Head into the mountains in summer, or almost anywhere in fall or spring, and you can encounter nighttime and morning temperatures anywhere from the 40s Fahrenheit to well below freezing. That’s more than cold enough to pose a real risk of hypothermia or, at the least, result in a miserable night for you or a partner or child you’ve taken backpacking or camping—and would like to take more. Here’s the good news: The very simple techniques outlined in this article can turn a potentially unpleasant night into a comfortable one.

Countless frosty nights sleeping outside over the past three-plus decades—including the 10 years I spent as a field editor for Backpacker magazine and even longer running this blog—have taught me a few things about how to stay warm. (My coldest night was -30° F/-34° C, in winter in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. I don’t recommend it.)

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No matter how easily you get cold when sleeping outside, or whether you’re camping in the backcountry or at a campground, these 10 tips will keep you warmer on cool and chilly nights in your sleeping bag.

Tell me what you think of my tips, ask any questions, or share your own tips in the comments section at the bottom of this story. I try to respond to all comments.

1. Clean Up

At the end of each hiking day, wash the dirt and dried sweat from your body; the latter can act like a heat conductor, chilling you, and getting a bit cleaner will just make you feel better. Swim in a lake, wade into creek and splash water all over yourself, or at least wet a bandanna or other cloth (or use wet wipes or other such products) and wipe yourself off.

2. Change Into Dry Clothes

Damp clothes promote conductive heat loss from the body. Change into dry clothing to sleep, as opposed to the clothes you sweated in while hiking.

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3. Dress Smartly

Inside your bag, wear a hat, socks, and extra layers on your body, but avoid putting on so many layers that you isolate your core, which is your body’s furnace, from your extremities, which get cold more easily. It’s often more effective to wear just one or two light to midweight base layers—that are highly breathable, so as to allow your core’s heat to disperse throughout the bag. If you need more warmth, lay an insulation piece over your torso and hips inside the bag, essentially boosting the bag’s insulation, and stuff other extra clothing around you or at the foot of your bag to provide added insulation for your entire body.

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4. Use a Hot-Water Bottle

Stick a water bottle filled with hot water in the foot of your bag; water that’s heated up is hot enough, boiling water may feel too hot directly against bare skin. If one bottle at your feet isn’t enough, put a second bottle filled with hot water in the middle of your bag. Make sure they’re sealed tightly and that you’re using a sturdy, plastic bottle that’s designed to hold hot liquids, like a Nalgene bottle; a cheap plastic bottle (like an empty soda bottle) could split open, a potentially very dangerous situation. An insulated or vacuum bottle would not release any heat, negating any benefit.

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5. Sleep on Insulation

Use an insulated pad or air mattress rated for the lowest temperatures you expect to encounter. Mats and pads with an R-value of between 3 and 4 are intended for three-season temperatures—generally, above freezing—while those with an R-value of over 5 are intended for use on frozen ground in below-freezing temperatures. If needed, add a second foam pad under your primary air mat if you’re sleeping atop frozen ground or snow.

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6. Augment Your Sleeping Pad

If you’re using a short air mattress or foam pad (to save weight in milder temperatures), lay your empty pack beneath your feet to insulate them from the ground, which can drain heat from your body even in summer. Or bring a short foam pad to provide more padding and insulation under a full-length air mat.

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7. Pile Extra Clothing Underfoot

Your feet get cold more easily than other body parts because they lie the farthest from your heart and, inside a sleeping bag, are not close to your furnace: your body’s core. They can also get cold because the ground under your sleeping pad is cold. Pile extra clothing under the foot end of your bag to give your feet more insulation against the cold ground.

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8. Use a Bag Liner

Use a sleeping bag liner, which can add the equivalent of several degrees of warmth rating to a bag.

9. Eat Fat and Sugar (The Fun Tip)

Eat a snack high in fat right before bed, like a candy bar, and have a hot drink with sugar in it, like hot cocoa. Both will fuel your body’s furnace through the night.

10. Use Your Partner

If you’re sharing a tent with a partner who doesn’t get cold as easily as you, ask that person to sleep on the tent’s windward side. If you have two warm-sleeping partners, sleep between them, or at least position your bags and pads close together to benefit from one another’s body heat. Or maybe best of all, zip your bags together and directly share body heat.

See my “Pro Tips For Buying Sleeping Bags” and all of my reviews of sleeping bags, air mats, and backpacking gear at The Big Outside.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my stories “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-book versions of “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

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Choosing the absolute lightest air mattress you find doesn’t always go well: The hours of sleep lost to discomfort may exceed the weight savings in ounces. Put another way, the personal energy lost through a poor night of sleep may eclipse what you gain from shaving a few ounces of pack weight. The latest iteration of Therm-a-Rest’s ultralight NeoAir XLite air mats, the NXT, will flip that equation to the positive side of the energy ledger for many backpackers, as it did for me on several spring and summer backpacking trips.

I have (so far) slept on the NeoAir XLite NXT for a total of 32 nights, including: four nights on a pair of three-day hikes in April on a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River and in Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon; another four nights on three-day hikes on both the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park and the Nigel, Cataract, and Cline Passes Route in the White Goat Wilderness of the Canadian Rockies in early August; three nights in the Wind River Range and four nights in Montana’s Beartooth Mountains in mid-August; three nights on an August backpacking trip in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains; five more nights in the Wind River Range and six nights in September in Glacier National Park; three freezing nights in Utah’s High Uintas and two more nights on the 22-mile Boulder Mail Trail-Death Hollow Loop in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in early October. And my wife used it for two nights on southern Utah’s Owl and Fish canyons loop in early May.

On the Arizona Trail and in the Canadian Rockies and Winds, I slept on this air mat in the Mountain Hardwear Phantom 30, comfortable in just underwear and a light T-shirt or a midweight, long-sleeve top on nights in the 40s F/4-8° C; and inside the Nemo Riff 30 in similar temps in the Escalante and on nights down to the upper 30s in Glacier. But facing chillier nights in Aravaipa, I used the Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 15F/-9C on this air mat and stayed perfectly warm wearing just a T-shirt, underwear, and socks on one night that dropped to just above freezing.

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The XLite NXT looks good in direct comparisons with other top three-season air mats of key metrics like thickness, weight, and packability. At three inches/7.6cm thick (a half inch fatter than the previous XLite), it matches some competitors that are slightly heavier and exceeds the very short list of air mats that are lighter. As someone who’s been sleeping on the ground for more than three decades and is done with pads that aren’t comfortable—and I’m always looking to review air mats that hit a nice balance of comfort and low weight and bulk—I’m happy to say I slept quite soundly on the XLite NXT.

And yet, this ultralight pad weighs in at 13 ounces/370g (regular) and measures 9×4.1 inches/23x10cm stuffed (regular), roughly the dimensions of a one-liter water bottle. That’s a nice weight-to-comfort ratio. As a five-foot, eight-inch side sleeper who curls up a bit, I found the regular short length (20×66 inches/51x168cm) perfectly fine for me—and I’ll take that weight savings when it comes with no comfort penalty.

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The XLite NXT uses ThermaCapture technology to radiate body heat back to you and a Triangular Core Matrix, consisting of two stacked layers of triangular baffles to create a stable surface and minimize heat loss; Therm-a-Rest says it’s six times quieter than the previous XLite generation. The result is an R-value of 4.5, meaning it’s warm enough for shoulder-season adventures and temps around or below freezing—it even approaches the level of insulation adequate for temps well below freezing and sleeping on snow or frozen ground, which is an R-value of 5 or higher.

That puts the XLite NXT at the leading edge for warmth-to-weight ratio.

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Using the voluminous Therm-a-Rest Pump Sack (included) to inflate the air mat eases that process, although it doesn’t necessarily speed it up, unless you’re quite fast at repeatedly opening the sack to let air inside and then rolling it up tight to force that air into the air mattress. I often found it faster to the XLite NXT by simply blowing into the valve, which requires about 15 to 20 strong breaths, whereas using the air bag took me several minutes. Either way, inflating it is aided by the efficiency of the one-way WingLock valve, which Therm-a-Rest says cuts the inflation time by two-thirds; a simple turn of the valve’s “wings” deflates it almost instantly.

The 30-denier ripstop nylon fabric, with durable TPU laminate, offers greater protection from punctures than some lightweight air mats have.

The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT MAX ($230-$250, 1 lb. 3 oz./540g) is a rectangular version available in two sizes, both 25 inches/64cm wide and from 72 to 77 inches/183-196cm long.

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The Verdict

Hitting a sweet spot for comfort and packability, at one of the lowest weights and highest warmth-to-weight ratios you’ll find in a three-season air mattress, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT sets a new standard for ultralight air mats.

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See all reviews of air mattresses, sleeping bags, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside, plus “Pro Tips for Buying Sleeping Bags” and “10 Pro Tips For Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my stories “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be,” “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” and “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-book versions of “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

See all stories with expert backpacking tips at The Big Outside.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all my reviews and expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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The search for the right backpacking air mattress tends to boil down to two competing objectives: finding a mat with the lowest possible weight without compromising on comfort. And different people will define comfort differently—thus affecting the weight of their air mat choice. But many backpackers and other users may find Nemo’s Tensor Insulated hits a sweet balance between those competing objectives, as I did sleeping on it for eight nights on a nearly 130-mile, August hike through the High Sierra, much of it on the John Muir Trail, and for four nights in early September in the Wind River Range.

On both trips, I slept in the Sierra Designs Cloud 35 and the Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 32 bags and our coldest nights dipped into the 40s F. I also slept on the Tensor Insulated air mat under the stars very warmly zipped up inside the Sierra Designs Mobile Mummy 15° F/-9° C bag on a late September night in the upper 30s in Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve. And my wife slept on the Tensor (and in the Mobile Mummy 15° F/-9° C) for a total of four nights on three-day hikes on both the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park and the Nigel, Cataract, and Cline Passes Route in the White Goat Wilderness of the Canadian Rockies.

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Three inches thick, the Tensor’s undulating lateral Spaceframe baffles and low-stretch, die-cut trusses to minimize springiness create a nicely cushioned bed with good stability: I flop around during the night but never bounced or rolled off the air mat. To the contrary, even though it’s not one of the thickest backpacking air mats out there, I found it quite comfortable, with hipbones and elbows never bottoming out on the hard ground.

Nemo rates the Tensor Insulated to 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit, thanks to its notably quiet PrimaLoft synthetic insulation and a new, continuous TPU film inside to prevent convective heat loss.

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Those updates elevated the air mat’s R-value to 4.2, meaning it delivers significantly more insulation from a cold ground than the previous generation of the Tensor Insulated, which was rated 3.5. That means this air mat is now legitimately warm enough for shoulder-season adventures and temps around and below freezing—although you’d probably want a higher R-value air mat for temps well below freezing and sleeping on snow or frozen ground—and Nemo achieved this without the mat gaining weight. The uninsulated Tensor’s R-value also went up, from 1.6 to 2.5, making it more suitable for cool nights but not temperatures dropping near freezing.

At 13 ounces for the insulated regular mummy air mat and a pound packed (including the Vortex pump sack and staff sack), the Tensor weighs in lighter than many competitors with comparable comfort and dimensions; and it measures a compact 3×8 inches/20×7.5cm packed, slightly larger than a liter bottle, taking up noticeably less space in a backpack than heavier air mats.

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The two-piece Laylow valve, with separate valve flaps for inflating and deflating, make both chores a breeze and deflation almost instantaneous. The Vortex pump sack that comes with the Tensor lets you employ the Bernoulli effect to quickly inflate the mat by blowing a light breath into the open sack and rolling the air into the mat (several times)—much easier than making yourself dizzy blowing air directly through the valve and minimizing moisture entering the air mat. The Vortex sack adds little weight to the package and has a shape and size that makes it a bit faster inflating an air mat than other such pump sacks I’ve used.

Lastly, the updated Tensor’s 100 percent recycled and bluesign-certified, 20-denier polyester fabric on top and bottom is likely not as puncture-resistant as some air mats that use a heavier fabric, but it offers durability that compares with many ultralight models.

The Tensor series comes in four models each in both insulated and non-insulated: regular and regular mummy, both 20×72 inches, and wide (25×72) and long wide (25×76) versions.

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The Verdict

Comfortable, notably quiet, lightweight, and packable, the Nemo Tensor Insulated Air Mattress will appeal to many backpackers and other backcountry travelers who want an ultralight air mat that doesn’t compromise on comfort.

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See all reviews of air mattresses, sleeping bags, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside, plus my “Pro Tips for Buying Sleeping Bags” and “10 Pro Tips: Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all my reviews and expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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On several nights in early winter, as temperatures slipped into the teens and single digits Fahrenheit outside my tent on the snow on two separate trips in Idaho’s Boise and Boulder Mountains, I zipped up snugly inside my sleeping bag and lay on this fat, well-insulated air mattress, briefly considering that I might feel cold before morning. And every morning, I awoke after sleeping longer and later than I normally do in my bed at home, feeling incredibly well rested and realizing my 0-degree bag combined with this air mat were only pushed to their limits (for me) when the temps dropped to within a few ticks of 0° F.

While the bag I used certainly gets some credit for my comfort on those frigid nights (read my review of that sleeping bag), it’s a well-known fact that, ounce-for-ounce, the air mattress underneath you delivers more insulative value than your bag—especially on snow or frozen ground, which can quickly drain your body heat.

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The outdoor industry has, since January 2020, employed a new standard test, ASTM F3340-18, to measure R-value—or how well an air mat or any kind of sleeping pad insulates against cold ground to prevent convective heat loss from your body. Only air mats with a minimum R-value of 4.5 to 5 are adequate for sleeping outside on frozen ground with below-freezing air temperatures.

The Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Extreme Insulated Air Mattress performs well in those conditions thanks to Thermolite hollow-core insulation, which lofts inside the mat, giving its four unisex versions an R-value of 6.2, warm enough for sleeping on frozen ground in temps well below freezing. The women’s-specific Ether Light XT Extreme versions have additional Thermolite insulation, giving them a 6.3 R-value. Few air mats have an R-value that high—although two Therm-a-Rest models have a 6.9 R-value, the NeoAir X-Therm (read my review) and the NeoAir X-Therm MAX. Both also cost about $30 more but are significantly lighter and more compact than the Ether Light XT Extreme—though not, I think, as comfortable.

A fat four inches/10cm thick, the Ether Light series of air mats incorporates the brand’s Air Sprung Cells, made with a matrix of interconnected air chambers that individually conform to your body. Mimicking a pocket-spring mattress in the way they distribute your body weight and prevent hipbones or shoulders from bottoming out on the hard ground, those cells create a sleeping experience that feels more like a bed than lying atop a big, flat balloon.

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The Air Sprung Cells also use internal TPU fabric loops to bind the top and bottom layers of shell fabric, enabling more spacing between cells and more air pockets, all of which translates to more cushioning and less weight.

At 21.7 inches/55cm wide at the shoulders and tapering to 16.5 inches/42cm at the foot, the regular Ether Light XT Extreme provides a bit more width than standard regular-size air mats—I never felt like I was on the edge, about to roll off. The six-foot/184cm length is standard for regular-size backcountry air mats. The women’s-specific Ether Light XT Extreme versions are less than an inch wider, six inches shorter, and a bit lighter in the two sizes.

The Ether Light’s two-piece valve has separate ports for inflating and deflating, and deflating takes just a few seconds and makes for a much easier and faster method of packing up the air mat.

The 30-denier and 40-denier face fabric is more durable than some air mats and features extruded lamination and an anti-microbial treatment to inhibit fungal growth inside the mat, both features helping to extend the mat’s life.

The latter is most likely to come from inflating the mat with your breath, but that can be avoided by using Sea to Summit’s Airstream Pump stuff sack (2.2 oz.), which comes with the Ether Light air mats. It allows you to efficiently inflate the mat by blowing a light breath into the open sack and rolling the air into the mat—a much easier experience than making yourself dizzy blowing air directly through the valve. S2S says you use 80 percent fewer breaths, a time and energy saver that also reduces moisture entering the mat—even more important in sub-freezing temperatures, when it will dry out less easily.

Still, I found it requires repeatedly filling and rolling the bag, which becomes a bit tedious. I have substituted the larger and much faster Exped Schnozzel PumpBag UL bag ($39, 2 oz.), which doubles as an ultralight stuff sack for clothing, too.

The Pillow Lock is a nice feature that consists of non-stick patches applied after purchase (peeling and sticking them into place where indicated on the mat) that hold a pillow in place while you’re sleeping.

For its dimensions and R-value, the Ether Light XT Extreme is relatively light and compact at barely more than 1.5 pounds (regular size) and measuring 6.9×9.4 inches/17.5x24cm packed, slightly larger than a football.

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The Verdict

Exceptionally comfortable and highly insulated while remaining reasonably lightweight and packable for a winter air mattress, the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Extreme Insulated Air Mattress will appeal to many backpackers, climbers, backcountry skiers and other adventurers who sleep on snow or frozen ground.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a unisex or women’s Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Extreme Insulated Air Mattress at backcountry.com or seatosummit.com.

For three-season backpacking, see my review of the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Air Mattress.

See all of my reviews of air mattresses, backpacking gear, and sleeping bags at The Big Outside, and my articles “Pro Tips for Buying Sleeping Bags” and “10 Pro Tips: Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all my reviews and expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

Click here now to plan your next great backpacking adventure using my expert e-guides.

What makes us sleep so well in the backcountry? I contemplated that question after numerous, very peaceful nights of deep slumber on a river trip and three backpacking trips. Certainly, the deep quiet and being outdoors matter. But I must give a nod to the comfort of Sea to Summit’s Ether Light XT, my bed for all those nights—an air mat with an interesting back story of the technology behind my blissful nights on the ground.

I tested the regular Ether Light XT while backpacking four nights in the Pasayten Wilderness in September, two nights in the Wind River Range in August, four nights in The Maze District of Canyonlands National Park in March, two nights on southern Utah’s Owl and Fish canyons loop in early May, three nights in southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains in August, and on five nights beside the gently whispering Green River on a rafting and kayaking trip through Desolation and Gray canyons in June.

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A fat four inches/10cm thick, the Ether Light series of air mats incorporates the brand’s Air Sprung Cells, made with a matrix of interconnected air chambers that individually conform to your body. Mimicking a pocket-spring mattress in the way they distribute your body weight and prevent hipbones or shoulders from bottoming out on the hard ground, those cells create a sleeping experience that feels more like a bed than lying atop a big, flat balloon.

The Air Sprung Cells also use internal TPU fabric loops to bind the top and bottom layers of shell fabric, enabling more spacing between cells and more air pockets, all of which translates to more cushioning and less weight. At 21.5 inches/55cm wide at the shoulders and 16.5 inches/42cm at the foot, the regular Ether Light XT provides a bit more width than standard regular-size air mats—I never felt like I was on the edge, about to roll off. The six-foot/184cm length is standard for regular-size backcountry air mats.

Considering its dimensions, the Ether Light XT is relatively light at barely more than a pound in the regular and measures 4.5×9.5 inches/11x24cm packed, slightly larger than a liter bottle.

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The mat features two types of insulation: Exkin Platinum, a quiet, non-woven fabric with a metalized layer that reflects the body’s radiant heat; and Thermolite, a hollow-core insulation that lofts inside the mat to prevent convective heat loss, giving the Ether Light XT’s five unisex sizes an R-value of 3.2, warm enough for three-season trips in the mountains. The two women’s-specific sizes are slightly wider and have additional Thermolite insulation, giving them a 3.5 R-value.

In The Maze District in the first week of March, three of our nights had lows ranging from the high teens to the mid-20s Fahrenheit and I remained entirely warm and comfortable—even sleeping in a 30-degree bag (the freakishly warm and ultralight Feathered Friends Hummingbird)—clearly at least in part because the Ether Light XT provided solid insulation from a cold (though not frozen) ground.

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The two-piece valve has separate ports for inflating and deflating, and deflating takes literally a few seconds and makes for a much easier and faster method of packing up the air mat.

Sea to Summit’s Airstream Pump stuff sack employs the Bernoulli effect to efficiently inflate the mat by blowing a light breath into the open sack and rolling the air into the mat—a much easier experience than making yourself dizzy blowing air directly through the valve. S2S says you use 80 percent less breaths, a time and energy saver that also minimizes the amount of breath moisture entering the mat. I’ve always found air mats vastly easier to inflate using a stuff sack in this way. The Airstream stuff sack opens at both ends—one for the bag for inflating, the other end for the mat itself.

I found it requires filling and rolling the Airstream Pump stuff sack eight or nine times to inflate the Ether Light XT fully—which can feel a little tedious. I substituted the larger and faster Exped Schnozzel PumpBag UL bag ($39, 2 oz.) and only had to fill and roll it three times. The Schnozzel can double as an ultralight stuff sack for clothing, too.

The 30-denier and 40-denier face fabric is more durable than some air mats and features extruded lamination and an anti-microbial treatment to inhibit fungal growth inside the mat, both features helping to extend the mat’s life. The Pillow Lock consists of non-stick patches applied after purchase (peeling and sticking them into place where indicated on the mat) that hold a pillow in place while you’re sleeping.

Sea to Summit’s Ether Light XT Extreme insulated air mat ($200, 1 lb. 9 oz.) has more insulation, boosting the R-value to 6.2, for use in sub-freezing temps.

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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase any model of the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated Air Mattress or the Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Extreme Insulated Air Mattress at backcountry.com or seatosummit.com.

See all of my reviews of air mattresses, backpacking gear, and sleeping bags at The Big Outside, and my articles “Pro Tips for Buying Sleeping Bags” and “10 Pro Tips: Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

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Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all my reviews and expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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As I was loading my backpack at the start of a six-day, 74-mile backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon, I smiled as I held the stuffed Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite air mattress in my hand; call me a gear geek, but unusually small ultralight backpacking gear just has that effect on me. One of my hiking mates glanced over and said, “Is that your air mattress?!” Yea, it’s that tiny. And if you’re serious about reducing your pack weight—as any backpacker should be—you should be taking a serious look at the NeoAir Uberlite. Here’s why.

I used the NeoAir UberLite on that Grand Canyon backpacking trip, when the coolest nights dropped to only around 50° F, and on nights that dipped into the high 30s both on a three-day hike on the Teton Crest Trail in August and while camping in Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve in May; on the latter two trips, I was warm enough pairing this air mat with a 32-degree bag (the Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 32). I also used the Uberlite on subsequent trips, including another six-day, mid-April hike on the Grand Canyon’s Gems Route.

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With 2.5 inches of thickness, it delivers comfort comparable to many of the best backcountry air mats. I’ve found it comfortable either inflated to its maximum or to within one or two breaths of maximum inflation. In fact, on some nights when it lost a little inflation overnight—I suspect due to the air inside it cooling down, because there was no leak from the air mat—I didn’t notice it because my hipbones still didn’t hit hard ground when sleeping on my side.

At 8.8 oz. (without its included stuff sack), weighing 3.2 ounces less than the previous ultralight standard-bearer, Therm-a-Rest’s NeoAir XLite, it sets a new ultralight standard for air mattresses with enough insulation for camping in usual summer temperatures in the mountains (at mid-latitudes such as the U.S., most of Canada, and Europe), and it packs down smaller than a liter bottle at 6×3.5 ins./15x9cm.

With an R-value of 2.0, the UberLite won’t be quite as warm as the XLite (which has an R-value of 3.2), but it may be a little quieter.

One caveat: While all air mats are susceptible to suffering pinhole leaks that can be hard to find and patch in the field, the NeoAir Uberlite’s 15-denier nylon fabric is lighter than you’ll find in most air mats (including the 12-ounce Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite, which uses 30-denier fabric), so be careful with it. That said, over the course of five nights in the Grand Canyon—an environment notorious for needle-bearing vegetation and sharp rocks—the NeoAir Uberlite sprung no leaks.

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BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking any of these links to purchase a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir UberLite air mattress at backcountry.com or rei.com.

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See all of my reviews of air mattresses and backpacking gear at The Big Outside, including the ultralight Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 32 sleeping bag and the Therm-a-Rest Air Head Lite inflatable pillow. See also my related articles “Pro Tips for Buying Sleeping Bags” and “10 Pro Tips: Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

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NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.

—Michael Lanza

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As air mattresses have continued getting lighter, more compact, and more comfortable, one would think a limit has been reached on how small they can get before sacrificing real comfort. But Big Agnes has raised that bar again—or lowered it, if you will—with the AXL Air. For four nights backpacking the Thunder River-Deer Creek Loop off the Grand Canyon’s North Rim in May, and several spring nights camping at Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve, I slept like a baby on this plush air mattress, while it all but disappeared inside my pack on the trail. I’ve tested and own many air mats, and I don’t think there’s another I’d now carry instead for three-season backpacking. Here’s why.

The AXL stands alone by a few measures. Very few backcountry air mats weigh less than a pound, and even fewer come in as low as 12 ounces (without its one-ounce stuff sack)—and I haven’t found one under a pound that’s as comfortable as the AXL. Rolled up, the 20×72 rectangular size measures 3×6.5 inches (8x17cm)—the size of a liter bottle; the 20×72 mummy and 20×66 rectangular are both under 11 ounces.

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All sizes of the AXL Air measure 3.75 inches thick along the outer tubes and a deluxe 3.25 inches thick throughout the air mat’s interior tubes—fatter than other air mats that compete for weight, and as thick as some that are several ounces heavier—giving it elevated side walls that help keep you on the mattress. Similar to other air mats with its dimensions, it takes 23 to 24 strong breaths to inflate and it doesn’t deflate any faster or slower than comparably sized, single-valve mats. When deflating it, insert the tab end of the valve cap into the valve to hold it open. (Tip: After opening the valve to deflate any air mat, fold it up like an accordion and lie or sit on it to force most of the air out faster, before rolling it up.)

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While Big Agnes doesn’t give its air mats an R-value, the PrimaLoft Silver insulation and a heat-reflective Mylar layer trap heat efficiently enough to use the AXL in typical three-season temperatures, probably down to around freezing (but not on frozen ground). The ripstop nylon shell fabric is made with a high-tenacity yarn, a high-filament count, and aviation-grade lamination to increase tear strength and durability. According to Big Agnes, aviation-grade lamination is a TPU application that adds durability to the random ripstop nylon. It is lightweight, abrasion resistant, has high elasticity and helps to shed dirt and oil.

My AXL sustained a tiny hole early on my third trip with it, backpacking for four days in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, and I couldn’t locate the hole to patch it in the field. I repaired it later, at home. The takeaway: Like a lot of air mats, this one is susceptible to punctures.

Another plus: The AXL doesn’t make loud crunching noises when you roll around on it, like the insulation used in some air mats. An antimicrobial treatment inside the mat prevents the growth of microorganisms that can gradually degrade the material.

Big Agnes claims the Insulated AXL Air is the most comfortable and lightest ultralight, three-season pad on the market. Comparing it with the many air mats I’ve reviewed (now forming a sizable pile in my gear room), I have to agree.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking any of these links to purchase any size of the Big Agnes Insulated AXL Air Mattress at moosejaw.com, rei.com, or campsaver.com.

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See all of my reviews of air mattresses, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside. See also my related articles “Pro Tips For Buying Sleeping Bags” and “10 Pro Tips For Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See categorized menus of all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

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Insulated Air Mattress
Klymit Insulated V Ultralite SL
$120, 1 lb.
One size
klymit.com

Air mattresses for backpacking vary significantly in a few ways: comfort, price, weight, and packed bulk—and you often pay more for better comfort or low weight and bulk. But the Klymit Insulated V Ultralite SL bends that rule. So I took this relatively affordable air mat on a three-night, 39-mile backpacking trip in Wyoming’s Wind River Range in mid-September, and camping in Idaho’s City of Rocks in spring, to see whether sleeping on it proves as sweet as its price.

With fat, V-shaped air tubes running down the mat’s center, standard dimensions of 72×20 inches tapering to 18 inches at the foot, and 2.5 inches of thickness, the V Ultralite SL was comfortable even for a side sleeper like me—my hipbones never dug into the ground. Square air tubes along its edges keep its perimeter stable, so that I never slid or bounced off it. Not surprisingly, for comfort it compares with some air mats of similar thickness, but not with the most cush backcountry mats out there. However, comparing it against two of my favorites for sleeping on, the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Ultra is cheaper but heavier and noisier, and the Sea to Summit Comfort Light Insulated is heavier, bulkier when packed, and more expensive.

The R-value of 4.4 gives it a higher warmth rating than most three-season air mats—but flat spots between the V-shaped air tubes in the mat can allow for cold spots if you’re on frozen ground; consider this a warmer-than-average air mat for cold sleepers on three-season trips. The synthetic insulation is noticeably quiet—a relief for anyone who’s rolled around on an air mat with insulation that crunches with every movement (or shared a tent with someone who’s on one)—and it delivered all the warmth I needed inside a tent on September nights in the 40s Fahrenheit.

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The valve twists to open and close, and conveniently can be pushed in to seal it while inflating, so that air doesn’t leak out while you’re drawing your next breath. Inflating it requires 12 strong breaths, which is faster than some air mats. The 20-denier ripstop polyester fabric helps keep it fairly lightweight for an air mat of these dimensions—but that fabric is about as thin as you’ll find in even the lightest air mats, so be careful with it. (Fortunately, Klymit offers a lifetime guarantee. In fact, I returned the first Insulated V Ultralite SL that I received because I could not detect an apparent slow air leak, but Klymit immediately sent me a replacement that has not leaked.) The Insulated V Ultralite packs down to 4.5×7 inches, comparable to many competitors with equal inflated dimensions.

In today’s market of deluxe, super comfy, compact backcountry air mats, some of which cost upwards of $200, the Klymit Insulated V Ultralite SL delivers good comfort and competitive metrics in weight and bulk at a good price—albeit with potentially less durability.

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If you’re on a tighter budget, check out the Klymit Insulated Static V Lite ($95, 1 lb. 4 oz., R-value 4.4), which is also 2.5 inches thick, but 23 inches wide, as well as slightly heavier and bulkier when packed at 5×8 inches. Or if you plan to only camp in mild summer temps and want a real bargain, Klymit’s uninsulated Static V air mat ($55, 1 lb. 3 oz.) has the same inflated dimensions as the insulated version and an R-value of 1.3.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking either of these links to purchase a Klymit Insulated V Ultralite SL at klymit.com or campsaver.com.

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See all of my reviews of air mattresses and all of my reviews of backpacking gear at The Big Outside. See also my related articles “Pro Tips For Buying Sleeping Bags” and “10 Pro Tips: Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See categorized menus of all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

The Big Outside helps you find the best adventures. Subscribe now to read ALL stories and get a free e-guide!

Insulated Air Mattress
REI Flash Insulated Air Mattress
$100, 15 oz. (regular, 72x20x2 inches)
Sizes: regular, regular wide, long, long wide
rei.com

Spending significantly less money on gear usually means getting significantly less performance, but that’s not the case with REI’s newly updated for 2017 Flash Insulated Air Mattress, I decided after sleeping on it for several nights, on a 40-mile May backpacking trip in Utah’s Dark Canyon Wilderness and camping at Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve in June. While it doesn’t rank number one for any usual measure of air mats (like most comfortable or lightest), it just may deliver the best value, dollar for dollar, of any air mat designed for backpacking.

The Flash hits a combination of sweet spots unique among air mats: low weight and bulk and good price. At under a pound, it weighs in several ounces lighter than most air mats, and its packed size of 4×9.5 inches (for the regular) compares with, or is only slightly larger than many competitors. With two inches of thickness, it’s reasonably comfortable, though certainly not as plush as fatter air mats that are light enough for backpacking; but those are generally several ounces heavier and/or cost at least $70 more.

With separate valves for inflating and deflating, it inflates with about a dozen strong breaths, or in roughly half the time of many thicker 72×20-inch air mats. Open the deflate valve and it instantly releases most of its air, allowing you to roll it up in seconds. The weld-through construction helps decrease the inflation time while making the air mat more stable; I never felt myself rolling off an edge. REI’s proprietary dual-fiber synthetic insulation, combined with a Mylar reflective layer, give this air mat an impressive degree of insulation for its low weight and thickness: The R-value of 3.7 is a little higher than many three-season air mats. Although not warm enough for sleeping on snow or frozen ground, it gave me plenty of insulation for a night when the temperature dropped into the high 30s at around 8,500 feet in Utah’s Manti-La Sal National Forest in May.

The 30-denier ripstop polyester fabric is lightweight and reasonably durable, but I’d be careful not to test it against sharp rocks or spiky vegetation when the mat is fully inflated. While I tested the regular air mat—the lightest and cheapest of the four sizes available—the regular and long both also come in wide versions with six extra inches of width. That’s nice, but could create space problems in a compact tent.

In the final analysis, you can find air mats that are more comfortable or (slightly) lighter, but you’ll be challenged to find a better value in an air mattress for three-season backpacking than the REI Flash.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking this link to purchase an REI Flash Insulated Air Mattress at rei.com.

7/8/18 UPDATE: After several trips with this air mat, the flap inside the inflate valve that prevents air from leaking out while inflating somehow blew out, making it impossible to inflate the mat.

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See all of my reviews of air mattresses and all of my reviews of backpacking gear at The Big Outside. See also my related articles “Pro Tips For Buying Sleeping Bags” and “10 Pro Tips: Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.” See more suggested stories by scrolling to the bottom of this review.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See categorized menus of all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, the creator of The Big Outside, recognized as a top outdoors blog by USA Today and others. I invite you to get email updates about new stories and gear giveaways by entering your email address in the box in the left sidebar, at the bottom of this post, or on my About page, and follow my adventures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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When sleeping outdoors at any time of year, you have two simple objectives: comfort and warmth. We tend to associate the former with our choice of air mattress or pad and the latter with our choice of sleeping bag. But the air mat is actually the key to both goals, because dollar for dollar, your money achieves more warmth from an air mat or pad that adequately insulates your body from the cold ground (which can rapidly drain heat from you) than from your bag. In the NeoAir XTherm—which I tested on numerous trips, including several nights sleeping on snow—you get an all-season air mat with more insulation, pound for pound, than any competitor.

My teenage son and I took turns using the NeoAir XTherm on two trips camping on snow: a four-day, mid-April climb of the Mountaineers Route on California’s 14,505-foot Mount Whitney, with lows in the teens Fahrenheit; and three February nights in Idaho’s Boise Mountains, with lows that ranged down to just below freezing. I also used it sleeping outside on grass while on a mid-October backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and my son used it on a family backpacking and car-camping trip in southern Utah in late March.

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The XTherm’s superior warmth-to-weight ratio comes from the ThermaCapture Radiant Heat Technology, which has reflective layers that bounce heat back to your body, giving it a winter-worthy R-value of 6.9 (compared to an R-value of around 3.3 for many three-season mats).

At 2.5 inches thick, with a tapered, mummy shape, it was comfortable on a variety of surfaces, from hard ground to packed snow. Inflating and deflating with a standard valve, it requires 19 to 20 strong breaths to make it firm, slightly less effort than thicker mats. Triangular Core Matrix construction traps air in dozens of tiny cells, minimizing air circulation that conducts heat away from your body, without the much greater weight and bulk of other air mats designed for sleeping on frozen ground. The construction technique also creates baffles that make the XTherm more stable—you don’t bounce off its edges.

Tough, 70-denier ripstop nylon fabric on the bottom resists puncture, while the 30-denier top has a no-slip surface. Its packed dimensions—4×9 inches, slightly larger than a liter bottle—compare with some the most compact three-season air mats.

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Air mattresses for sleeping on snow or frozen ground have always been heavier and bulkier than three-season air mats; and many winter campers would supplement an air mat with a foam pad underneath it, to beef up the insulation, while adding weight and bulk to their backpack. But with the weight and size of some of the smallest three-season air mats, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xtherm has enough insulation for sleeping on frozen ground, making it the only air mat you need for camping year-round.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm air mattress at backcountry.com or moosejaw.com, or the similar Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm MAX air mattress at backcountry.com or moosejaw.com.

See all of my reviews of backpacking air mattresses and sleeping bags that I like and all my reviews of backpacking gear.

See also my related “Pro Tips: How to Choose a Sleeping Bag” and “10 Pro Tips: Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See categorized menus of all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

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Insulated Air Mattress
Exped SynMat Hyperlite Duo
$279, 1 lb. 12 oz. (with stuff sack)
One size
moosejaw.com

Let’s face it: Side-by-side air mats in a tent have a way of taking the love out of camping, because when curled up with your partner, one or both of you tend to slip into the gap between the mats. Not any more with the SynMat Hyperlite Duo. My wife and I shared it happily for three nights on a mid-July rafting and kayaking trip on the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument, and were surprised at how much more comfortable it is even than we expected.

I also slept on it by myself for a night of car-camping in Idaho’s Sawtooth Valley just because it feels like I’m sprawling out on a double bed. At nearly three inches thick, it’s plush, comparable to many air mats that are heavier and bulkier (per person). At 72 inches long, it accommodates six-footers, and it’s wide enough (41 inches at the shoulders, tapering to 32 inches at the foot end) that you rarely bump into your mate—no more than you would in any lightweight, compact, two-person tent. In fact, it covers the floor of many ultralight or midweight backpacking tents, which I found a nice convenience that just makes a tent more livable because you’re virtually always on an insulated, cushioned floor. It also eliminates the problem of two separate air mats sliding around or overlapping one another.

Really nice feature: The SunMat Hyperlite Duo has two sides with separate valves that inflate and deflated independently. That minimizes the degree to which one person’s nighttime shifting around disturbs the other person, and allows each person to personalize his or her mat firmness. Plus, one side of the mat still holds air if the other side leaks. The 20-denier polyester fabric is lighter than what’s used in many air mats—it’s fairly tough and will resist puncture, but don’t throw it down just anywhere. (I’m always careful to make sure there’s nothing sharp, whether rocks or vegetation with needles, where I lay it down.)

Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside, which has made several top outdoors blog lists. Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter, or enter your email address in the box in the left sidebar or at the bottom of this story. Click here to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. Follow my adventures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

With an R-value of 3.3, it has adequate insulation for three-season camping even when temps dip below freezing. Exped gives it a temperature rating of 21° F. The Duo packs down to 8×5.5 inches/1.6L, slightly smaller than two already-compact SynMat Hyperlite single air mats, although the Duo’s weight is exactly double the weight of the one-person Hyperlite, so you’re not reducing pack weight with the Duo.

I inflate the Duo using the Exped Schnozzel Pumpbag UL ($39, 2 oz., sold separately), a 42-liter/2,563 c.i., waterproof stuff sack made of ultralight, silicone-coated, 15-denier ripstop nylon with a valve that mates with the Duo’s valve: Simply connect the Schnozzel to the Duo’s valve, expand the sack to let air into it, then roll up the sack to force that air into the Duo. I’ve consistently found that it fills the Duo on the third time I roll up the sack of air, taking only a few minutes and requiring no dizzying 20 breaths from my lungs.

My advice: Put the love back into your camping relationship with an Exped SynMat Hyperlite Duo.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking any of these links to purchase an Exped SynMat Hyperlite Duo at moosejaw.com, rei.com, or campsaver.com.

Tell me what you think.

I spent a lot of time writing this story, so if you enjoyed it, please consider giving it a share using one of the buttons below, and leave a comment or question at the bottom of this story. I’d really appreciate it.

See all of my reviews of air mattresses and all of my reviews of backpacking gear at The Big Outside. See also my related Pro Tips articles “How to Choose a Sleeping Bag” and “10 Pro Tips: Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See categorized menus of all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

The Big Outside helps you find the best adventures. Subscribe now to read ALL stories and get a free e-guide!

The ultimate measure of an air mattress comes at the moment when my family discovers it—and when my wife and kids saw the new Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Ultra, they all wanted to sleep on it. I used this air mat for two nights backpacking in the Panamint Range of Death Valley National Park in May, and I (reluctantly) shared it with my family while camping at Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve and on a mid-July rafting and kayaking trip on the Green River through Lodore Canyon in Dinosaur National Monument, and I haven’t found an air mat for backpacking that’s more comfortable and this compact.

With 3.5 inches of thickness, the Insulated Air Core Ultra packs a lot of comfort for its reasonable weight and low bulk (slightly larger than a liter bottle). Big Agnes took its Insulated Air Core mat and gave it larger outside tubes to help prevent you from rolling off it; a smoother surface; higher-volume, separate valves for faster inflation and deflation; double ripstop fabric that Big Agnes says improves tear strength by 25 percent (I had no leaks); and a lamination process that makes it lighter, more durable, and smaller when packed (5×9 ins.).

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Inflating it still took me 26 strong breaths—I’d like to see a valve that allows inflating it using an oversized stuff sack, as you can do with the Exped SynMat Hyperlite—while deflating takes just a few seconds.

The Insulated Air Core Ultra has high-loft, synthetic insulation and heat reflective technology to help retain heat. Big Agnes doesn’t provide an R-value, but rates the air mat at 15° F.

It’s not the lightest air mat you can buy; but it’s one of the two most comfortable for backpacking that I’ve used, and the other one, the Sea to Summit Comfort Light Insulated Air Mattress, is an ounce lighter but significantly more bulky.

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You can support my work on this blog by clicking any of these links to purchase a Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Ultra air mattress at backcountry.com or moosejaw.com.

See all of my reviews of air mattresses and all of my reviews of backpacking gear at The Big Outside. See also my related Pro Tips articles “How to Choose a Sleeping Bag” and “Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

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NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

Let The Big Outside help you find the best adventures. 
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Insulated Air Mattress
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite MAX SV
$180, 1 lb. (regular, with stuff sack)
Sizes: regular (72x20x2.5 ins.) and large ($210, 77x25x2.5 ins.)
moosejaw.com

Who enjoys blowing up an air mattress? At the end of a full day of backpacking, it always seems to take more breaths than you have left in reserve. Therm-a-Rest solves this problem with its SpeedValve, a large, fabric tunnel that draws in surrounding air when you blow into it, making the inflation process significantly faster and easier. After using the lightweight and compact Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite MAX SV on family backpacking trips in Utah’s Dirty Devil River canyon and while car-camping in southern Utah in late March, backpacking in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains in August, and on an 80-mile, five-day backpacking trip in the North Cascades National Park Complex in the last week of September, and my 15-year-old son sleeping on it for three nights on a mid-July rafting and kayaking trip through Lodore Canyon in Dinosaur National Monument, I give it high scores for comfort and convenience.

The distinctive feature is the SpeedValve, an innovation as uncomplicated and easy to use as technology gets: You simply blow into the open SpeedValve, and a simple law of physics causes more air to rush inside with your breaths. Therm-a-Rest claims the SpeedValve inflates a mattress in half the time of conventional valves; I found about a dozen (sometimes fewer) breaths would fill the mat, and I might add one blow through the standard screw valve to firm it up. But it’s unquestionably far easier than blowing up a traditional air mat, which often requires a dizzying couple dozen breaths for a regular-size air mat.

The roll-top, buckle closure on the SpeedValve requires sealing it tightly to avoid air leaking out, but I found that easy to do once you’ve inflated the mat, making it more rigid. The screw valve lets you release a little air to soften the mat to your preference. And the SpeedValve is reversible for deflating the air mat in seconds, greatly reducing the packing time.

Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside, which has made several top outdoors blog lists. Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter, or enter your email address in the box in the left sidebar or at the bottom of this story. Click here to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. Follow my adventures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

The Triangular Core Matrix construction and 2.5 inches of thickness make this rectangular mattress very comfortable and stable—no bouncing off the edges—and heat-reflective technology makes it warm for its weight. With an R-value of 3.2, it’s appropriate for three-season camping. The 30-denier, ripstop, no-slip nylon fabric is a bit tougher than the material used in some lighter air mats without adding much weight.

At one pound and measuring 9×4 inches, its stuffed size compares well with many of today’s air mats for backpacking. If you’re really counting ounces, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite is four ounces lighter and more compact. But for convenience and comfort, the NeoAir XLite MAX SV excels.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking this link to purchase a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite MAX SV air mattress at moosejaw.com.

Tell me what you think.

I spent a lot of time writing this story, so if you enjoyed it, please consider giving it a share using one of the buttons below, and leave a comment or question at the bottom of this story. I’d really appreciate it.

See my other reviews of backpacking air matresses that I like and all my reviews of backpacking gear. See also my related Pro Tips articles “How to Choose a Sleeping Bag” and “Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

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NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

The Big Outside helps you find the best adventures. Subscribe now to read ALL stories and get a free e-guide!

Insulated Air Mattress
Exped SynMat Hyperlite
$169, 14 oz. (medium, including stuff sack)
Sizes:
Medium (72×20.5×2.8 ins., packed size 3.5×7.5 ins.)
Medium wide ($179, 72×25.6×2.8 ins., packed size 4×7.5 ins.)
Long wide ($189, 77.6×25.6×2.8 ins., packed size 4×8 ins.)
moosejaw.com

How light and compact can an air mattress get and still deliver a comfortable night’s sleep on the ground? Under a pound for a full-length, insulated air mat, I discovered after using the SynMat Hyperlite on backpacking trips on the 34-mile Royal Arch Loop in the Grand Canyon, the 41-mile Timberline Trail around Mount Hood, the 34-mile Rockwall Trail in Canada’s Kootenay National Park, and a weekend of camping at Idaho’s City of Rocks National Reserve.

A full-length air mattress with nearly three inches of thickness, the SynMat Hyperlite nonetheless packs down to the size of a one-liter bottle and weighs under a pound—less than every other air mat I’ve reviewed except the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite, which is slightly thinner. Credit the compact package to a few design factors: light, 20-denier fabric (compared to more-durable 75-denier in some air mats), which is also used in Exped’s SynMat UL and DownMat UL; a tapered, mummy-style design, which is fine for people who don’t flop around a lot in their sleep; and using less insulation while retaining enough insulation for three-season camping.

Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside, which has made several top outdoors blog lists. Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter, or enter your email address in the box in the left sidebar or at the bottom of this story. Click here to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. Follow my adventures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

I slept comfortably every night, on ground of packed dirt at Mount Hood and the City of Rocks, and on a flat, sandstone ledge and atop ground littered with small stones in the Grand Canyon. I could inflate the SynMat with 14 strong puffs of breath. But I preferred using the Exped Schnozzel Pumpbag UL ($39, 2 oz., medium), which has a valve that mates with the SynMat’s valve: Using it, I could inflate the air mat in about a minute. (Connect the valves, open the sack to fill it with air, then roll it up to force air into the air mat). The Schnozzel doubles as a roll-top, water-resistant stuff sack large enough for a sleeping bag.

The SynMat Hyperlite carries an independently measured R-value of 3.3—pretty respectable for its size and weight. (R-value is a measure of the insulation’s ability to resist heat transfer—to prevent your body heat from passing readily through the air mat to the colder ground.) Temps dropped to around 50° F on my nights in the Grand Canyon, on the Timberline Trail, and at the City of Rocks, for which the mat had more than enough insulation. Exped provides a temp rating of 21° F for it.

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Microfiber insulation fills each of the tubular chambers making up the SynMat. Exped bonds the insulation to both the top and the bottom of each chamber, so that the insulation expands and fills the chamber after you unpack the mat; otherwise, synthetic insulation can remain compressed, compromising how well it insulates you from the ground.

While it’s not quite as plush as the most comfortable backcountry air mattresses I’ve slept on, it’s certainly comfortable, which makes its low weight and compact size very attractive.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking either of these links to buy an Exped SynMat Hyperlite air mattress at moosejaw.com or rei.com.

Tell me what you think.

I spent a lot of time writing this story, so if you enjoyed it, please consider giving it a share using one of the buttons below, and leave a comment or question at the bottom of this story. I’d really appreciate it.

See my other reviews of backpacking air matresses that I like and all of my reviews of backpacking gear. See also my Pro Tips articles “How to Choose a Sleeping Bag” and “Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See categorized menus of all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

The Big Outside helps you find the best adventures. Subscribe now to read ALL stories and get a free e-guide!

Insulated Air Mattress
Sea to Summit Comfort Light Insulated Air Mattress
$170, 1 lb. 5 oz. (regular, including stuff sack)
Sizes: small (66×21.5×2.5 ins., $170, 1 lb. 4 oz., packed size 5×9 ins.), regular 72×21.5×2.5 ins., packed size 4.5×9 ins.), large (79x25x2.5 ins., $190, 1 lb. 9 oz., packed size 4.5×10 ins.)
moosejaw.com

I like to hike long days when I backpack, so I want the lightest gear that does the job. But I also like a comfortable air mat to sleep on after a 20-mile day. Those objectives of comfort and low weight sometimes conflict. But on a four-day, 86-mile backpacking trip in northern Yosemite National Park in September, I slept just about as well as I do in my bed at home on a Sea to Summit Comfort Light Insulated air mat, which weighs under a pound and a half and packs down to about one-and-a-half times the size of a liter bottle.

While just as thick—two-and-a-half inches—as the cushiest backcountry air mats on the market today, the Comfort Light feels exceptionally plush because of what you can’t see inside it. It employs a matrix of 324 (in the small) to 396 (in the large) air cells that move independently to conform to your body’s shape without affecting adjacent cells. Translated to backpacker-speak, that means you don’t flatten out spots under, say, your hipbones or shoulders. The Comfort Light uses a hybrid design of dual-layer construction in the torso to maximize comfort and insulation value and single-layer construction in the head and legs to minimize weight. Thermolite synthetic insulation has an R-value of 4.2 (Sea to Summit says that rating comes from an independent lab), making it good for three-season camping.

Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside, which has made several top outdoors blog lists. Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter, or enter your email address in the box in the left sidebar or at the bottom of this story. Click here to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. Follow my adventures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

The air mat has two, one-way valves, one of which deflates it instantly, the other for inflating the air mat by blowing into the valve or using either a Jet Stream Pump Sack or, even better, a Sea to Summit Air Stream Dry Sack, a 35-liter, seam-sealed, roll-top dry bag: Fill the air mat by blowing one big breath of air into the sack, attaching it to the air mat’s inflate valve, and compressing the sack to push air into the mat. Repeating this two to three times fills the air mat, making it firm, in a few minutes. The shell material, 40-denier TPU laminated nylon, compares with other high-end, backpacking air mats, and is tougher than the 30-denier fabric used on some ultralight air mats.

While I’ll still choose my own bed over an air mat when I’m at home, Sea to Summit’s Comfort Light assures me restful nights when I’m pounding out long days on the trail.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking either of these links to buy a Sea to Summit Comfort Light Insulated Air Mattress at moosejaw.com or rei.com.

See my other reviews of backpacking air matresses that I like and all my reviews of backpacking gear. See also my related Pro Tips articles “Pro Tips: How to Choose a Sleeping Bag” and “10 Pro Tips: Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See categorized menus of all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

You live for the outdoors. The Big Outside helps you get out there. Subscribe now and a get free e-guide!

NOTE: Click here for my review of the updated, 2017 version of the REI Flash Insulated Air Mattress.

Air Mattress
REI Flash Insulated Air Mattress
$119, 1 lb. 1 oz. (regular, with stuff sack)
Sizes: regular (20.5x72x2.5 inches) and long (25x77x2.5 inches)
rei.com

Comfortable, packable, light, and user friendly, at a good price—that was my verdict after I used this air mat on a five-day backpacking trip in Washington’s Glacier Peak Wilderness and a six-day hike in Sequoia National Park. It has a quality that’s important in an air mattress—durability: Thanks to the 30-denier ripstop polyester fabric and welded construction, I slept under the stars on pebbly gravel at Columbine Lake in Sequoia, and used it nightly in my chair kit sitting around campsites, without the Flash springing a leak.

Although it’s a full-length, six-foot air mattress, and a plush two-and-a-half inches thick, it packs down to slightly larger than a liter bottle. The one-way valves—one to inflate, one to deflate—keep air from leaking through when open, thanks to small a flap inside each. The inflate valve’s flap popped out of place once, but I only had to push it back in to repair it. More uniquely, it deflates in about a half-second when you open that valve, making packing up a quick task. It takes me about 25 strong breaths to fully inflate the mattress. The water-resistant, synthetic Primaloft insulation, packed into baffles, delivers an R-value of 3.2, comparable to other high-quality, three-season air mats. The insulation is also relatively quiet, not squeaking loudly when I roll around, like some other air mattresses—probably a relief for my tent mates.

See my reviews of three other three-season air mats I like, the Big Agnes Insulated Q-Core SL, the Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite, and the Exped SynMat UL 7—and an item I never sleep outside without, my Cocoon Ultralight AirCore Pillow.

See all of my reviews of backpacking gear.

See also my related Pro Tips articles “How to Choose a Sleeping Bag” and “Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

NOTE: I’ve been testing gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See all of my reviews by clicking on the Gear Reviews category at left or in the main menu.

—Michael Lanza

Insulated Air Mattress
Big Agnes Insulated Q-Core SL
$140, 1 lb. 2 oz. (20x66x3.5 ins., rectangular, with stuff sack)
Sizes: four rectangular, two mummy
bigagnes.com

In the competition to make backcountry air mattresses lighter, more compact, and more comfortable, the Insulated Q-Core SL has raised the bar. I slept on the shortest (and least expensive) of the six sizes of this three-season air mattress for seven nights in southern Utah in early spring, including backpacking trips in Coyote Gulch and Capitol Reef National Park, and found it heavenly for comfort.

The simple reason is the bodacious, 3.5 inches of thickness—a half-inch to an inch fatter than most competitors that are either heavier or comparable in weight. The polyester insulation is woven with heat-reflective silver filament to boost warmth, while the quilted design of the baffles—welding them in an I-beam pattern of alternating horizontal and vertical tubes—creates pockets to trap warm air for added insulation value. But it does that without creating gaps in the insulation, where you’d feel the cold ground. Larger air chambers on the edges help prevent you from rolling off the pad. The price for all that comfort? The 66-inch-long version takes 22 strong breaths to inflate. But the biggest downside is that the Q-Core SL creaks loudly when you shift around on it, which some tent mates won’t appreciate.

See my reviews of two other three-season air mats I like, the Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite and the Exped SynMat UL 7 air mattress—and an item I never sleep outside without, my Cocoon Ultralight AirCore Pillow. See also my related Pro Tips articles “How to Choose a Sleeping Bag” and “Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag,” and all of my reviews of backpacking gear.

NOTE: I’ve been testing gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See all of my reviews by clicking on the Gear Reviews category at left or in the main menu.

—Michael Lanza

Insulated Air Mattress
Big Agnes Hinman
$70, 2 lbs. 4 oz. (20x72x1.5)
Sizes: five sizes from 20x48x1.5 ins. ($60) to 25x78x2.5 ins. ($90) and a double air mat, 50x78x.25 ($200).
bigagnes.com

Camp in winter or on snow almost anytime of year, and what’s between you and the frozen ground will loom just as important in keeping you warm as your bag. Three cold, clear January nights sleeping under the stars (sans tent) outside a yurt (my family was inside) in Idaho’s Boise Mountains left me impressed with this insulated air mat designed for winter camping, with a rating of -5° F.

With nighttime low temperatures ranging from the teens to 21° F, I slept in the Big Agnes McAlpin SL down bag (rated 5° F), two of those nights with a regular-length Therm-A-Rest Z Lite Sol foam pad under the Hinman, and one night without that additional insulation. I spent one night directly on snow and the other two on the yurt’s cold, partly ice- and snow-covered deck. I slept soundly and warm every night—but that bag would have been as comfortable as an emergency bivy sack without good insulation beneath me. Even when sleeping on only the Hinman, I could not feel the frozen yurt deck underneath it. A high-density foam core gives this air mat ample insulation and cushion. The mat’s polyester exterior appears to be very durable. On the downside, it’s quite bulky, roughly the dimensions of an original Therm-A-Rest air mattress.

Another favorite winter air mattress, the Therm-A-Rest NeoAir All Season, is about half the weight and less than half the bulk of the Hinman, but also more than twice the price. Looking for an ultralight air mattress for three-season camping? See my review of the Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite air mattress and Z Lite Sol foam pad and my review of the Exped SynMat UL 7 air mattress. I also never sleep outside without my Cocoon Ultralight AirCore Pillow.

See also my related Pro Tips articles “How to Choose a Sleeping Bag” and “Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

NOTE: I’ve been testing gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See all of my reviews by clicking on the Gear Reviews category at left or in the main menu. See more reviews of backpacking gear I like by clicking on the “backpacking gear reviews” tag in the tag cloud in the left sidebar.

—Michael Lanza

Air Mattress
Exped SynMat UL 7
$155, 1 lb. (medium), plus 2-oz. mini pump (both weights exclude stuff sacks)
Sizes: S 64x20x2.8 inches, M 20x72x2.8 inches
exped.com

Campsites on hard-packed dirt and stones in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains felt like a feather bed with this inflatable mattress, which has nearly three inches (seven centimeters) of cushion, but still weighs less than many competitors and packs down to the size of a liter bottle. It takes me about 18 puffs to blow it up, and with separate valves for inflating and deflating, there’s no leakage when inflating and it deflates in seconds. The synthetic microfiber insulation translates to warmth even in temperatures several degrees below freezing (assuming an adequate bag, of course). I found the mini-pump made for the pad—useful to avoid blowing moisture into the pad, which can freeze on cold nights—to be slow. It’s pricey, but nails perfect scores for comfort, insulation, low weight, and compactness.

See my review of the Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite air mattress and Z Lite Sol foam pad. And I never sleep outside without my Cocoon Ultralight AirCore Pillow.

See also my related Pro Tips articles “How to Choose a Sleeping Bag” and “Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

—Michael Lanza