Banish The Zombies: At Last, A Good Backcountry Sleep

A Review of the EXPED Dura 5R LW (Long, Wide) Camp Mat

After taking this new sleeping pad with me on a half dozen adventures, covering more than 20 nights, I’m clear-headed, well rested, and ready to share my thoughts on the EXPED Dura 5R sleeping pad.

Earlier this year, after yet another uncomfortable night out camping, I realized it was time for a change. Getting a good night’s sleep is so important on demanding trips; trips where you really need to wake up feeling alert and refreshed, not like a zombie in a bad “B movie!”

I had been sleeping on another brand of sleeping pad for a couple of years. I picked it due to its light weight and good rating for its insulation. I had concerns about the “potato chip bag” sounds it made when moving around on it, but thought I could get used to it (wrong), and I purchased a narrow size to save weight (another poor decision). Ultimately, I realized I didn’t score “comfort” highly enough when I selected my last sleeping pad.

When I started looking for a better solution, a friend noted how pad width was key to his comfort, and I quickly understood the comment. So many times I had found myself having to carefully rollover on my pad without “spilling over the edge”, and having part of me on the ground. I quickly decided that I wanted a wider pad than what I had been using.

Next, and even more important, I really wanted to move away from the kind of loud, “crinkly” material my current pad was made from. I’m a light sleeper and the sound the pad makes as I move around is quite annoying! The crinkling sound also made me very self conscious when camping with other people: who wants to hear me rolling around repeatedly as I try do get comfortable?!

After feedback from a few people, reading and watching reviews, I settled on the EXPED Dura 5R, specifically the LW “Long, Wide version”.

Unlike the pad it replaced, the EXPED Dura 5R has both a soft, comfortable outer covering, and is filled with an innovative microfibre insulation, not a crunchy “potato bag” style material. The difference this microfibre makes is audibly noticeable. There is a sound, but it’s much more muffled and subdued than my old pad and doesn’t interfere with my sleep at all. Bingo!

At 197 cm long by 65 cm wide (or 77.5” by 25.5“), the EXPED Dura 5R is a full 14 cm (or 5.5”) wider than my existing pad. That additional 14 cm of width is huge, and it feels luxurious in comparison. No more zombie rolls off the side of the pad for me!

The EXPED Dura 5R also has a great insulation rating of R 4.8, meaning I can use it by itself year round, in all but the dead of winter; I’ll add a closed cell foam pad under it when I sleep directly on snow or ice.

Another smart, key feature of the EXPED design that I immediately appreciated is that the two baffles on the sides of the pad are larger and sit higher than the rest, cradling you in place. Having these two larger baffles the entire length of the pad goes a long way to keeping you well positioned as you move around through the night. This also highlights another design feature: the baffles run vertically, top to bottom, on the pad, not horizontally like some other designs. I personally find the top to bottom orientation much more comfortable and natural than the alternative, but perhaps that’s individual preference. I do know that EXPED says using top to bottom baffles reduces manufacturing welds, increasing the expected lifespan of the pad; all good!

The EXPED Dura 5R comes with a lightweight silnylon bug for inflation, which they call the “schnozzle pump bag”; a great name! This makes filling the pad much faster than blowing it up by mouth, and is better for the insulation of the pad, keeping out the moisture of your breath. In my experience, it only takes four full bags of air to fully inflate the pad, with then sits at a comfy loft of about 7 cm.

You’ll note as well that the pad has two valves for use: one, a “one-way value” for inflating the pad, and one end of the the “schnozzle pump” snaps nicely into it. This valve also has a small tool attached that allows you to slowly release air from the pad to adjust the firmness to your personal taste.

The other valve is used to rapidly deflate the pad; pulling out the deflate valve brings the pad down from fully inflated to flat and packable in only about 2-3 seconds.

Lastly, the EXPED includes a stuff sac for packing, and an instant repair kit should you somehow pierce the pad with a sharp object or tool; an important accessory for any inflatable pad. The EXPED Dura 5R LW weights 1045g or 2.3 lbs. It’s not the lightest on the market, probably top 10, but I already found out the price to be paid by choosing the lightest. It comes with a 5 year manufacturer warranty, which I appreciate.

I go out on a lot of trips each year in all seasons, and getting a good sleep is very important to me. I’ll also admit that I’m not 25 years old anymore, to put it mildly, and everything I can do to make my back more comfortable makes those trips so much more enjoyable! The EXPED Dura 5R LW is the pad I should have been using for years, but I’m very happy to have discovered it.

Thanks to EXPED, I now have a much more sociable morning demeanour on trips, and together I’m confident we’ll avoid joining the upcoming zombie apocalypse! Do yourself a favour and check one out.