The Exped Megamat was an instant hit for a sleeping pad, thanks to its wide, flat design that made sleeping in your tent a much more luxurious, comfortable experience than people are generally used to. The Megamat Duo builds off that success, this time as a double wide mat designed to fill the entire width of a 2-person tent and provide enough sleeping space for two.
Built from a 50D polyester with a TPU laminate, it’s water-resistant and extremely durable. The flat, non-ridged build is different from your typical camping pad and gives a much more level sleeping surface, and the vertical sidewalls ensure it holds and distributes weight much more evenly – as well as ensures you have a flat sleeping surface all the way to the edge of the pad.
When the temperature drops, insulation is a necessity, too, which is why the Megamat Duo uses open-cell polyurethane foam to create an R-Value of 9.50, which means it’s rated for temperatures down to -54.4F. That’s seriously warm (to say the least) and offers a level of insulation found on few other mattresses; we’d be game to take this into some cold, frigid climes without fear of discomfort.
Another reason we like the Megamat: it’s self-inflating. Just pop open the wide intake valve and let it rest for 10 minutes, and it will automatically fill itself with air. You can then top off to your liking with the included mini pump. You can also just save some time and inflate it all the way using the pump. There’s also a second valve designed for deflating quickly. The intake valve has a valve that keeps air for escaping, but can be released if you just want to let a little bit of air out.
If you’re on a backpacking trip, you would normally want to choose a lightweight and packable sleeping pad that fits neatly in your pack without taking up too much space. In other words, you probably wouldn’t opt for the Megamat; it weighs a hefty 5 pounds, and even when rolled up is 27.6” long by 11” around.
If you’re car camping, however, or embarking on an expedition that requires a bit more equipment and allows some extra packing room for comfort, there really may not be a better choice than the Megamat. It’s expensive at over $300 MSRP, but when it comes to being comfortable on all manner of adventures – that can be a small price to pay. We fell in love on our first use – you might be too.
