View Full Version : alpkit
tommy the cat
16-06-2007, 20:45
One or two on here have had some of them lovely alpkit bed rolls how about a lovely review with some smashing pics?
Been thinking of an air type bed but want a cheaper alt to thermarest.
You lot are ace you are D
Erm well I have got the fat airic and can recommend it - its long and green quite thick and very comfortable. Alpkits customer service is excellent - No photos Im afraid as it really isnt anything that interesting to look at!!
tommy the cat
16-06-2007, 21:03
Isn't the fat airac a bit of a beast? Was thinking ultimate comfort for least size and weight.
Thanks for the comments on customer service nice to know D
weekend_warrior
16-06-2007, 21:10
Another vote for the Fat Airic - strong, well made, very comfortable and rolls up pretty small. Come with straps, bag and repair kit.
I'll be trying out my shiny new Regular Airic, which is thinner than the Fat Airic, this
weekend in the Lake District so will let you know next Tuesday when I'm back in
London.
Alpkit have put together an excellent mat comparison chart which you can find on
their website and I also put a link to it in my mammoth "things I might take when
going camping" thread, which will be updated, again on Tuesday, to "things I used
when I went camping and things I didn't really need after all but enjoyed buying
nonetheless" :-)
I might take a picture of my factory-rolled Airic actually to encourage me when I'm
putting it back together again after a couple of nights' kip. It's at this point that I
tend to start swearing at stuff sacks and getting a bit weepy and irrational ;)
tommy the cat
16-06-2007, 22:11
Have a good 'dry' (hopefully) time Jodie. I noticed you had bought I think the one I was thinking of and hoped you might pipe up!:D
Enjoy D
This was a good buy (Regular Airic from Alpkit) - it was nice and foamy, fairly easy to
pack down again (the one thing that was :D ) and kept me off the ground and very
comfortable. No problems with turning over on it - I didn't have to lie flat, it was OK to
sleep on my side as I prefer, without being dug into by the ground.
It gets my thumbs up.
To be fair I didn't test it to endurance or anything as I made sure I parked my tent on
a flattish straightish spot of woodland and there weren't any stones beneath me; I'm
not sure how it would do on tougher terrain but I didn't have it puffed up to its full
extent (didn't need it) so I expect that there's more protection available from it if you
need it and blow it up a bit more.
The only problem is that I cannot sleep out of doors these days and had about four
hours uninterrupted sleep - however curiously I didn't feel that tired as it was quality
sleep!
Although about five times as expensive as a cheapy foam mat (the £5 ones) it takes
up the same space and definitely provides a LOT more comfort and padding.
From what I understand the one I have is the 'normal' one and the 'fat airic' is for people
who'd be travelling by car and so can carry a bit extra weight to benefit from even more
comfort. They also have a shorter one which is presumably lighter for people who are
shorter themselves or who don't mind their feet hanging off the end.
I think there was another one as well but once I'd seen the Regular one I was happy with
that. Also while I was on their website I picked up a headtorch for a fiver which is cheaper
than some other places. It did the job fine (got me back to the tent and helped me find
my ticks!) but it wasn't as high tech as some of the others - it angles though and has
two or four bulb options with three AAA batteries.
I like the Alpkit people - they were prompt (startlingly so) and pleasant with it. I'm not
affiliated with them.
giancarlo
25-06-2007, 21:48
Sounds good Jodie.
I emailed them a few days ago and they replied the next day and were very helpful with their replies.
They seem like really decent people working there and solid products. From reading the website it's good to come across a company that doesn't take itself too seriously but still offers good service.
I saw that headlight too, were out of stock when i looked though, seems a very decent buy now :)
Can't recommend them too highly. I've three Airics (2 Fat and 1 regular, plus a load of their other kit). They've been through the wars a bit, but still as comfy as ever (albeit with a few patches now after some sparks landed on them). I sleep better on the fat airic than I do in my bed. It's not something I'd take unless I was going by car though, that's what the regular airic's for.
twisted firestarter
26-06-2007, 00:18
the Fat Airic is a cracking sleeping mat. I just spent a week sleeping on mine including two nights on large pebbles which I couldn't even feel. Not the smallest mat on the market by a long way but worth making room for if you're after a decent nights sleep.
tommy the cat
26-06-2007, 22:50
Thanks for all that guys especially Jodie for going to the extra trouble of typing up that review.:lmao: I suppose I will easily fit it in my pack if you packed all of that on your list Jodie!!!! Regular Airic may be the answer.
Anyway many thanks you guys rock:D
D
Just to add to this. I was out on my Airic on Friday and Saturday night and discovered
on Sunday morning that I'd punctured it quite badly - there's a small tear in it now, which
I will have to get on and fix - it made not a jot of difference to my comfortable night's
sleep on it as there was still plenty of air in there! It is still excellent 'in the field'.
I noticed on Saturday night that I had to pump it up a little bit, not much but it wasn't as
firm as it had been the night before - I realised I'd managed to gouge it on Friday night,
rather embarrassingly with the hook from my bra I think! It was a warm night...
I didn't realise about the gouging until Sunday morning when I was rolling it up.
It's absolutely fine though and will be good as new when I find where I left the repair kit!
I have the slim Airic and I am more than happy with it, I f I get a chance I'll do a review of it after the Wilderness Gathering along with the Hunka (bivvy bag).
I have a Wee Airic with a slow I cant locate and a Gourdon 30 thats had the velcro come loose and a strap starting to pull away where it joins the bottom of the bag. When I get the chance I'm going to check out the customer service.
Funnily enough I'd still recommend them to people, I just seem to be unlucky with kit, esp self inflatable mats. :(
I have my eye on the Hunka.
I have my eye on the Hunka.
Well it's not the lightest Bivvy Bag out there, there are three that come to mind which are lighter, all of them pack down small. Alpkit even provide links to the others on their site.
The Hunka weighs in at 388 grams and is 215cms long according to Alpkit and that it packs down to a 15cm sphere. Well for the first time in my life I found a manufacturer that I agree with on their stats, I would infact say that it will pack down smaller.
I have only used it a couple of times since I got it, but so far I have been impressed. I always tend to find some condensation on the inside of Bivvy bags after a night in one, however the Hunka just felt mildly clammy which is a bonus.
The low weight and small pack size are a bonus as it packs smaller than a Lowe Alpine LiteFlite Jacket and weighs less. I wasn't too bothered about the colour either as it comes in Alpkit black or Alpkit Black (I think they took a leaf out of Henry Ford's book on that one:D) and lets face it it mainly gets used at night when you cannot see colours anyway so who cares:D.
It has the drawcords on both sides and the integral stuff bag which is a nice touch as well. It is actually a nice little bag.
As I said there are others out there which are lighter, The Black Diamond Winter Bivi weighs in at 277 grams, The mountain equipment Ion Bivvy bag weighs in at 280 grams and the Snugpak Code Green weighs in at 340grams.
Now the good News is that all the others are more than double the price of the Hunka before delivery, the Hunka itself costs £25 delivered which I find pretty amazing.
Now the only other viable bag for this money is really the Army surplus one however it is more than double both the size and weight of the Hunka and it costs more.
Now personally I really like this bag there is not a lot more to say about it, from my use of it so far it does what it says on the tin and it does it well.
I dont have the sleeping mat but I do have one of the alpinedream bags and just to echo the remarks about customer service,the guys were top notch (next day delivery and queries answered).Following up leons note about the hunka,I believe the guy that designed it is the same chap that designed the rab.Its my next purchase when they get them back in stock
Their Myti mug is infantry proof, extremly handy, light and durable.
Bought the Hunka and the Wee Airic last week.
Such quality and service per £ makes me a returning customer!
:You_Rock_
I seem to have a terrible memory :rolleyes:
In post #12 I mention tearing my Regular Airic and approximately one year later I
remember this fact tonight while inspecting the contents-to-be of my rucksack for
my next trip outdoors (next weekend - Woodsmoke Trailbreaker). Imagine my
embarrassment :D
Anyway, I have access to more bicycle repair kits than to the original Airic repair
kit which seems to be off camping itself at the moment...
My question - can I use any old repair kit to mend my Reg Airic? Any particular
advice on adhesives? Instructions suggest I should stick the patch when it's deflated
but I can't help thinking it should be when it's a bit inflated otherwise inflating it
will just pop the patch off. You can tell I've not done this sort of thing before, but
I expect one of my neighbours can help me as they're quite outdoorsy. And there's
always duct tape.
It's hanging limply over my clothes horse at the moment looking a bit sorry for itself,
and I'm going to puff a bit more air in to firm it up, close the valve and see how it does
overnight (not a very good test as there won't be a me on it, the me being in my
bed next door) but I'll get an idea of how much damage there is. Probably it's actually
OK as it is, even wounded it's vastly superior to the foam mats I used to go camping
on.
Jo :)
My question - can I use any old repair kit to mend my Reg Airic? Any particular
advice on adhesives? Instructions suggest I should stick the patch when it's deflated
but I can't help thinking it should be when it's a bit inflated otherwise inflating it
will just pop the patch off. You can tell I've not done this sort of thing before, but
I expect one of my neighbours can help me as they're quite outdoorsy. And there's
always duct tape.
I think the idea of sticking the patch on when deflated is so that if anything it sucks a little adhesive in, forming a little plug that won't just pop out, plus the negative presure drop keeps the patch down tight while the adhesive dries.
bushcraftbob
03-07-2008, 10:41
has anyone got the Filo down jacket? I was thinking of getting one when the weather gets a bit colder. The price is brill compared to down jackets such as the North Face ones.
has anyone got the Filo down jacket? I was thinking of getting one when the weather gets a bit colder. The price is brill compared to down jackets such as the North Face ones.
You're not the only one thinking along these lines. I do have a number of Alpkit bits (the head torch, sleeping mat, pegs, bivvi bag, gourdon and a few other bits) and all are very good quality and very good value for money.
The Gourdon's come with repair patches as do the sleeping mat's, the pegs are what either TNF or Terra Nova used to call power pegs and charged £5 each for and you get 6 for the same price, the appollo stuff sacks are pretty robust still remaining lightweight and reasonably water reppelant. The gamma headtorch is the best value for money head torch you can buy at £12.50 especially when you consider they include delivery and batteries in the price, when you add all the other features they are hard to beat at most any price. The Hunka Bivvy bag is small, lightweight, highly breathable and comes with it's own stuff sack stitched in.
I have chatted to people who have their sleeping bags and all say they are top quality.
On the strength of that I would say that the Filo jacket would be right up there with the best at pretty much half the price.
has anyone got the Filo down jacket? I was thinking of getting one when the weather gets a bit colder. The price is brill compared to down jackets such as the North Face ones.
No idea about the Filo jacket, but I've had my TNF Nuptse Jacket (and Vest) for over 10 years now and it's still going strong. It's got to be one of my favourite pieces of kit.
Gailainne
03-07-2008, 12:18
I used the Filo in Sweden in Feb on the winter WEISS course, really nice bit of kit, and the hood is good to, didnt see really cold temps, ave about -7 to 8, got down to -20 one night, coldest was the day we left, -13. Its not the highest rated down jacket out there but for the price you cant beat it, my only niggle was the zip ,its quite small, so fidely to fit with gloves on.
Stephen
It sounds like I have as much Alpkit kit as Leon! I also have a AD500 sleeping bag and a filet vest, which I think is basically a filo jacket without the sleeves. I really like the filet vest - packs down small (small yellow exped bag) and is very, very warm. Pretty much the same can be said for the sleeping bag as well. My only tiny criticism of my Alpkit stuff is that the window of my gourdon bag has clouded a little, but it's not the end of the world.
I noticed on Saturday night that I had to pump it up a little bit, not much but it wasn't as
firm as it had been the night before - I realised I'd managed to gouge it on Friday night,
rather embarrassingly with the hook from my bra I think! It was a warm night...
Oh my God! :eek: I'm so glad I'm not courting anymore - it sounds dangerous...:D
Haha Mikey - not that bad really :)
Now then, the lovely Alpkit have sent me a spare repair kit so that I can fix my regular
Airic which I intend to do today. Since I've never done this before, and want to get it
right - a comfy sleep next week depends on it - my plan is to make sure I know what
I'm doing. It's probably obvious, but not to me and Google has failed me.
So... I have patches and the adhesive and the mat.
Do I
(a) put a thin layer of glue on the patch and stick it on to the (obviously) deflated mat.
(b) put a thin layer of glue on the patch AND on the mat and leave it to dry / leave it
for a minute / some other time and then stick it on to the mat.
I need advice on amount and location of glue and timing between gluing and sticking
the patch.
Do I need to put a heavy book on top of the stuck patch to help it stick better?
(I might pack duct tape just in case :lmao: )
Thank you :)
P.S. The mat is gamely trying to stay inflated where it can - I like its determination!
My regular airic has done me great service, it's not like sleeping on a mattress but it's better than one of those foam kip mats, and 100 times better than the floor
Agreed - until I damaged it I'd had a few perfectly comfortable nights on it. Don't suppose
you know how to repair one though do you? :D
Hey Jodie, these are the instructions from my Gelert mat, I reckon they'll be standard.:
Small Punctures:
Locate small punctures, pinhole type. mark puncture, clean and dry area. deflate mat. Work a drop of adhesive into puncture, let it cure for 30 mins or more before use.
Larger Punctures:
Clean and dry area. Sparingly apply adhesive to puncture, with circular motions spread adhesive outward from puncture. trim patch 1" beyond damaged area, round corners. remove paper backing(if any) lightly coat patch with adhesive. avoid touching glue surface. once patch and mat are dry to touch (approx 3 mins) center patch over puncture and press together gently smoothing patch to remove bubbles or wrinkles. allow patch to cure for at least 10 mins before re-inflating.
If item is damp, allow at least 30 mins to cure. If using in freezing temps warm up adhesive with body heat first ( not flame as it's highly flammable ) Allow at least 30 mins to cure.
Hope that helps a bit.
Nag.
bikething
06-07-2008, 10:51
were there no instructions with the repair kit????
what sort of glue is it? does it have any name / label on it?
I'll go dig out the destructions for my thermarest repair kit.... back in a mo..
EDIT: it's similar to Naguals write up, but uses SEAMGRIP adhesive, and involves wetting the area and using a pot of boiling water for larger patches...:eek: (and a 24hr wait IIRC)
depends, what type of glue is it? if it's rubber cement then i think it's jyts like fixing a puncture on a bike innertube, clen, scratch up, smear both surfaces with cement, allow to dry and squeeze together
The adhesive contains:
MEK 49.95%
Toluene 0.05%
Acetone 10%
Polyurethane 30%
Ethyl acetate 10%
There weren't instructions - Alpkit kindly sent me some adhesive and patches at no
charge cos I can't find mine and thought I'd try and get a replacement in case the
neighbour's bicycle repair kit wasn't quite the right thing.
Thanks to nagual and bikething - I'm going to try the option for 'large punctures' - it's
a bit less than an inch long tear.
:You_Rock_
bikething
06-07-2008, 11:22
bicycle repair won't work if the material has a cloth type facing to it (guess how I know :o )
Doesn't give a full list of ingredients on the tube in my thermarest kit.. but it IS seamgrip.
(and it seems the 24hrs i referred to relates to something else :o )
sorry for the poor scans - it's a new scanner :
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r16/Bikething/jodie/therm_repair_page1.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r16/Bikething/jodie/therm_repair_page2.jpg
just a thought, but if you have time could you try a patch on a non-punctured part of the mat to see if it sticks properly? Because if you try the patch on the puncture site, and it doesn't work, you're then going to struggle to get a patch to stick on top of old glue...
just a thought like
The adhesive contains:
MEK 49.95%
Toluene 0.05%
Acetone 10%
Polyurethane 30%
Ethyl acetate 10%
...
Yer glue is fairly similar to mine, so you should be fine. :) If you think you might be camping out in warm weather again, perhaps take one of them 'tube' like garments to stop puncturing yer mat again.. ? :D:p
Nag.
Good point bikething - might try that first!
Nagual - :p
Logging off to do stuff with adhesives... :D
bikething
06-07-2008, 11:32
If you think you might be camping out in warm weather again, perhaps take one of them 'tube' like garments to stop puncturing yer mat again.. ? :D:p
Nag.
or don't wear a bra :eek:
bikething
06-07-2008, 13:15
just found this on the Alpkit site :
Checking for leaks
If your sleeping mat continues to deflate overnight you could have a slow puncture. The hole can be hard to identify, even with a large magnifying glass, so we recommend testing your mat in the bath. The process is exactly the same as testing for a puncture in your bike tyre.
Locating the leak
1. Inflate your mat to the max and close the valve.
2. Submerge the mat in a bath or large bucket. Start at the valve and work around the edge of the mat.
3. Keep looking for a steady stream of bubbles
Surface puncture
Apply first aid patch: Make sure the area around the puncture is clean and dry. Deflate the mat and place it over a flat surface. Apply the glue provided and leave it for 30 seconds. Apply one of the patches and press firmly leaving to dry fully before reinflating the mat.
Leaking from the valve
Clean the valve cap: Unscrew the cap fully and then pull sharply or prize it off.. it can be a bit stiff. Remove the rubber o-ring and give the valve a good clean making sure there is no grit inside the valve. Check to see if the o-ring has perished, if not pop it back in making sure it is truely alligned and replace the cap.
Leaking from the seam
Everyones worst nightmare: Seam leakage is the most difficult fix. You may be able to fashion a short term solution with the puncture repair kit supplied but it is not likely to be very durable. The best way to fix small leaks is to very carefully run a iron around the edge. Done correctly this can reseal the mat, done badly you could finish your mat off for good.
There's a .pdf manual too with some more repair hints : here :) (http://www.alpkit.com/alpdocs/product-info/airic.pdf)
Tried and failed the first time (was leaving things to cure for a few minutes) and the
second time I just whacked on lots more glue and didn't wait for very long (more or
less what Alpkit happen to advise from the info you found bikething - ta) and then
added bonus glue round the join (and in the tear itself).
So basically - more glue!
Valve open,
reasonably deflated mat...
I placed the patch over the area and dotted glue round the four corners to mark
the position.
With the patch out of the way I glued the full area, and in the tear.
Then I glued the patch.
While still damp I pressed patch onto mat and smoothed it down, adding glue
around the edges and corner to make a seal.
Put a heavy book on top, with mat on floor.
Left....
Re-inflated. Manipulated mat to try and get the seams to burst on the joins - didn't :D
Can't hurt to pack spare glue and a bit of duct tape though!
Thank you everyone :You_Rock_
Invariably in the distant future I will need this thread again, hence some keywords...!
Keywords: repair, repairing, mend, mending, puncture repair kit, adhesive, glue, alpkit,
regular airic, mat, sleep mat, sleeping mat, self-inflating, how to, how to repair a mat
bikething
06-07-2008, 13:35
Good to hear you're sorted.... :)
probably a bit late now, but when you cut the patch - round off the corners. It'll be the pointy bits that catch and start the process of the patch lifting..
(this also applies to plasters, blister padding under socks, etc... ;))
Bother. Good point. Too late :D
I'm hoping my extensive use of glue might delay the inevitable unfurling...
tommy the cat
06-07-2008, 16:13
All very interesting.Going back to the thread of the original post I got the regular airic and are pretty pleased. I think that the 3/4 length would suffice though but I dont tend to carry my kit very far so weight not really an issue.
Dave
The repair held and I have had three comfortable nights on the mended Regular Airic
mat. Two of them at Woodsmoke and the third at my hotel room on Sunday night as
there was a protected balcony that was too tempting to miss sleeping out on...
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21991
I don't understand the 3/4 length concept. Which bit of you hangs off the edge - head
or feet? Either sounds uncomfortable to be honest. My full length mat is v. light and
probably one of the lightest things I carry, certainly the lightest thing that affords most
luxurious comfort but obviously a tent or other carrying is indirectly important :)
bikething
15-07-2008, 14:43
I don't understand the 3/4 length concept. Which bit of you hangs off the edge - head or feet? Either sounds uncomfortable to be honest. whichever bit you want to!! :) - I think the idea is that your body is on the mat as that's the bit that needs the padding / heat. I think the 3/4 refers to a midget though as I've got one that's more like half length for me (I'm 6'1")
My full length mat is v. light and probably one of the lightest things I carry, certainly the lightest thing that affords most luxurious comfort but obviously a tent or other carrying is indirectly important :)agreed. Strange thing is that I never used a mat in my younger days... but wouldn't consider leaving it home now. (must be old age creeping up :tapedshut )
p.s. Glad the repair held up :)
treadlightly
15-07-2008, 20:38
The repair held and I have had three comfortable nights on the mended Regular Airic
mat. Two of them at Woodsmoke and the third at my hotel room on Sunday night as
there was a protected balcony that was too tempting to miss sleeping out on...
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21991
I don't understand the 3/4 length concept. Which bit of you hangs off the edge - head
or feet? Either sounds uncomfortable to be honest. My full length mat is v. light and
probably one of the lightest things I carry, certainly the lightest thing that affords most
luxurious comfort but obviously a tent or other carrying is indirectly important :)
Both. Head on a pillow and legs off the other end. I have a 3/4 length alpkit mat and find it really comfortable. As long as you put some insulation under your legs its not a problem.
Actually I can see the sense in that - it probably balances things out a bit to have the
mat in the middle of you and fill the matless gaps with other things that you have. Can't
see me going for a smaller mat though. Ever :)
When I said "or other carrying" in my previous post I clear meant "or other covering"!
tommy the cat
15-07-2008, 21:52
Tis not the weight Jodie but the pack size......all my kit seems far too bulky.
Dave
I'm wide gauge already so these things don't worry me :)
How do you store yours? Simply rolled as in the way the factory sends it, or fold it in half along its length then roll it?
bikething
16-07-2008, 09:52
How do you store yours? Simply rolled as in the way the factory sends it, or fold it in half along its length then roll it?
store it (thermarest in my case) unrolled, under the bed with the valve open..
whilst carrying it in my pack, folded in half down the middle* and rolled up tight, starting at the foot end and working towards the valve. Once rolled up, close the valve and put it in it's stuff sack, then inside my pack :)
* though some of the thicker mats i've seen will be difficult to fold down the middle in this way