Self inflating means you inflate it yourself. (Vango Adventure Self Inflating Mat)

Member Name: Ghumphrey

Product:	Vango Adventure Self Inflating Mat
Date:	05/11/09 (73 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Keeps body insulated from the ground

Disadvantages: Not all that comfortable

Vango Adventure Self Inflating Mat

Over the years I have threatened to take up camping a few times. The most recent attempt was about two years ago where we took the tent to Cambridge in an attempt to save money whilst the girlfriend searched for uni accommodation. Sadly for us it did nothing but rain and we got the soaking of our lives. I still shudder at the thought of it and needless to say we have not camped since. However one of the products that made our camping experience a bit more tolerable was the Vango self inflating mat.

A bit about the self inflating mat

The self inflating mat is available from most good camping shop and Vango seems like a name that you can trust. Currently a normal sized mat will set you back about £20 but they also come in extra large and a smaller size. At 5"7 I found the mat more than adequate.

The mat comes pre packed in what they call a stuff sac. This can be attached to the outside of your rucksack to save space. Once removed from the stuff sac the mat can be inflated. It is called a self inflating mat but I found that you needed to give it a few blasts of air to make it feel full enough to use. The weight of the mat is 950g and its width is about 3 cm.

My opinion

This did the job that I expected it to do pretty well. It kept me relatively comfortable whilst sleeping in the great outdoors and it kept my body insulated from the cold ground. The mat was light and was easy to set up for use. On the downside I struggled to get all the air out of mine and as a result the stuff sac always looked like it was just about to burst open at any time. Also during the night the air inside the mat seemed to contract a bit and as such took away from some of the comfort the mat offered.

Overall its a decent enough product but for this price don't expect miracles. I still use my mat on a daily basis. I have it under the sofa cushions for my sofa bed to offer a bit of extra support.

Summary: A blow up matress it probably better if space/weight is not an issue