Exped DownMat 9 DLX - Product Review

Product Description and Photos

    Exped DownMats^TM are one of the most compfortable mats I've ever slept on.  Having hiked, biked, mountain climbed my way through different mats over the years, I thought I'd check out one of the more expensive alternatives and see if it was up to my standards.

• DownMat 9 DLX
• Retail Price - $170
• Weight - 44.4oz (1260g)
• Thickness - 3.5" (9cm)
• Length - 76" (193cm)
• Width - 26" (65cm)
• 700 fill down
• R-Value - 8
  
• Unique pump sack included

    Also included in this review is the Exped Pump Pillow.  This one of a kind pillow acts as a simple pump to help inflate the mat and then is useful for a night's rest.


The pillow is on the left and the Exped 9DLX is safely stored in its water proof drybag on the right.





A fully inflated Exped 9DLX



One of two valves used to inflate and deflate the unit.



One way valve in the bottom of the drybag used for inflating the pad.



The foam filled pillow.



An identical one way valve in the 'stem' of the pillow



When packed, the pillow is about 8" long and 3" high



A real life measurement shows the fully inflated mat to be about 4.5" thick


Review

    There are a few things to consider when deciding to switch to a down filled sleeping pad.  First, you REALLY shouldn't blow into them.  I realize most foam mats state this as well, but you can usually get away with it and not cause a lot of bacterial growth.  But with a DownMat, you have a far greater chance of moisture being trapped in the fluff of the down and starting unwanted growth.
    And that leads to the second consideration; it's going to be more work to set up this mat than just opening a foam mat and giving it a few puffs of air.

    Exped has overcome the first concern by crafting a rather smart drybag.  Not only does the bag keep the DownMat completely dry and dust free in transport, it has a one way valve in the bottom to aid in inflation.  This is how it works:

1. Lay out the DownMat as you would any other sleeping pad and open both valves.  While Exped states it will regain most of its loft after being packed, I've never found this to be true.  It will be about 1" thick or so after you've opened the valves and let some air in.
2. Push the one way valve of the drybag onto one of the valves on the DownMat.  You should feel a 'click' when you have a positive lock.
3. Close the other valve.
4. Fluff up the drybag from the inside.  Exped has again done their homework and field testing when it comes to the drybag.  Inside the side lining of the drybag there is a foam pad.  This pad extends up about 9 inches on the sides and helps the drybag regain and hold its shape after each pump.  This is a real nice design feature and very useful
5. Roll closed the drybag and push all the air into the DownMat.  You can see from the picture below that I end up using my knees to help assist.
6. Once all the air is out of the drybag the one way valve will hold things in place as you go back to step 4 and repeat until the DownMat is full.
7. When the DownMat is full, keep the drybag on the valve and give the valve a twist until it's closed.
8. You can now remove the drybag and you're done!
   

    The Pump Pillow works in much the same way bot on a smaller scale.  Instead of fluffing it up, the foam inside will bring the unit back to full size between each inflation.  With the pillow connected in the same manner as the drybag, place one hand over the open hole on top (this is the hole the air returns through) and the other next to it.  Press down much like a CPR compression.  Lift your hand off the inflation hole and presto!  the pillow reinflates.



    Filling the DownMat 9 DLX does take a bit of time.  On average, it takes me 15-18 full drybags of air before the mat is ready for use.  I have never timed myself, but it almost seems the pillow is a bit faster as you can get many compressions in, but you have less rest between inflations.

    If you notice in the last picture there are two tabs at the top of the DownMat.  There are also two closed loops on the pillow picture further up (they are orange and hard to see).  Somehow the pillow is supposed to be able to attach to the DownMat so the pillow will not walk off in the middle of the night.  But I have never been able to figure out how that happens and will be contacting Outdoor Research (the new owners of Exped) at some point in the future.  Both the DownMat and pillow are made of a polyester material and while claiming to be 'slip-proof' in reality them both move on each other quite easily.

    Lastly, the DownMat has internal baffles and a couple of thick pieces of foam at each end.  These are in places to make sure the down stays evenly distributed and does not eject out the valves when air is being released.

Field Tests



    In the field, the DownMat works as well as advertised.  I have now used the mat in frozen grown, rocks, sand, dirt and snow.  Without a doubt this sleeping pad did make my nights of sleep out in the field more comfortable.  The picture above was taken on the Whipsaw Trail in British Columbia.  The ground was near freezing and I didn't have my down sleeping bag with me.  Instead, I had to rely on two thin summer bags, a bivy sack and an 'iffy' 30F bag.  While I woke in the night because of heat loss from above me, I had the odd sensation of my side closest to the ground being noticably warmer.  With any closed cell foam pad I've used before I always had a concern about the ground sucking away my warth.  On this trip the DownMat performed as advertised and did a better job of keeping me warmer than the 4 layers of sleeping bags did.

    A second test on the snow produced similar results.  Although this time I had my warmest sleeping bag, I never felt the snow below me and had a very restful night's sleep.  The one thing I learned from this trip is how big the DownMat 9DLX really is.  In a normal 4 season 3 person mountaineering tent, the pad takes up a LOT of space.  This may be a concern for some as two 9DLX's next to each other might fight for space in a 3 person tent.

    Sleeping on sand and rocks was handled equally as well.  The valves at the top of the unit allowed me to fine tune the air just like I could with a foam pad.  And with the extra thickness of the pad, I had more room to let the pad shape over rocks while still keeping them from hitting my body in the night.

    For me, the DownMat 9DLX is a keeper.  Backed by quality construction and a lifetime warranty, I look forward to many more nights of comformt while on the trail or getting lost in the mountains.

Disadvantage

    As with any product, there are some downsides.  These are what I've found after about a hlaf dozen uses

• Packability for hikes is odd.  It doesn't just strap on like a ThermaRest does
• If the bag is lost/destroyed, how do you inflate the unit
• Not sure how to patch the pad if it gets a hole