We used this on a pasture earlier this summer. Assuming you have the room for it, that is. Though I'd like to ding it some points for the inflation/deflation hassles, I just can't - the comfort is so far above everything else that it just wins. I don't know why a pad this big doesn't have two deflate ports - things would go way faster and only cost and ounce or two. It's fairly east to roll this thing small enough to fit back in the enclosed sack. Deflation is slow - there's only one deflate valve - but not crazy difficult. Self inflates pretty easily and the small hand pump takes it the rest of the way. The biggest, thickest (6 inches!), most comfy pad available. Spoiler - all the other pads are better.ġ). Here's my ranking of roughly "full-size bed" camping pads (78"x52 or so). Seriously, spend the extra 30 percent and get (and it kills me to say this) a non-crap brand.Ĭlick to expand.The REI Camp Dreamer was fine, but placed last in my trials. Meanwhile, I have 30 year old Thermarest pads that still hold air - and if they didn't Thermarest would fix them - but this REI pad has to go in the landfill because there's no way to fix it.
Unfortunately, these valves are not available from REI or their repair service and REI doesn't stand behind them after a year. No matter what you do, they're flat in the morning. It's a common fault that people mention in the reviews for this pad. It's about two years old and has been slept on maybe 10 days total. My in-laws have the previous version of REI pad - the camp bed, I believe. Thermarest and NEMO have lifetime warranties and also have reasonable out of warranty repairs (and available parts).
In contrast, Exped has a 5- year warranty and reasonably-priced parts and repair service for out of warranty repairs. So if you step on your valve and tear it or it otherwise won't seal, you're out of luck. REI also doesn't make replacement parts available. REI's "official" repair service (Rainy Pass) doesn't repair pads.
#EXPED MEGAMAT DUO 10 PATCH#
So if you lose your pillow pump, or a valve breaks, or seam splits, or you damage it to the point of not being able to patch it on your own -even if you're willing to pay for a repair - you're screwed. That one-year policy would maybe be fine if they had a repair service that handled pads AND they made parts for their REI products available. REI doesn't have any backstop like that - after that year, you're on your own. But Patagonia will - at the very least they'll repair it. If you buy a Patagonia Jacket at REI and the seam sealing fails two years later, REI won't take it back. The problem here is that they have no mechanism for addressing manufacturing or design defects after that year. I know why they did it - to stop all the fraudulent returns and abuse. Yes, the pad is covered by REI's satisfaction guarantee but while this used to be "lifetime," they've modified the policy to be a one-year return policy. The biggest issue with REI's branded sleeping pads? They have essentially no warranty or path to repair.
#EXPED MEGAMAT DUO 10 PLUS#
Plus the Camp Dreamer uses a proprietary pillow/pump inflator thing (more on that later). REI really cut some corners with this line of products- The valves are NOT as good, despite what the employee said, and the size of them doesn't match any of the other brands. As 40-year REI member and former employee who used to process all the broken returns, I hate to say it but the REI pads are kind of crappy and seem to be getting worse. No Seattle store had everything so I did this to give them a fair head-to-head audition without feeling rushed by store employees or crowds.Ĭomfort-wise the base Exped duo and REI Camp Dreamer are kinda close, but that's where it ends. This spring I bought ALL (see below for rankings) the pads and tried them out at home over a few days. I've been meaning to post my pad experience for a while and your post finally prodded me into action. This is not a criticism of you and your pad choice so please don't take it that way.
Click to expand.I hate to be that guy, but the REI employee was wrong.
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