Sleeping mat for side-sleeper / 2023 sleeping bag recommendations.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Can anyone recommend a sleeping mat for someone that sleeps on their side? This doesn’t need to be ultralight, and I would favour bike friendly small pack size over weight I think. Tend to get sore hips / shoulders on harder surfaces. I am 1.86 and I don’t like lying in anything confining widthwise.

I need a sleeping bag too so may as well add in that it would be appreciated if anyone could point me in the direction of a reliable reviews page or give me any recos. 3 season sounds about right for my needs I think.

[Kim]

Starter for 10:  Exped DownMat/SynMat.  As a side sleeper with both hips and shoulders, comfort is excellent.  Reliability is such that I consider them to be effectively a subscription model, with the purchase price getting you mats for the duration of the warranty period.  The SynMat would appear to avoid the rarer spitting feathers failure mode, but they can still fail at the welds.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Spendy little chappies, these mats.

I have to balance my strong desire to not hurt when sleeping with the reality that this probably won’t get a hard life.

I was thinking about this: OK it’s not wide but those baffles would keep me on board when switching sides.

https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/rapide-sl-insulated-long-sleeping-mat/

Would something like that be toowarm underneath given that they are necessarily not breathable?

[Kim]

IIRC nikki has one of the Big Agnes mats.  It seemed to meet the side-sleeper requirement.

[fruitcake]

That mat looks pretty good to me, and inflatable mats are cool to sleep on most of the year, because the air inside is at ambient temperature.

As a skinny side-sleeper I don't get on with the 50mm self-inflating mat I have. I also dislike lying on a stack of three roll mats more than one night.

I recently discovered hammocks and now own a hammock sleeping bag, Snugpak Cocoon. I can sleep in the hammock for a week without discomfort - this is unheard of! Anyway a hammock removes the need for a sleeping mat. Interestingly, it's the only time I sleep on my back.

[quixoticgeek]

Starter for 10:  Exped DownMat/SynMat.  As a side sleeper with both hips and shoulders, comfort is excellent.  Reliability is such that I consider them to be effectively a subscription model, with the purchase price getting you mats for the duration of the warranty period.  The SynMat would appear to avoid the rarer spitting feathers failure mode, but they can still fail at the welds.

Seconded. I have both the 9cm thick down matt, and a 7cm thick hyperlite. I had the original synmat, but it got a hole in it.

J

[Paul H]

Some manufacturers have moved away from the tube design to some form of smaller cells, it is apparently a more reliable method of construction.  After three tube failures, Big Agnes and 2x Exped, I'm using a Sea to Summit of this cell sort and although it was a bit more expensive it came with a lifetime guarantee. 

[Sergeant Pluck]

I measured myself today, 1cm shorter than stated everywhere I’ve ever had to state my height for about 30 years: 1.85 m. 

What length do I need? I don’t think I want a torso mat. Manufacturers’ “large” seems to be 1.83 m long. Will I be hanging off the end? I have seen some mats at 1.98 x 0.64 m - would that be excessive?

Looks like a spend of about £150 is considered normal for these unconvincing puncture-prone necessities.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I don't think it's possible for a mat to be too warm. It's not like a duvet or sleeping bag in that respect. But it could be warmer than you need, want to carry the weight of (that Big Agnes looks reasonably light though) or want to pay for.

[fimm]

I'm a side sleeper and have got on fine with Thermarests.
Length may depend on exactly what position you adopt - I tend to curl up into a fetal position and do manage with a 3/4 length mat - my trick is to not put whatever I'm using as a pillow on the mat, but that does mean that you may move away from your pillow in the night.

[Regulator]

I would thoroughly recommend the Trekology UL140 (c. £55 from Amazon).  As a side-sleeping lardarse, this has to be one of the most comfy sleeping mats I have ever had.  I regularly use it when car camping with Mr R and have used it when cycle touring (I have a slightly smaller mat for when trekking).

Sleeping bag wise, I'd recommend Snugpak - although I intend to move to a quilt system, when I get a few pennies to spare.

[phantasmagoriana]

I was thinking about this: OK it’s not wide but those baffles would keep me on board when switching sides.

https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/rapide-sl-insulated-long-sleeping-mat/

I have the regular length version of this - I've not actually used it yet, though, so can't give a review!

[Sergeant Pluck]

I bought a Sea To Summit Ether Light XT insulated (large).

Sleeping bag next...

[Polar Bear]

I am a side sleeper.  My favourite travel mat (lugged around on many cycle tours) is the Exped Downmat 7 and the larger but even more comfy Exped Downmat 9. 

As for sleeping bags:  I've been a Snugpak user for decades but that is no recommendation.

[Paul H]

I bought a Sea To Summit Ether Light XT insulated (large).

Sleeping bag next...

That's the one I have, the wide, rectangular version.  It's warm enough to pair with a quilt for three season use, for me anyway, I know some feel the cold more. Several camping quilt threads on the forum already. I bought mine 16 years ago, after never having a decent nights sleep in a bag, probably the best camping decision I've made and there's a better choice now. 

[Paul H]

I would thoroughly recommend the Trekology UL140 (c. £55 from Amazon)... I intend to move to a quilt system, when I get a few pennies to spare.

Is that an uninsulated mat? There's no mention of insulation so I suspect so.  That may be OK with a bag under you, less so with a quilt.  I tried an Alpkit uninsulated mat with my quilt and even on Summer nights I was waking up cold.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Several camping quilt threads on the forum already.

Interesting, I’ll have a look for those threads. Do you have anything between you and the sleeping mat when using a quilt?

[Paul H]

Several camping quilt threads on the forum already.

Interesting, I’ll have a look for those threads. Do you have anything between you and the sleeping mat when using a quilt?

I have a lightweight polyester sleeping bag liner that I put the mat inside. That both offers a nice surface to sleep on and eliminates the squeaking some mats produce on some groundsheets.  I don't think it's uncommon for quilt users to sleep directly on the mat, but I'm soft.

[tatanab]

Interesting, I’ll have a look for those threads. Do you have anything between you and the sleeping mat when using a quilt?

Thermarest quilt with Sea to Summit Comfort Light Insulated mat.  I tour with silk longsleeved base layer and longjohns.  Used as pyjamas or underwear if I get caught out by colder weather when riding.  I like things to be dual purpose.

[Regulator]

I would thoroughly recommend the Trekology UL140 (c. £55 from Amazon)... I intend to move to a quilt system, when I get a few pennies to spare.

Is that an uninsulated mat? There's no mention of insulation so I suspect so.  That may be OK with a bag under you, less so with a quilt.  I tried an Alpkit uninsulated mat with my quilt and even on Summer nights I was waking up cold.

It is insulated but doesn’t have an R rating.  I’ve used it in cold nights with no issue - but I tend to use an Alpkit mat or my Thermarest when it’s really cold. 

[Sergeant Pluck]

I am unsure about quilts. I am considering the Nemo Disco and the Big Agnes Torchlight as options that allow for side-sleeping and general thrashing about.