The Exped Extremely 6.5R Mummy Sleeping Pad tackles one in every of backpacking’s most difficult equations: delivering critical cold-weather safety whereas sustaining ultralight credentials. With a formidable 6.9 R-value and weights beginning at simply 12 oz (for the smallest medium-width pad), the Extremely 6.5R guarantees to maintain all-season campers heat with out the majority historically related to four-season gear.
Dimension Examined: Medium-WideInflated Dimensions: (72″ x 25″, tapering all the way down to 18″ on the toes)Claimed Weight: 15 oz; Precise weight: 15.6 ozStiff sack: 0.5 ozInflation Sack: 3.0 (44L Exped Schnozzel)Packed measurement 4.3″ x 8.3″Material: 20D ripstop polyester
Insulation and supplies
The Exped Extremely 6.5R is insulated with Exped’s SynmatPlus, which mixes artificial microfiber insulation with reflective movies to maximise thermal effectivity. It’s very quiet, and you’ll’t hear the potato-chip sound that plagues some sleeping pads utilizing related expertise. The pad is roofed with a welded 20D ripstop polyester face material that comes with recycled supplies to create air baffles that run the size of the pad. If the 20D thickness of the Extremely 6.5R is regarding, Exped makes a virtually similar pad referred to as the Exped Dura 6.5R, which makes use of a 75D face material as an alternative and is rather more sturdy.
The Extremely 6.5R’s mummy form tapers strategically from shoulders to toes, eliminating extra materials whereas preserving consolation in crucial areas. The pad’s aspect rails are deliberately bigger than inner chambers, naturally centering sleepers and stopping middle-of-the-night tumbles off the pad. Whereas the producer’s specs state that the pad is 25.6″ vast, as soon as inflated, it’s 25″ tapering all the way down to 18″ on the toes. Whereas this pad is technically sized as a “Medium-wide,” its mummy form considerably limits the usable width.
The Exped Extremely 6.5 has two flat valves, that are rather more sturdy than stick valves, one for inflation and one for deflation. Deflation may be very quick, however you continue to have to roll up the pad to get all of the air out
The pad comes with a medium Exped Schnozzel UL with a quantity of 42 L. The Schnozzel is a $5o product in its personal proper. I’ve used one for years to inflate pads with appropriate valves from different pad producers (Sea-to-Summit and NEMO) and in addition use the Schnozzel as a pack liner. It shortly inflates the Extremely 6.5, solely requiring 3-4 bagfuls of air.
Thermal Efficiency
The Extremely 6.5’s standout characteristic is its distinctive warmth-to-weight ratio. The 6.9 R-value offers dependable insulation all the way down to -31°F, making it appropriate for year-round use, together with in winter. In contrast to many ultralight pads that sacrifice heat for weight financial savings, the Extremely 6.5R delivers reliable four-season safety. Whereas the medium-wide pad I examined is specced at 15 oz (precise weight is 15.6 oz on my scale), the narrower 20″ medium-seized Extremely 6.5 is specced at 12 oz, which is critically mild for a pad with that quantity of thermal resistance. The Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir XTherm, which is one other very light-weight, excessive R-value pad (R=7.3) weighs 15.5 ounces, or 3.5 ounces extra. That’s a considerable distinction.
Help and Consolation
The medium vast (25.6″) measurement I examined supplied ample room for aspect sleeping, however was much less supportive than mattresses which have horizontal baffles or ones with sprung cells just like the NEMO Eclipse All Season (R=6.2) or the Sea-to-Summit Ether Mild XR Professional Insulated (R=7.4). Whereas each pads are heavier than the Exped Ultr 6.5 I examined, I far choose sleeping on these firmer, thicker air mattresses. The distinction was notably noticeable when kneeling on the pad within the tent within the morning to pack my gear: my knees bottomed out on the Exped Extremely 6.5, however not on both of these different pads. I like decreasing the burden of my gear record as a lot as the opposite man, however in the case of sleeping pads, I’m keen to hold a number of extra ounces to get night time’s sleep. That’s simply my choice. Different folks might prioritize weight greater than consolation.
Comparability Desk of Light-weight All-season Sleeping Pads
To qualify as a real all-season pad, it’s essential have an R-Worth of 5.7 or extra. That is the R-value required to attain your sleeping bag or quilt’s temperature score. Something much less, and also you’ll sleep (on common) colder than the temperature score of your sleep insulation. This sortable desk exhibits a number of the trade-offs to think about when selecting an all-season air mattress for backpacking, together with weight, width, pad face-fabric thickness (which correlates with sturdiness), and value. As you possibly can see, the Exped Extremely 6.5R is a compelling worth on a lot of dimensions, together with value.
Professionals:
Distinctive R-value (6.9) for the burden classUltra-compact pack measurement throughout all configurationsIncludes 42L pump sack (the Exped Schnozzel – a $50 worth), which can be utilized as a pack linerSide rails preserve the sleeper from rolling off the padHighly packable
Cons:
20D shell material isn’t as sturdy as aggressive choices
Backside Line
The Exped Extremely 6.5R Mummy Air Mattress excels as a specialised instrument for knowledgeable ultralight backpackers who prioritize thermal efficiency and weight financial savings over most sturdiness or consolation. Whereas requiring cautious dealing with and suiting particular person preferences, it delivers distinctive all-season efficiency, enabling lighter total sleep programs with out compromising heat.
Disclosure: Exped donated a pad for evaluation.
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