To properly choose your sleeping gear you need to be more specific about your hatch volume. My Hurricane Sojourn 135 has a total of 140 liters in the two hatches. My Delta 12.10 has 161 liters. That points to at least twice the space in a typical backpack, so you should be able to do some fairly luxurious camping if you have anywhere close to that volume.
Option A (See option B in next post):
Here’s what I can easily fit in my kayak:
–Two-person tent, 5.5 lbs
–Helinox cot
–Synmat 7 3-D MW mattress (medium length, wide width)
–Helinox chair
–Helinox table
Plus everything else.
The Synmat 7 on the Helinox cot is pretty much the most comfort possible in a tent. The cot is fantastic because it makes ground irregularities irrelevant. The mattress on top of the cot is two to three times more comfortable than the mattress on the ground—it has a suspended feeling. Sometimes I even take a 3-person tent and add the 15" Helinox cot legs for a sit-down/stand-up cot. For that you need a minimum tent height of about 52" though. This set-up is expensive but worth it if you camp a lot.
Option B—cheaper, simpler, and lighter than the set-up I suggested above—is the Exped Synmat 12 wide, which is 4.7 inches thick. I believe it’s now called the MegaMat 12 Lite. MegaMat Lite 12 Size Chart – EXPED USA
There is no added comfort beyond 4.7" thick, and the 25.6" width should suit most people. If not, the LXW version is 30" x 77". For me personally, the 2.8" thickness of the Exped Synmat 7 3-D isn’t enough for sleeping on the ground. 4.7" is much more comfortable and weighs only about 7 oz. more.
Why Exped: very robust and durable, low temperature rating, and fantastic customer service. I’ve slept on the Synmat 7 on top of my bed at home every night for something like 8 years now, plus lots of camping. It needs one puff of air every 6 months. For kayak camping, I don’t find the weight or bulk of the two mattresses I’ve suggested at all excessive (assuming you’re not portaging). They fit easily in the hatches. With kayak camping you just don’t have the ultralight requirements associated with backpacking. No need to give up comfort to save ounces.
I also am an Exped fan (I saw that at least one other person posted about Exped products). This pad is soooo comfortable, we even take it to stay at friends/family homes when the person’s regular mattress is poor quality. I sleep better on the Exped Megamat Lite 12 (extra long) than on most conventional mattresses. And the insulating factor is great, too!
I also use a Klymit pad when I’m backpacking. I have slept on concrete with it, and I’m a side sleeper. My son also uses one. Part of the trick to being comfortable is to blow it up a bit harder than you think you need. Then let the thing sit for a while. It will relax a tad. Then if it’s still too hard let air out until it’s comfortable.
Most of the manufactures have lifetime warrantees. I know Klymit does (they replaced a pad for me), BA, Nemo, and probably more do.
Problem is that some of these pads are getting stinking expensive.
A long wide Exped DownMat 9 is my go to mattress. Packs the size of an oatmeal tube. I also use a silk bag liner. If my down barrel shaped bag is not doing it I throw in my Zippo made pocket hand warmer for a boost.
I have a thermarest mat but, for me, I also carry an extra z-rest mat cut in half for extra padding. One side fits great in the cockpit while I paddle and provides padding under my heels. If there is room I will fit the other half in one of my larger hatches.
Yo aun no he viajado en kayak con colchoneta para dormir, pero hice cientos, o miles, de noches viajando en bici con esta
y encantado, de echo esa de los miles las gaste y compre otra igual.
No se pincha y pierde el aire por que no lo tiene, si pincha o rasga funciona igual, por lo que es una preocupacion menos.
Es muy cómoda
Estas ventajas, SUPER-PROBADAS por mi, son asociables al kayak
I normally use a pillow my daughter made me. She took memory foam stuffing out of a big pillow and made me several small pillows. The she made a little bag that I squish them down into.
Oh I forgot that we have these pads. Sea to Summit we ordered for quarantine in an empty house and slept on them for a month waiting for our household goods.
Not very good for packing small but super comfortable.
I struggle with sleeping well in a tent. If I got the room- canoe or raft or sit on top then always the paco pad. I’m on my fourth of 5th lightweight sleeping pad- current one is a neo air but should have gotten a wider size. Lifejackets and clothes in a stuff sack don’t quite cut it anymore as a pillow so I think an inflatable pillow is in my future.
Nemo Tensor is good but not very durable. I have used a Thermarest Base camp for years. I also have a Thermarest cot that weighs 2 pounds. Perfect for a gravel beach.
