Wayfaring Sleep Kit
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Sleeping Kit for Wayfarers
The basics for sleeping are: a mat to lie on, and an insulative layer to sleep in/under. You can also add a liner and a pillow.
Sleep Mat
A mat keeps you from the cold hard ground. Sleep on the earth saps bodyheat very quickly, and is incredible uncomfortable. If you have nothing else, ferns or bracken piled up, or cardboard from a skip, are preferable to lying directly on the ground.
However, the best bet is to carry a portable mattress. This can be closed-cell foam, which is indestructible, waterproof and cheap, but bulky and less comfortable. Or you can use an inflatable mat, which is more expensive and prone to failure, but much more comfy.
Some people only use 3/4 length mats, which helps reduce weight. They might put their lower legs on top of their backpack, which often already contains a layer of foam insulation. I find this a bit much though…
This leads to the question of how long is long enough, and how wide is wide enough? This will depend largely on your body size. Check the dimensions of all mats before you buy. Would you like your head and feet on the mat? Or are you willing to have your head off the end? If you use a pillow, this may be ok. Much also depends on how you sleep. Side sleepers often prefer a thicker mat, as hips exert focused anatomical pressure, which can result in touching the ground in thinner mats, which is not comfortable.
It may be that the ‘best of both worlds’ is a good option - buying a 3-season inflatable mat, as well as a foam mat. In deep winter, combining the two will be more than adequate, for far less money than a specialist winter mat.
One other option is to carry a sheepskin. These have an R-rating of approx 3, and can be a wonderfully tactile and comforting addition to your kit, especially if you dislike plastic, which all camping mats otherwise are. You can buy organic English sheepskins here. But they are heavy, and not as waterproof as foam, unless you wax the base. Also, they are bulky - but sometimes, the right bulk feels good to carry…
I have listed a bunch of foam and inflatable mats below, at various price-points. It is worth noting that there are MANY other manufacturers available. Perhaps the most worthy of note, in terms of value for UK camping gear, is Alpkit, who have many decent mats at good prices.
Foam Mats
Multimat Nato 10 XL - 550g - £30
This mat is good for year round use, from winter to summer, and is made in Britain.
Foam mats are cheap and useful, but one disadvantage they suffer is their packability. They cannot be stored inside a backpack due to their rolled-up bulk, so they signal your intention to sleep out, which can be a vulnerability. It is often best to disguise this intention, especially if you are Coldharbouring.
An alternative foam mat is available that folds up in more packable format, and can be stored inside your backpack, which adds subtlety to your Wayfaring appearance.
Multimat Adventure 4XL - 530g - £30
Thermarest Z-Lite Sol - 400g - £30
A final option for foam mats is the Thermarest Z-Lite Sol. This is built in an egg-carton configuration, which is slightly more comfortable than flat foam mats. It also concertinas up, making it a bit less bulky to pack. Also, being coated with silver reflective colouring, it adds 20% thermal retention without the extra weight. Thermarest mats are made in Ireland.
Inflatable Sleep Mats
The great advantage of an inflatable mat is comfort. You will almost certainly sleep better on one of these than you would on any piece of foam. And good sleep matters!
However, inflatable mats can be a lot more expensive, as well as being more prone to failure. If one thorn enters the (often thin) fabric, you will have a cold night’s sleep followed by a tricky repair or an expensive replacement. I once had a feral cat attack my foam mat, and I slept on it for years afterward. No inflatable mat offers such resilience. It is recommended to ALWAYS carry a repair kit for your inflatable mat, just in case.
However, despite these warnings, inflatable mats do not often fail. It has never yet happened to me in the field. Valves might get leaky after a few year’s use, but brands like Thermarest offer a lifetime guarantee, so you can easily get a replacement. Be sure to test your old mat for a night at home before setting out on a long Wayfaring journey!
Some inflatable mats are also insulated, with a layer of synthetic or down insulation inside the mat. These are vital if you intend to go Wayfaring in winter. A mat that is simply full of air will not offer much help from the cold.
One other mention for inflatable mats: due to the lightweight materials they use, they can be surprisingly noisy. No scale of ‘crisp-packetness’ exists, but they are all on the spectrum somewhere. This will likely not be a problem for you, but it may well irk your fellow Wayfarers, especially if you are sharing a small space and you are a restless sleeper.
Exped Synmat UL 7 - 475g - £130
This inflatable mat offers a 7” rise from the ground, with synthetic insulation inside. It is good for use in most seasons, down to -4. If you are camping in colder conditions than this, you will need a more dedicated winter mat, or a foam mat to go underneath.
The Synmat UL 7 has slightly raised side tubes, to help keep you on the mat. The LW (long wide) option weighs 600g, and measures 197cm x 65cm. The standard (M) option weighs 475g, and measures 183cm x 52cm.
It’s worth carrying a ‘pump-sack’ (aka a ‘schnozzel’) with this mat, as inflating it by mouth will add moisture to the inside, which will degrade the insulation and eventually cause mould issues. The pumpsack is startlingly easy and quick to use. It’s like one giant yellow lung. And you can also store the rollmat inside it as a drybag when not in use.
This is a very high quality mat, but it’s not cheap, costing around £130. However, it will offer many comfortable nights’ sleep on the path, and it is something to look forward to at the end of each day!
Trekology UL Mat - 450g - £30
A cheap option - and not necessarily far worse than any other, this mat can be had for around £30! It weighs about 450g, and is larger than many typical inflatable mats - 191cm x 58cm. The design is bubbled, so there is the issue of non-insulating spots between each ‘pimple’. Also, there is no insulation included within the mat, so it is just air.
However, for 2-season use, this has great reports of comfort. Although it is a little noisy. But it undoubtedly represents a great value inflatable mat for many Wayfaring uses.
You may want to buy a separate pump bag for it, to prevent excessive moisture accumulating inside.
Thermarest NeoAir XTherm MAX mat - 600g - £200
The most expensive and top-quality option, this is the mat for all year round super comfort and warmth. Weighing over 600g, this mat will keep you warm sleeping on snow. It is noisier than the Exped, but this is the cost of the extra padding and warmth without the extra weight.
If you aim to have a very good night’s sleep, this may be the mat you seek.
Klymit Static V Insulated Mat - 700g - £65
This is my final suggestion in the inflatable mat category. It is priced between the Trekology and the Exped. Not as comfortable as the Exped, and probably not as durable, and slightly heavier than both, nevertheless it is insulated and will keep you warm in all 4 seasons. For the price, this makes it a compelling option! Weighing 700g, and costing around £65. Measuring 183cm x 58cm.
Inflatable Mat for Children
The best way to provide a child with an inflatable mat is to buy a 3/4 (short) length adult one. That way, you also have an item you can use yourself once your child has outgrown their mat.
Klymit Static V Short - 275g - £45
Weighing 275g, and measuring 128 cm x 58cm, this is ideal for smallish children for 3 season Wayfaring. Light enough that they can carry their own bed!
Sleeping Bag/Quilt
There are a great many options of insulated sleep covers available for Wayfaring. What you need depends on the season and climate in which you are going Wayfaring, as well as your own physiology.
The first question is Down vs Synthetic. Down is from geese (avoid duck down), and can come in any different grades of fluffiness (loft). In general, down is warmer and lighter than synthetic insulation, but it is also more expensive. And if (when?) down gets wet, it fails to insulate, whereas synthetic insulation functions well even when damp. Down is also more compressible, but you don’t want to really squish it imo.
Another consideration is the outer fabric - is it windproof? Is it water resistant?
Also, the shape of the bag. Some of the lightest sleeping bags are very narrow at the foot, but this results in a more restrictive sleep experience. Wider cut bags are more comfy but heavier.
Then there is the zip. Does it have a backing baffle to keep out draughts? Can it be unzipped all the way down for hot nights?
And there is the question of sleeping bag vs quilt. A sleeping bag is the best known option, typically incorporating a hood, that encloses the sleeper. Quilts are more like insulated blankets, and are lighter than sleeping bags. They offer no base protection, on the logic that if you sleep on the base of a sleeping bag, the insulation there will be compressed, and will offer no real benefit. So why carry this extra material if it does nothing to keep you warm?
Quilts remove this part of the sleeping bag, so you rely on the insulation offered by your mat. Quilts are generally lighter than sleeping bags, and more comfortable as they don’t squash your legs in a narrow tube. The best quilts are made in the USA, by Enlightened Equipment and Mountain Laurel Designs.
Sleeping bags can be doubled up for extra warmth. So if you have an ultralight summer bag and a 3 season bag, these can potentially be combined for winter rather than buying a specialist super warm bag. Check they fit together before heading out. This option can be heavier, but will be much cheaper.
The Best
The best sleeping bags in the world are handmade in Nottingham by Peter Hutchinson Designs (PHD Down). They are correspondingly expensive.
Very Good
A really good maker of UK sleeping bags is Alpkit. Their ‘Pipedream’ bags are excellent.
Budget Options (sub £150)
Snugpak Jungle Bag - synthetic - 900g - 1 season - £36
A basic synthetic bag with built-in mosquito head net. A very thin sleeping bag, but adequate for highest summer.
Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin - synthetic - 900g - 1-2 season - £116
Made in Britain. A lightweight and well made sleeping bag. Not quite a 2 season bag.
Carinthia Defence 1 Top - synthetic - 1200g - 2-season - £95
A well-reputed German brand of synthetic sleeping bag with an innovative central zip.
Aegismax 800 - Goosedown - 800g - 3-season - £150
An Chinese brand of sleeping bag, made with decent goose down.
Snugpak Softie 10 Harrier - Synthetic - 1750g - 4 season - £141
Made in Britain. Heavy, but seriously warm.
Pillows
A pillow can be something you carry, or it can be a rolled up jumper. You decide what works for you. I personally have never enjoyed inflatable pillows.
Thermarest Pillow - 200g - £27
This pillow is made from off-cuts of thermarest insualtion, and compresses very well, meaning it does not take too much bag space, and it offers a decent night’s head support. But it’s pretty weighty and bulky, really…
Klymit Luxe Pillow - 217g - £40
Total luxury, but surprisingly light. About the same size as a house pillow, this is partly inflated, and partly offers fabric softness. If you need a large pillow sleeping experience, this may be it.
Trekology Aluft inflatable pillow - 63g - £14
A basic inflatable pillow with good shape for comfort. Keep inflation low for more comfort.
Sleeping Bag Liners
It is definitely recommended to carry a liner to go inside your sleeping bag. We all sweat at night, and it’s best if this does not soak into your sleeping bag’s insulation. Also, sleeping bags are a nightmare to wash (they need very slow drying). So it’s better to let the liner get dirty, and wash this regularly instead.
A liner also adds a layer of temperature variability to your sleeping bag. When you are hot, it can be enough to only use the liner. And when you are cold, a liner is an easy way to add another layer of insulation, keeping you that little bit more cosy.
Nod Pod Silk Sleeping Bag Liner - 210 cm x 85 cm - 110g - £31
Coccoon Mummy Liner Pure Merino - 495g - £75
For deep winter, when you need that much more warmth and comfort, this is a fantastically comfortable and cosy sleeping bag liner. Also works on its own in summer!
