Inflatable Camping Sleeping Pad

Description

An inflatable sleeping pad is what stands between you and a cold, hard night. This one inflates to give real cushioning, has a built-in pillow area so you carry one item instead of two, and deflates down to something that disappears into a pack.

Why an inflatable sleeping pad beats a foam mat

Foam mats are cheap and indestructible, and they are also thin. You feel every root and stone through them, and they take up more room strapped to the outside of a pack than most of what is inside it.

An inflatable pad gives you far more cushioning for far less packed volume. It lifts you off ground that is drawing heat out of you all night, which is the part most people underestimate — cold nights outdoors are usually cold from underneath, not from above.

Features

• Inflatable cushioning — a real layer between you and the ground
• Integrated pillow area — one item instead of pad plus pillow
• Packs down small — deflates and rolls for transport and storage
• Five colours — dark grey, orange, blue, green and sky blue
• Single size — sized for a single sleeper
• Not just for camp — useful at the beach, at festivals and while travelling

Specifications

No separate pump to carry or lose

The D8 has its own inflator built into the pad. You are not blowing it up by mouth for ten minutes, and you are not carrying a bag pump that lives in a different pocket and gets left at home.

That matters more on the second night than the first. Nobody minds inflating a mat once; it is the fourth evening, in the dark, in the rain, when a built-in pump earns its keep.

The built-in pillow is the detail that sells it

Separate camping pillows slide off the pad during the night. Every time you turn over you are reaching around in the dark to find where it went, and by three in the morning you have given up and bunched a jacket under your head.

A pillow area built into the pad cannot go anywhere. It is one less item to pack, one less thing to lose, and it stays where your head is.

Getting a comfortable night

Do not over-inflate it. A rock-hard pad transmits pressure straight back into your hip and shoulder; slightly under-full lets you sink in and is far more comfortable. Fill it fully, then let a little out until it gives under your hand.

Clear the ground first. Two minutes spent removing stones and sticks does more for your night than any amount of padding, and it protects the pad from punctures.

Pair it with a sleeping bag from our Camping range, or browse the full MAXELTI Active catalog.

Care and maintenance

Store it unrolled and unfolded with the valve open where you have the space. Long periods compressed in the same tight fold weaken the material along the crease, which is where pads usually start to leak.

Keep it away from open flame and dry it completely before packing. Moisture sealed inside an airtight pad has nowhere to go and will eventually smell.

Choosing your colour

Five colours are available: dark grey, orange, blue, green and sky blue. Dark grey hides dirt best and is the sensible choice if the pad will spend its life on forest floors and gravel. The brighter options are easier to find inside a dim tent, and easier to spot if the wind takes the pad across an open campsite before you have weighted it down.

None of them changes how the pad performs. Pick the one you would rather look at, or the one that will not disappear the moment you set it on dark ground.

Frequently asked questions

Does this inflatable sleeping pad come with a pump?
No separate pump needed. The D8 has a built-in inflator, and a pillow is included.

How many people does it fit?
This inflatable sleeping pad is a single size, designed for a single sleeper.

Can I use it outside of camping?
Yes. The supplier lists beach use too, so the inflatable sleeping pad works at the beach, at festivals, in a vehicle or as a spare bed for guests.

Is sleeping straight on the ground really that bad?
Cold ground pulls heat out of you faster than cold air does. The Leave No Trace guidance from the National Park Service also asks you to camp on durable surfaces, and a pad lets you do that without paying for it in comfort.

How small does it pack?
It deflates and rolls for transport, which is the main advantage over a foam mat of the same comfort.