Tweet
Product Tested: INSUL-MAT Max-Thermo Sleeping Pad
Price paid, where purchased: $55, EMS Albany.
Similar products tried: EMS Scout 1" loft air mattress, numerous foam mattress.
How long/where tested: Tested on several overnight trips, 2 of them multi day trips, since October 2004. Combination of lean-to and tent conditions.
Rating 1 to 5: 3 stars (reduced from 5, see update)
Summary: The 2+" loft of this air mattress appears to be enough to give it a 4 season rating. Minor condensation occurred on the mattress after 2 nights of use. It's easy to inflate, comes with a brass valve that hasn't clogged in single digit temps. Very compact and light. In size/weight, comparable to the Thermarest Prolite series my friends use but for much less money. Full length (72" long) and just wide enough for 0 degree bag and bivy. Material is smooth but not slippery, have no problems staying on the mattress while sleeping.
**Update** after just 5 months of semi-regular use the mattress wasn't holding its loft. The leak was so slow (8 hours to lose enough to need re-inflation) that I figure it was the valve (there were no visible indications of damage to the mat itself). I ended up returning it to EMS and got the Thermarest Prolite 4 instead. Because the product didn't survive long enough for me to feel I got my money's worth from it, I've reduced my original rating of 5 stars to 3.