I know this has been discussed before, because I've read all of the threads on this forum (and others). But I still can't make up my mind....
After horrible backache from an airbed in a recent camping trip, and a string of festivals that always end up in backache, I have decided that - at 42 - I just can't sleep on an airbed again.
So I've decided to get a SIM. When my husband and I were a bit younger, we had Thermarest Basecamps and they were great. So that's a brand I know and like, and I've narrowed my selection down to either the Thermarest Dreamtime XL or the Exped Megamat.
I have, as I said, read pretty much all the threads on here about those SIMs (and others) and I keep going round in circles. They both seem very good, but the Thermarest is quite a bit more expensive. However, it has a lifetime warranty, which is really attractive. The warranty for the Megamat is 5 years.
My parents very kindly gave me some money earlier this year, so I can afford either mat, though I do keep asking myself whether it's worth forking out an extra £60-odd (I'm getting 2 mats) primarily for the lifetime warranty.
Then again, it's a pretty big investment and I'd like to know that if something went wrong 6 or 10 years down the line, we would be covered.
So what I'm asking is ... which would you go for? Which is best, all things considered? Sorry for asking a question that has been asked before, but I just can't make up my mind!
If it matters, we go camping 2-3 times a year. We go to at least 2 music festivals but they are not just for the weekend (the next one we are going to, we will be there for about a week).
I know both mats are pretty bulky, but then again our tent is 50kg (!!!!). ...
We have had a few SIMs from unbranded to Gelert and Outwell, they seem to last about 3-4 years for us, we camp about 3 weeks per year. We started with a 5cm, then 7.5cm and now have a 10cm double mattress.
I am a couple of years older than you and have a hip complaint so comfort is very important to me.
The 10cm is incredibly comfotable to the point where i woke up in the tent last weekend thinking i was at home on my own main bed! I cannot recommend a 10cm SIM enough they are brilliant. They are more cumbersome but worth the extra space.
Have you actually tried any of these mats you are looking at. Also the technology has filtered down now the brands like Outwell, Vango and Kampa. I would highly recommended you try and visit somewhere where you can try the SIMshttps://youtu.be/Z1LVYk5xOB4
------------- Gary Cross - The masked camping guru.
I'd also recommend getting the Decathlon Air 70s inflatable slatted bed bases to go underneath the SIM to raise height of the beds and make them even more comfortable.
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Outwell Wolf Lake 7
Outwell Greycliff 7ATC
upcoming camping trips:
Henlow Lakes May 18
Somewhere over the rainbow June 18
Henlow Lakes July 18
Hele Valley Devon Aug 18
Ross on Wye Aug 18
I reckon the Thermarest Mondoking 3D has been developed to challenge the Exped Megamat. The Dreamtime XL is a totally different beast.
The Dreamtime XL is the only SIM which includes a removable case (tough on base and sides, soft fleece on top) which greatly minimises risk of punctures or damage. Its not necessary to put the rolled mat in a stuff sack because it all clips together when rolled up (and has an integral carry strap). The foam topper really does make it very comfortable. The cover is removable and can be machine washed. So, the Dreamtime XL has lots going for it, not least the lifetime warranty.
I've read reviews on the Exped Megamat; one tells of two new mats deflating overnight and found to have pinprick holes, supposedly attributable to transit damage. I'm pretty confident the Dreamtime couldn't suffer such damage during transit (unless rolled with some loose needles!). Then there's the valves: both valves on the Thermarest Dreamtime XL are used to both inflate and deflate, so I have to wonder if this is speedier than the single valves on the Exped? You can use a little NeoAir Torrent pump (not included) for the last bit, if you prefer not to blow into a Dreamtime XL, whereas the Exped comes with a sort of squishy bag pump, which I'm personally not too impressed by. What happens if it fails or if you lose it? At least with the Thermarest you can give it a few puffs of breath, if needs be.
I think Gary from Cross Camping makes very valid point: it'd be ideal if you could view and try before you buy (especially on a side-by-side basis, for comparison). Unfortunately, of the two premium SIMs you've mentioned, neither is widely available at local stockists (does anywhere stock both?!)
I think the Thermarest warranty reflects their faith in the longevity of their product. Knowing my luck, if I bought Exped, mine would probably fail within a day of warranty expiry, after we'd used them just once a year. Why don't Exped put their money where their mouth is and offer a longer warranty period of, say, 10 years? Their price isn't far away from that of the Dreamtime, after all.
Just one more observation; with having more seams (re: Exped Megamat and Thermarest Mondoking XL), isn't there more to go wrong?
In conclusion,I'd go for either the Dreamtime XL or, if you prefer the other style,the Mondoking 3D.
Quote: Originally posted by Francais on 10/6/2018
We got our two ThermaRest Dream Time XL's back in 2008, to be fair they are more of a Sleep System than just a sim.
Almost 10 years on, and all I can say is that the £100 per matt has been more than a worth while investment.
And I am told the current model, is even better than the one's we have.
We are in our late 50's and have our fair share of ache's and pains, but the DT's do what they say on the tin!
£173 plus £4.99 carriage is best price now, Francais.
I'd certainly have a go and try them if I could, Gary, but there is nowhere near me that stocks them. I had a really confusing discussion with someone in a camping shop about the best SIMs, where he started off saying Thermarest were the best and then totally contradicted himself by saying you were really just paying for the name if you went down that route!
(And he didn't stock the Dreamtimes or the Megamats...)
Lidds0, your assessment of them both is *really* helpful, thank you (you thought of things I didn't!). I think I'll go for the Dreamtime, as I'd hate to buy a SIM that then failed on me as soon as it was out of warranty......
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Topic: SIMs: Exped v Thermarest
