I'm a huge fan of the Exped Downmat. It's not much heavier than a Thermarest and is much, much more comfortable.
The only drawback that it has is the 'need' to inflate it with a pumpsack.
Firstly, the pumpsack is pretty weighty - c130g. True, you can use it as a pillow case but chances are that you have a much lighter stuff sack that can perform exactly the same function.
Secondly, inflating the mat with the pumpsack is fiddly. It's a nightmare in the rain, kneeling on the wet ground, rain pouring down your back as you compress and re-inflate the pumpsack. Then you have the Herculean task of getting the pumpsack nozzle off the valve. I'm prepared to put up with this because the downmat is is so fantastically comfortable.
However, this guy http://v-g.me.uk/WildCamp/WildCampMatt.htm blows his up by mouth, thus eliminating the above drawbacks. Anyone else do the same? I know the mat contains down that suffers when damp but we all own down sleeping bags that get damp when out in the field. We just dry them out back at home. Provided you inflate the mat with dry air using the pumpsack after every trip, the down should be OK.
Thoughts, anyone?
