Mattresses

Even if you have a good groundsheet, a sleeping mattress is an essential piece of equipment because it provides insulation from the ground. Unless you are a masochist you will also appreciate any padding that you can afford to carry that will separate your sleeping bag from the hard ground beneath. Many hikers still prefer to augment their groundsheet and mattress with grass which they cut from the hillsides outside their cave. Many of the more popular caves have a substantial covering of dry straw because of this, although this provides good fodder for buck sheltering in the cave during summer storms - with the inevitable result that the straw gets replaced with droppings!

Three types of mattresses are available to backpackers:

• The high-density foam mattress - these are usually light blue or green in colour, and are the cheapest and lightest option. More expensive ones are available which are either thicker, ribbed, or both. Better quality types have their own straps and buckles which keep them rolled up tightly when not in use.

• The self-inflating sponge mattress - these are the most expensive type, but the best compromise in terms of comfort and weight. They have a valve at one end which, when opened, admits air into the sponge which is sealed into a leak-proof nylon skin. When the valve is closed, the trapped air and sponge make for a very comfortable sleep. Blowing additional air into the mattress by mouth will compensate for the slight deflation which occurs as the air inside cools during the night. The biggest disadvantages of this type are the enormous cost, and puncturing.

• The inflatable mattress - this is the type commonly used by campers. The thin plastic type used on swimming pools is useless for hiking because they puncture too easily. The stronger, more expensive nylon or rubber types provide excellent comfort, but are very heavy and take a considerable amount of effort to inflate by mouth. A bellows-type pump is useful but increases the weight you have got to carry still further. They are still very vulnerable to puncturing.

If you carry you mattress externally you should place it in a large plastic rubbish bag inside a nylon carry-bag. This will keep it dry and clean and provide some protection from thorns, sharp stones, brambles, twigs and spear-grass - an important consideration if it is of the inflatable type!

Last modified on 2011/11/10