 I want to replace both of these items this year and wondered what everybody else is using these days, and too what current kit is especially well respected by fellow forum users.
|
 |
 Sleeping mats have been well reviewed by Chris T in this month's TGO.
|
 |
 Aye, and it's quite hard to recommend a specific sleeping mat because there are plenty of good ones out there but, as with most kit, it depends what your particular priorities are - insulation, comfort, packed-size, weight, price, is it for use in a tent or under it, or for bivvying, etc. As for sit mats, most of the time one of those basic concertina-ing closed cell foam mats for about £3 or £4 (Gelert do them, others too) is fine. For winter or lots of use on snow I'd definitely recommend one of the Thermarest inflatable sports seats (I think that's what they're called - an orange/grey rectangular pad, like their sleeping mats). I often use one of those for my feet with a 3/4 length sleep-mat.
|
 |
 Hi Trev As per Matt's post re: sleeping mats - it is very specific. Sit mats - I find a simple piece of (tough not flimsy) bubble wrap is more flexible and warmer that anything else on offer - and generally speaking costs nowt.
|
 |
 For a sit mat, I tend to use either my map in ortleib map case or aqua3 laminated map. Yes, you may call me cheapskate .
|
 |
 B+Q are selling rolls of Thermawrap. 600mm x 7.5m. ( like bubble wrap with metalic top/bottom). They are normally £34 but are (a couple of days ago) now 1/2 price in their sale. Enough to make 3 sleeping mats (brilliant insulating under a 'normal' mat in winter), pot cozies and sit mats.
|
 |
 Cheers, Mike; I may look at the Thermawrap for a bumper supply of cozies...
For a sit mat, I have long used a piece of expanded polythene (usually anti-static grade as that's what's lying around in an electronics company). It's not greatly padded, but it packs a lot of insulating bang-per-buck for its weight (I seem to have been infected with military-industrial jargon from the other thread...)
Oh, and it's waterproof, robust, light and free...
|
| Edited: 07/01/08 18:36 |
Best (and Cheapest) Sit Mat option I have found is one sold by Poundland as a Gardeners kneeling mat, £1.
|
 |
 Jiffy bags make perfectly good sit mats plus they come in various sizes to suit various ar$es.
|
 |
 Trouble with Jiffy Bags though is that it is one of the few items in a stationers that actually has an expiry use by date on it/sell by date! You don't want it going off on you while you're sitting on it  now do you!
|
 |
 Cheap sit mat - given away free with a TGO many years ago.
My preferred sleep mat combo is a Ridgerest & a l/w Thermarest 3/4 length mat - comfort & insulation. At a pinch, if weight is a real issue, just the Ridgerest - £5 from an army surplus store - a bargain.
|
 |