I went camping with my friends a few weeks ago, and I realised that my old camping mat was ripped and I had to get a new one. Perhaps foolishly, I decided to just get the cheapest one I could find, not bothering to go for an inflatable one which might have been more comfortable and easier to store. I saw this camping mat and immediately bought it, thinking that a camping mat is just a camping mat and there's no need to think too much about it.

It was reduced from £5.99 in my local Argos and I bought it for just under a fiver although I can't remember how much exactly. It was made of blue foam, and when rolled out it was 180 cm long and 48 cm wide which was certainly small and light enough to attach to my rucksack so everything seemed fine. However, when it came to actually using the camping mat I did not have such a great experience. It was certainly long and wide enough to fit my entire body and sleeping bag on without me having to roll onto the tent floor, however if I had rolled onto the floor I probably wouldn't have noticed. The reason for this is that the mat was so thin and ineffectual that it felt as if it wasn't there at all. I may just as well have slept on the floor without a mat. My previous but now ripped-to-shreds camping mat had adequate thickness and provided a soft cushion between my sleeping bag and the ground so I could have a comfortable night's sleep. The Argos camping mat however was useless. It provided no cushion whatsoever, as a result of which I had a terrible night's sleep.

Even at it's reduced price it was certainly not worth the money I paid for it and I would definitely recommend forking out a little extra for one with adequate thickness - perhaps an inflatable mattress would be the best option seeing as you can guarantee softness and they are more compact so easier to store. Do not buy this product!