Exped Mats

As an expedition rower, I need to be safe, dry, well fed, and well rested on a rowing trip; it’s the well rested aspect that is the source of my greatest consternation. I’m like the princess and the pea when it comes to my sleep kit. I’ve broken three vertebrae over the past 30 years, and for a sleeping pad to pass muster with me it has to provide good support for my injured and aging back. Beyond that, I don’t like waking up because I’ve slipped off the pad or because the pad is crinkling, crackling, squeaking, squawking, or whooshing air from one chamber to another. I’d rather not have to resort to earplugs to get a good sleep—there are sounds that I need to hear to stay safe in a marine wilderness.

SBM

The Megamat needs to self inflate for about 30 minutes before getting topped off in about a minute with the included mini hand pump.

I was keen to see if Exped’s Swiss technology could make a sleeping mat that would suit my needs. The Megamat 12 is the biggest sleeping pad in a stuff sack I’ve ever seen. Nicely designed with horizontal baffles and padding that create a flat surface, it is quiet, warm, and without sharp fabric and plastic edges. In about a half hour it self-inflates to a full 4″ thick, and then you top it off with the included mini pump. After you get aboard you use the deflation valve to adjust firmness. You can get a soft contour-accommodating fit without bottoming out. The mat’s internal polyurethane foam is an effective barrier to ground chill—the mat has an R-9.5 rating and is recommended for use in temperatures down to –54 degrees F.