R-Value for the KingCamp is ~6.5 which is pretty decent for cold weather camping, but not quite on a par with the Outwell Dreamcatcher. For typical UK winter conditions though, this is ample. Just make sure you bring along a decent sleeping bag or use electric hookup for an overnight heater. The Comfort 10 is available in single (200 x 60cm), grande (200 x 76cm) or double (200 x 130cm) sizes. Personally, our preference would be for two Grandes placed next to each other, but it depends how intimate you want to get in the night! I am looking to upgrade my sleep system to be able to continue my trail running and wild camping adventures into the winter. It is a big investment for me so I really need to get it right first time. Fully-inflated dimensions are 201 x 132 x 10cm and so it can cater for somebody up to 6ft 7 in height. I found I had plenty of room at 6ft3 tall.

In reality (unless you are a heavy person over 15 stone) a 7.5cm option is acceptable, but we wouldn’t recommend going any lower than that if comfort is your main objective. Warmth - Clearly, keeping warm is not just about the right sleeping mat it is also about the right sleeping bag and clothing. We always try to ensure we have the right gear at the right time, no point me being in a rubbish bag and blaming my coldness on the sleeping mat. I can confidently say that te Berghaus Peak Pro mat kept me adequately insulated from the floor So it it comfortable? We can give this a resounding thumbs up – it is by far the comfiest double SIM we’ve tested for the money, and while it may seem expensive, this is up there with the best air mattresses but without the stress of punctures or requiring pumps. For all intents and purposes the Kip becomes a proper home-style mattress when it’s fully inflated. It has vertical side walls to maximize the top-level surface area and this means that you don’t roll off in the night.It is a true 4-season sleeping pad with an R-Value of 6.8. This provides excellent insulation between you and the floor for effective winter-use.

Moving to the present day and there’s now an extremely wide variety of camping mats and camping mattresses on the market – some of them self inflate (the topic of this article) whereas others require pumping – either via a hand pump, pump bag (a simple way of filling a bag with dry air which can then be squeezed into the SIM via a valve) or electric pump. Camping Mat vs Camping Mattress Measuring 201 x 74 x 5cm when inflated, the IForrest includes both an integrated pillow and armrests for significant added comfort. What is great about the armrests is that they stop you rolling off the mattress in the night very effectively. If you are planning to use it on top of a camp bed then this is an important consideration – you might be a foot off the floor! I sleep on my side and often find that I wake up with sore shoulders when camping out, the Static V2 is a perfect sleeping pad for side sleepers and I found it very comfortable to sleep on, unlike the X Frame.

Preview

However a low R-Value (<2) could mean you end up getting cold in the night. Inflatable air mattresses which are essentially big air balloons which you sleep on have notoriously low R-values and are no good at all for sleeping on in winter or autumn. The NeoAir Xtherm ditches the mainstream rectangular shape for a contoured build. This makes it overall more weight-effective, without compromising comfort and it’s a seriously comfortable, seriously lightweight sleeping pad – as an all rounder, the Xtherm is hard to beat, but it ain’t cheap and there are some better value options out there. In terms of dimensions and operation, the Dreamcatcher is pretty standard in most areas. However, the inflated size is a little restricted compared to the more expensive Vango and Berghaus options – the length is 195cm (just under 6ft5) and so we would recommend either of those two over the Outwell if you’re lanky like me. That said, the STS Ultralight Insulated pad delivers an all-around great three season performance for the price. After inflation, just screw the valve cap in and hey presto, it’s ready to lie on! Berghaus Air 10 In Use