 Early last year I bought an Exped Downmat 7 and it was wonderful; comfortable and warm.
Late last year (Oct and Nov) and early this year (Feb/Mar) I thought I was starting to feel cold in the night and after packing an additional quilt, and putting it between me and the Downmat, I became fairly certain that the cold was striking up through the mat.
I phoned Lyons Customer Services, the distributor, and sent my Exped Downmat back to them.
They think the down in it has delofted and have sent me a replacement of the new type with the built in pump.
Absolutely excellent service and it has been a pleasure dealing with them.
I'd recommend one of these over my Thermarest which I have now retired excepting for High Summer overnights on springy grass!
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HI, thats good service. I went for the Primaloft filled one as heard similar things wher ethe down got damp from the moisture of blowing up, definately a trip changer, no more cold spots or uncomfyness!! Friend of mine swears by putting ot over radiator with valve open overnight then doing up valve. He said it gets the moisture out. second vote, ditch your thermarest!!
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Good service indeed which is why I thought I would share it; they deserve a wider audience.
Your comment about the Primaloft is interesting but can the down get damp if inflating with the bag?
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After a trip I always unpack my downmat and turn valves open and store it flat and unroled in the boilerroom (warm and dry there). I doubt an internal pump will stop the down getting humid you still take in the humid air from outside. Same as an external pump. You most certainly musn't blow up a mat with your own lungs that guarantees loads of moisture in your down mat....
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As I wrote my question it did occur to me that if the air you are pumping in is damp you can't do much about it.
I store mine slightly inflated, on edge between bed and wall.
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Hope thats not an outside wall? Otherwise it will retain moisture in mat. You not got an airing cupboard?
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Regrettably it is an outside wall, albeit with a foam liner under the wallpaper.
I couldn't get it in the airing cupbaord unrolled but I could store it in there valves open and loose rolled.
Do you think that would be better?
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 blimey! aren't we going a bit over the top here? Maybe nobby should consider moving house if he's only got an outside wall against which to lean his downmat.
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That won't work Glyn; the wife likes it here and as she buys downmats and other life enhancing items i'm inclined to stick with her :0)
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 The new pump Downmat's manual suggests using a hairdryer on its lowest setting to push warm air through the pump valve and out of the other two, if you suspect the down inside to be damp.
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Excellent service for a excellent product
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It's a stonkingly good product and it's great to hear that the customer service matches the performance. It's an interesting point about getting moisture into the down. People have speculated about inflating a Downmat by mouth but the general consensus has always been that doing so will ruin the down. There is no doubt that breath has loads of moisture in it. On the other hand, moorland air in the evening must be pretty damp as well but that doesn't seem to affect the performance. Exped Downmat - transforming wildcamping sleeping...
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Exped Downmat - transforming wildcamping sleeping... Indeed Jake - it is this product that has enabled me the ability to wild camp and be able to sleep and move in the morning without the back seizing up
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