View Full Version : Thermarest copy
scottishwolf
19-11-2006, 00:34
I found this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Higear-Self-Inflating-Mattress-Thermarest-Camping-Climb_W0QQitemZ300047841916QQi hZ020QQcategoryZ36114QQrdZ1QQs sPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
on evilbay and wondered if anyone has one or any other thermarest copy and if they're any good or not?
The Alpkit ones are
http://www.alpkit.com/airic/
and not only is the company reliable they're very fast too and postage is included in the price :D
Usual disclaimers, I'm just a satisfied customer.
Cheers,
Toddy
scottishwolf
19-11-2006, 01:00
Looks good, half the price of the thermarest. Might be worth looking into as I'm fed up freezin my ass off.... :lmao:
Argos sell the Hi-Gear one for £14.99, its what me and my lad use, although it does not say Hi-Gear in the ad, its what you get, good mat, good price and no postage if you have a store near you :)
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0196433.htm
scottishwolf
19-11-2006, 02:00
Looks good to me, there's an argos 5 mins away. Do they actually make much of a difference compared to the cheap closed cell foam mats though? Ideally I'd love a thermarest as I've heard these are fantastic, but moneys tight at the moment and am either gonna have to see if I can get one second hand or go for the argos type one. :)
If anybody has a second hand thermarest or similar for sale or swap please PM me, thanks :)
Lidl's did one in the Summer for £7 or so, you could ask about and see if anyone has one up for grabs.
Cheers,
Toddy
Looks good to me, there's an argos 5 mins away. Do they actually make much of a difference compared to the cheap closed cell foam mats though? Ideally I'd love a thermarest as I've heard these are fantastic, but moneys tight at the moment and am either gonna have to see if I can get one second hand or go for the argos type one. :)
If anybody has a second hand thermarest for sale or swap please PM me, thanks :)
They are 100% better than a cheap closed cell mat
I do not see it mentioned in the linked product's description, but an important feature is full bonding of the outside of the foam slab to the outer, air-tight cover.
Some non-Thermorest products lack such bonding. Attempting to "help" inflation by blowing into these non-bonded products inflates the cover, but not the foam.
I do not see it mentioned in the linked product's description, but an important feature is full bonding of the outside of the foam slab to the outer, air-tight cover.
Some non-Thermorest products lack such bonding. Attempting to "help" inflation by blowing into these non-bonded products inflates the cover, but not the foam.
Good point, with my Hi-Gear, I just let it self inflate for around 10 minutes and give a couple of puffs of air before closing the valve
I have a Thermarest, but only one. So I bought four Alpine Gear foam pads for our camping trip next weekend. I'll let you know how they work out.
They were only $9.99 US and 72" x 20" x 1/2". 1/2" thick is good. 20" wide might make for some overhang for me, but since we have four and will have them side by side, my wife, two girls (5 &2) and I should be fine.
pierre girard
19-11-2006, 08:14
I found this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Higear-Self-Inflating-Mattress-Thermarest-Camping-Climb_W0QQitemZ300047841916QQi hZ020QQcategoryZ36114QQrdZ1QQs sPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
on evilbay and wondered if anyone has one or any other thermarest copy and if they're any good or not?
We do have a thermarest copy by Gander Mountain, the US sporting goods retail outlet. It is superior to the thermarest - and half the price. The only problem is - they do not make a 3/4 length - which is my favorite size.
We also have one with a blow up pillow. I'm not saying it is the same thing as the one on e-bay, but the one we have is crap.
John Fenna
19-11-2006, 09:12
Multi Mat from Beacons foam are the best I have come across - great quality at a sensible price. I could be seen as biased as I have done all The "in house "testing of these mats and have had some in-put on the design but truely rate them very highly. I have more than I can use and could be prepared to swap one or two. I have some that have repaired punctures - nothing will stp a South African Acacia thorn! - and some As New. I f you are interested drop me a line.
huntersforge
19-11-2006, 21:43
I personally use a thermarest and can highly recommend it having spent many an uncomfortable night on top of closed cell mats . However I have a hi gear inflatable pillow and it is good, so I would imagine their mats to be the same.
The Alpkit ones are
http://www.alpkit.com/airic/
and not only is the company reliable they're very fast too and postage is included in the price :D
Seconded. I cannot praise Alpkit enough - they are reliable, friendly & damn good value for money!
I have a Wee Airic (http://www.alpkit.com/airic/) and have been using it for a year or two now. Really impressed with it - so much so, that I bought my wife one for [something or other] - and she too, despite being a cynical being, was particularly pleased with it!
I'm considering buying one of their larger ones soon as, although the Wee is great, I have a tendancy for sleep motion - which sees me slowly slide down the airbed/karimat/campbed/floor which results in me getting cold. The shorter the Airbed/Karimat, the shorter the time between me going to sleep and getting cold! As such I'll be getting a longer one in due course - particularly now that the colder months have arrived!