Exped SIM Light CF 9

Greetings all! I wanted to first say that everyone knows you can’t go camping without a sleeping mat. For two main reasons: 1, you need the insulation from the ground in the colder months, and 2, it's a lot more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. So, how do you differentiate from a mat that will be warm, comfy, pack small, and be durable.

Well, in this market there are a few to choose from. A lot of people are not familiar with the German ExPed company, but I assure these guys know what they are doing. Tested in the Alps the engineers made sure they would provide a great amount of insulation while retaining a small pack size and durability. They did an outstanding job.

I’ve had my CF nine for a few months and have been out with it eight times. The coldest weather I’ve been in with it was 32 degrees and the warmest thus far was 57. It provides outstanding comfort and keeps me very warm. In the past with smaller Therm-a-rest mats I’ve had a problem still feeling the cold through the mat and up into my bag, but not with this guy. The 700-fill goose down is a great insulation and very, very comfortable. I got it to pack down pretty small after rolling it a few times to ensure all the air was out. About 8” by 8”, and it's very lightweight at around 2lbs. It will give you all the comforts of a larger pad in a smaller package.

I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to pack small and stay comfy. Remember to store this baby with the valves open so you retain the goose down’s efficiency.

Happy Trekking
~LJ