usually hard/cold spots etc expereinced with other pads. Pad inlates very easy with "inflation bag/storage sack" and being in higher altitude was greatful for not having to blow up mannually after hiking all day. The claimed use of the bag as a pillow was a nice try but does not work. The pad never lost air or deflated during the night. The dual air valves allow the bag to defate very easy and rolls up very compact. Once deflated and air valves closed, the pad stays compact. I went with the full lenght but only because my thoughts are if I get a good nights rest I can sacrifice during the day by caring a few extra ounces.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Greensboro, NC on 6/9/2008
Plan to use the mat for summer mountaineering. I have tested On Mount Mitchell NC and was extremely pleased with the product. It Is very comfortable, easy to inflate/deflate (after practice). Packs Small and is lightweight.
I purchased the short to save weight so everything below my knees hangs off...nothing a backpack isn't perfectly capable of handling. But it would be pure heaven if i did have that extra bit of room for my legs!
The instructions are not very good but i found a video on the manufactures website that helped a bunch!
Great product...Buy it.
from Wilmington, NC on 5/10/2008
I bought the short to reduce weight but also I'm right at 5' so the short really is'nt that "short" for me. Used the bag/pump/pillow as a pillow which adds to the overall length of this mat. I did add cording at the end so I can attach the bag/pump/pillow and it stays attached throughout the night. Then I used a small silnylon bag with extra clothes stuffed inside as an extra pillow on top. Supper comfy!! I put my backpack at my feet but really didn't need it there. Mat is well made, valves work great but take notice to make sure you've got them turned all the way closed. And me not being used to having 2 valves, I forgot to close one while I was blowing it up. Kept wondering why it was taking so long!!! Duh!! Slept very well. I roll and toss during the night and with this mat, I actually don't move around as much. Ended up sleeping through the night and not waking up till morning. And without the usual aches and pains too. My other mat is for sale. I normally sleep cold, or wake up later cold. This mat is WARM !! I haven't tried it with a sleeping bag yet, I use a down camping quilt that I made. That made it easy to just stick my feet out when I got to warm. Inflating this mat takes practice. Once you get the overall idea of how it's done, then I found that practice made it easier to do. Mat can be folded up differently to fit how ever size space you want it to. When rolling it up, I first opened the valves, rolled it up, closed the valves, unrolled it, then rolled it the way I wanted it rolled. When you get near to the top, reopen one valve and let out the excess air, then close it after you finish rolling it.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Chapel Hill, NC on 3/26/2008
I bought a version of this mat two years ago to use on mountain climbing trips. Last summer I used it on a climbing trip on Mt. Adams. I had to reinflait the mat daily and it leaked throughout the night. I basically slept on the glacier the entire trip. After we broke down the tent to leave, you could see a deep indentation where my body had melted into the snow pack.
from California on 3/26/2008
I've had my DownMat for two years and have used it in a variety of situations from snow/glacier trips to casual campouts with the family. I own the DownMat 7.
The pad is extremely comfortable and for car camping where weight and size are not an issue the DownMat is my preferred bed over air mattresses, hammocks, cots, and multiple foam pads. It is warmer than than my Thermarest Prolite 4 and an ounce lighter. It also packs smaller. For backpacking the DownMat cannot be beat for winter camping compared to the Thermarest Prolite 4. It is heavy compared to a closed cell foam pad, but this is the one luxury item I am most likely to carry on a longer trip. The negative features are that the DownMat is harder to inflate/deflate, the mat is a bit louder to sleep on than a Thermarest, and it is more expensive. If this is in your budget I would defintely recommend it.
from Teton Valley, Idaho on 2/11/2008
I purchased this Downmat for my husband after he bought one for me last summer. We paddle kayaks and camp in the backcountry. Now that I have turned 60 and have a little arthritis, sleeping on cold, hard earth in a tent has become more uncomfortable. But my camping experience with my Downmat was wonderful. It provided excellent insulation from the ground and was incredibly comfortable, providing great cushioning. And yet, it packs up small and fits easily in the small recesses of my kayak. The quality of the workmanship is outstanding. If you buy one of these, you will be spoiled forever from using the traditional sleeping mats.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Sonoma County, CA on 7/23/2007
Got this on the recommendation of a friend after complaining that my Thermarest left me with back pain ... used last week in Tuolumne Meadows campground, super cushy, able to sleep on my side, well insulated from the ground. Packs smaller than a Thermarest. Not cheap, but definitely worth it for those wanting the cushion of an air mattress with the warmth of an insulating pad.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Central City, NE on 6/19/2007
I regret I have to return my downmat. The one valve leaks on it. I am very anxious to try it on my next campout. I am very happy with the quality of the mat. I was just disappointed when I tried it out this last weekend and it kept going flat on me.
from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan on 6/9/2007
Practice Inflating at home first - get the hang of the air valves, stuff sack/inflator. Then you can inflate at midnight with just a tiny LED - no problems. Pitched tent in dark on sticks - slept great, very comfortable
The best sleeping pad i have ever slept on. Worth every penny. Makes camping year round a plesure
from Michigan on 5/1/2006
Sleeping in tent with 20 degree bag with the down air mattress, in just base layers on a 38 degree night, I was toasty. Pretty compact. A little heavy with the stuff sack. Very comfortable. Short size adequate. Put backpack under legs.
[3 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
from Palo Alto, CA on 3/6/2006
We bought two Exped Downmat 9s for snow camping. One arrived slightly twisted and does not lay flat. The other is fine but 40 g heavier than the twisted mat. (I gave a rating of 4 stars only because one mat is twisted.)
We debated whether to buy the Downmat 7, 9, or 9 DLX. In the end we bought the 9. The 9 was only $10 more than the 7 and the extra 2 cm meant that we would be better insulated from the snow even if we slept on our side. The 9 didn?t weigh that much more than the 7 (slightly over 1 kg when packed instead of slightly under 1 kg). When we discovered that you could use the packsack as a pillow, we decided to not buy the 9 DLX to save weight and money. The packsack pillow effectively extends the length of the mat.
The Downmats packed down really small. You can pack it smaller than the size it comes when you buy it, unlike many self-inflating mats. The hole at the end of the packsack, which is used to inflate the mat with, lets you squeeze out all of the extra air from the packsack, and keep the air out.
The Downmat is not really self-inflating. You will need to pump it at least 10 times to inflate it completely.
We used the Downmats while camping on the snow for two nights and put them directly on the floor of our tent. We used older synthetic filled sleeping bags, rated for 0?F. (They probably shouldn't be rated down to 0?F anymore.) The first night, the air temperature was maybe around 10?F/-10?C. I was cold but my husband wasn?t. Closer to morning, we slept so well that our fellow campers woke us up (at 9AM) since they couldn't sleep any longer and had already boiled water for breakfast. The second night, we probably slept on a thicker layer of snow and the air temperature was probably warmer. There was a very strong and noisy wind blowing all night long. We were both so warm on our Downmats that we had to take off some extra clothing.
My husband used both my and his Downmat packsacks as a pillow. With only one packsack, the "pillow" was too low to really be used as a pillow. He's taller than the mat's length so when he lies down his head is on the packsack/pillow and not the Downmat. Worked fine. He attached some string to the Downmat so that he could fasten the packsack/pillow to the end of the mat.
The Downmat 9 lets you sleep on your side, not just your back, without worrying about being in direct contact with snow. Definitely warmer and more comfortable than sleeping on one or two foam pads on the snow, which we have also done. Smart design. Expensive but worth it. Hopefully it will last for 10 years. We've had ours for less than one month.