- Joined
- May 17, 2006
- Messages
- 450
Hey all. I just got a Swiss Gear air mat. I've heard mixed views on self-inflaters but I thought I'd give one a try. My initial impression is good. It is a little short for me at 72" in length (I'm 73" tall) but when laying on my side curled up it is adequate. This is the "self-inflating" type but I wasn't sure how long that would take so I just inflated it myself using the air port. The air port is a very nice feature. Initially, I blew the whole mat up to "poofy" and then layed down on the mat and slowly let out the air by turning the air port dial a little at a time. If you don't do this it kind of feels like you are floating and I didn't like that much. In the picture, the pillow is fully inflated and I found that to be the most comfortable as well. There are two ports for inflating/deflating so you can get the pillow area poofy and the rest of the mat slightly deflated from fully filled. I'm not sure of the exact weight but it doesn't seem overly heavy for its size. I think it is about 5lbs so for the minimilist it wouldn't work but for fat guys like me it may be worth carrying along. I have a really expensive accordian style mat that was essentially worthless when it came to padding my back at night. I know those are more for keeping you off the cold ground than anything but I like a little cusion between myself and the ground. It is also heavier than those too so that might effect whether or not you might choose to use it. The best way to describe this thing would be a heavy duty swimming pool mattress. I really like this thing right off and can't wait to give it a try in the field.
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