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Sea to Summit Insulated UltraLight<br />
Mat Weight: 488g RRP £105<br />
If you want something that’s warmer and<br />
with some insulation than the Sea to Summit<br />
UltraLight Matt then you should look at their<br />
Insulated UltraLight Mat. With the same features<br />
and technology as the standard UltraLight, it<br />
adds insulation by using Exhin Platinum, a quiet<br />
non-woven fabric that reflects radiant heat loss<br />
back to the user and a Thermolite insulation to<br />
prevent convective loss between you and the<br />
ground. But does it work? Yes, in use there was<br />
found to be a noticeable difference in the warmth<br />
and lack of heat loss and it certainly does what it<br />
says on the ‘tin’.<br />
Again this comes with a stuff sack, six<br />
self-adhesive repair patches and a spare silicone<br />
one-way valve flap for repairs in the field and it’s<br />
available in regular size plus a small (weight:<br />
430g, length: 168cm) and large (weight: 595g,<br />
length: 198cm).<br />
Summing up, coupled with the plus points of<br />
the UltraLight (see previous review) it’s certainly<br />
worth a look if you don’t mind the extra 90 odd<br />
grams of weight and want to push the three<br />
season envelope and/or have a not so warm<br />
sleeping bag.<br />
Therm-a-rest Evolite<br />
Weight: 528g RRP £105<br />
This is a hybrid mat using a mix of an internal<br />
skeleton of alternating lightweight Atmos foam<br />
(the ‘AirFrame’) and air channels, and is the only<br />
self-inflating mat on test. The use of foam leads<br />
to a very stable mat than most air-inflated mats<br />
and is relatively comfortable to sleep on. There’s<br />
also the added bonus of having some support if<br />
the mat springs a leak during the night thanks to<br />
the foam. The downside of the foam is the extra<br />
bulk when packed, around twice the size of any<br />
other mat on test, and the extra weight being the<br />
heaviest on test at 528g.<br />
Whilst the mat inflates to a point, extra breaths<br />
(around eight) were needed to get it to the<br />
optimum fill, so you could say it was semi-inflating.<br />
We think the valve system could be<br />
improved. When you blow air into the mat and it<br />
reaches a point where it’s nearly full, a small<br />
amount of air escapes between breaths. Other<br />
companies have overcome this with a one way<br />
valve thus no air escapes. It’s a minor point but<br />
we feel it’s worth mentioning.<br />
The fabric used has a smooth feel to it and<br />
was appreciated, particularly when lounging<br />
around on it. Lofting to a height of 5cm it did<br />
provide a good level of comfort, even for side<br />
sleepers who didn’t feel their elbows pushing<br />
through to the ground and no tester complained<br />
of an uncomfortable night. The only real issue<br />
was the width, which is quite narrow, and it was<br />
felt that a little extra width would be ideal. Price<br />
wise it’s in the middle ground.<br />
All in all, it’s a good choice if you are on the<br />
fence about buying a purely air-inflated mat and<br />
want the best of both worlds, albeit with some<br />
compromise on weight and bulk. Plus the EvoLite<br />
offers a higher degree of comfort compared to a<br />
standard self-inflating mat.<br />
Therm-a-rest NeoAir XTherm<br />
Weight: 430g RRP £165<br />
A remarkable mat and easily the warmest on<br />
test, in fact, if you want a comfortable mat for all<br />
year round but still want super light then this is it,<br />
however, it comes at a premium price. Constructed<br />
with a tapered design utilising horizontal baffling<br />
to impart support and stability along with the use<br />
of ThermaCapture technology. This provides four<br />
season warmth with reflective chambers that<br />
locks in body heat and redirects it back to you<br />
without the need for additional insulation keeping<br />
it lightweight and efficient. It really does work and<br />
you can feel the warmth reflection back to you.<br />
Some think NeoAir mats are noisy but it’s not the<br />
case here; although it makes a bit of a ‘crinkling’<br />
sound it’s barely noticeable and seems to ‘bed in’<br />
quickly becoming quieter with use. The top of the<br />
mat also has a non-slip coating that helps keep you<br />
in place. Again as stated in the previous review<br />
we think the valve system could be improved.<br />
In use, it was found to be one of the most<br />
comfortable on test, particularly for the side<br />
sleepers, in no small part due to how thick this<br />
inflates to – one of the deepest one test. There was<br />
one caveat though, some found it too firm when<br />
fully inflated and let out a small amount of air until<br />
they were satisfied with the softness. It took around<br />
15-20 breaths to blow it up and it also comes with<br />
an air inflation bag that can double as a stuff sack,<br />
albeit with a small hole in the end, plus repair kit.<br />
This mat is toasty warm, comfortable, packs<br />
very small considering how warm it is and<br />
definitely light. Overall, if you can afford it and<br />
want an all-year-round mat without the weight<br />
or bulky pack size, the XTherm is worth every<br />
penny and should last years. At the moment it<br />
offers the greatest warmth to weight ratio there<br />
is. It was a struggle to get this back from some<br />
of the team, which says it all.<br />
Therma-a-rest EvoLite<br />
Thermarest XTherm<br />
Sea to Summit UltraLight Insulated Mat<br />
74 Sep–Oct <strong>2017</strong> www.climber.co.uk
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