SynMat 7 Pump Sleeping Pad from Exped

The SynMat 7 Pump sleeping pad is a great lightweight sleeping pad for camping comfortably under the stars.  It is a air-core mat with a little foam insulation inside as well for added comfort.  Other air based mats require you to blow them up which both makes you lightheaded AND hurts the longevity of the mat by trapping moisture inside.  The SynMat 7 pump has a built in foam pump to get the right amount of air in with no lightheadedness or moisture!  It takes about 1-2 minutes to pump it up and it stays solid and comfy all night.  It also has some gripping on the top and bottom that help keep you in place.  All in all, it’s a great “must have” for any backpacking trip.

When to Bring It:

• Backpacking trips where you’re sleeping on the ground
• Backpacking trips during cold  temperatures where you’re sleeping  in a hammock (will help keep your backside warm, especially in the wind)
• For anyone who sleeps on their side – the thickness can absorb a shoulder so you don’t wake up with a numb arm or painful upper back
• For restless sleepers who toss and turn – stays in place and can absorb lots of movement
• Snow camping trips – the insulation helps to keep you warm.  For snow and ice, Exped also has a downfilled mat for added warmth.  If you are interested in the down-filled mat, please e-mail support@outdoorrookie.com.

When to Leave It:

• When you’re counting ounces for a long backpacking trip and sleep like a stiff board (although I’d still bring it)
• When you’re sleeping in a hammock during the summer
• When you have unlimited space and are car camping (I would probably bring a full sized airmattress)

A couple tips:

• Pumping the mat up is fairly quick, however the first 15-30 seconds of pumping look like nothing is happening.  Keep going and you’ll see it fills up very fast after that.
• When pumping the foam pump, let the foam fully inflate between each pump and place your hands in the hand outlines shown on the back.
• Pumping this mat should be done while it’s upside down – so the grey half should be up.  The other direction won’t seal the foam pump opening and will take much longer to fill.
• When camping with someone you wish to stay close to, strap the mats to the sleeping bags (usually newer bags have these mat straps built in) and zip the sleeping bags together – will keep everything together all night.
• Stuff sack is very easy to use – can definitely get the mat smaller than the stuff sack and it can stay rolled up without the sack.  If really saving on weight and keeping the pad inside the pack, you could leave the stuff sack behind.
• This pad folds into thirds and then rolls up, so it will not fit in the staps on the outside of the pack for the standard slef-inflating pad(such as thermarest).  If you have a tightly packed sleeping bag, you can usually fit the pad and bag in the sleeping bag compartment of your pack.
• We have, on occasion, heard the pump area “whine” at night.  We’re still  not wure why.  Because of this, we reccomend that you keep the “pump end” towards your feet so it doesn’t both you while you sleep.  It’s pretty hard to hear if it’s not right at your ear.

Buy the SynMat 7 Pump on OutdoorRookie.com

The foam pump expanded while the mat is deflated

Place hands in the position shown on the back of the mat and seal the opening when pumping

This is the pad upside down (the top side is orange). The pump is meant to be used while the mat is in this position.

This an overview of the foam pump

A close up of the opening that you seal with your hand when pumping