By Will Rietveld
Definitely for lightweight backpackers, and even for
ultralighters, a comfy sleeping pad is a comfort item to spend a few ounces on
in order to get a good night’s sleep.
The lightest of their AXL family of pads is the uninsulated
mummy version, measuring 20x72 inches and weighing 9.6 ounces. That’s the one I
tried to get for testing, but it wasn’t available, so I settled for the
insulated rectangular version (shown) weighing 11.9 ounces.
What is remarkable about this pad, compared to the
competition, is its thickness and lightweight. It’s lighter than the full-length
Therm-a-Rest Neo-Air XLite pad and much thicker.
So, given all these good numbers, how does the AXL pad
perform for lightweight backpacking?
Specifications and Features – Sleeping Pad
Manufacturer
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Big Agnes (www.bigagnes.com)
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Product
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Insulated AXL Air Sleeping Pad (rectangular insulated
version tested)
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Materials
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“lightweight double-ripstop nylon with aviation grade TPU
lamination”, Primaloft Silver insulation with reflective film
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Dimensions
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20x72x3.25 inches; outer tubes are 3.75 inches
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Weight
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Mfr specification 11.9 ounces, measured weight 12.4 ounces
(pad only)
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Features
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Single 2-way valve, interior antimicrobial treatment,
quick deflation valve, micro-release button for inflation adjustment, larger
outer chambers to cradle sleeper
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Sizes Available
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Regular, wide, and mummy; insulated and uninsulated
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Included
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Pad, stuff sack, repair kit
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MSRP
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$180
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Specifications and Features – Inflation Pump
Product
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Pumphouse Ultra Sleeping Pad Inflation Pump
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Materials
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Ripstop nylon
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Dimensions
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19.5x13.5x8 inches
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Weight
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Mfr specification 2.9 oz, measured weight 2.55 ounces
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MSRP
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$35
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Description
The AXL inflatable sleeping pad is available in Regular
(20x72 inches), wide (25x72 inches), and Mummy (20x72 rounded and tapered
ends). Shorter lengths are not available, and would not work well because of
the pad’s thickness.
Insulation is Primaloft Silver synthetic, plus a reflective
film. Big Agnes prefers to provide a temperature rating (15F), rather than play
the R-rating game. Remember that number. The uninsulated pads are grey and the
insulated pads are red.
The Pumphouse Ultra Inflation Pump is a pump bag with a
fitting that pops into the inflation valve on the sleeping pad. It’s claimed to
fit other Big Agnes pads as well as traditional valves. It works as follows:
attach the outlet to the pad’s valve, open the sack so it fills with air, fold
the top over, and roll the bag toward the pad.
Field Testing
I tested the AXL pad on spring backpacking trips in southern |
Inflating the pad by mouth requires about 30 deep breaths,
which is quite a bit of effort. Using the Pumphouse inflation bag is much
faster and easier, and it doesn’t introduce moisture into the pad. I found the
pump bag easy to use, and it gets easier as you learn the technique. I tested
the Pumphouse bag on a conventional inflation valve and did not find it to work
as Big Agnes claims. The pump bag effectively doubles as a stuff sack, but I
don’t see how it can be used for a portable shower as claimed.
The AXL pad is quite durable, so this is not an ultralight
pad that will require frequent patching. And Big Agnes provides a patching kit
just in case.
The plus side of the AXL pad is its amazing comfort. I never
expected to put the words “3.25 inches thick”, “comfortable, and “lightweight”
in the same sentence but Big Agnes pulls it off. This pad is like floating on a
cloud; made in heaven for lightweight backpacking, and some ultralighters may
adopt it too.
The minus side was a big surprise to me – even though the
pad I tested is insulated, I found the pad to be cold at temperatures below
40F. Specifically, my bottomside got chilly, enough to inhibit sleep. My
observed threshold of around 40F is a big difference from the claimed 15F comfort
rating.
Note that that my observed 40F comfort threshold is for me; other
sleepers may experience discomfort at cooler or higher temperatures, and
hotblooded sleepers may not experience any discomfort at all.
To investigate the issue, I peered into the inflation valve
opening to see what’s inside, and couldn’t see any insulation. Next I held the
pad in front of a strong desk light and found that the pad is insulated with a
thin sheet of synthetic insulation bonded to the upper pad fabric, and the insulation sheet has large
oval holes (2x3 inches) in it so it doesn’t interfere with top/bottom fabric
welds that determine the pad’s thickness and texture. Note in the photo below that the insulation has some rather large thermal leaks in it.
My conclusion is the AXL pad’s insulation is insufficient to
meet its claimed comfort rating, for me at least. It’s thin with large holes in
it, and is not very effective.
Assessment
By my testing, I found the AXL pad to be a mixed bag. On the
one hand it’s very comfortable. However, it’s overweight by a half ounce, and
its warmth (for me) is nowhere near the claimed 15F. The problem was
consistent; whenever the nighttime temperature dropped below 40F I got chilly
on my bottomside. Note that the insulation in a sleeping pad works in much the same way as an insulated jacket; rather than feeling a cold line where the jacket is stitched or the pad insulation has a cutout, you feel an overall warmth or coolth. More thermal leakage means less warmth. In the case of the AXL pad, the uninsulated area due to incomplete coverage of the pad's topside plus numerous large cutouts allows a lot of thermal leakage, so more coolth.
Because of this shortcoming, I consider the AXL Air pad, in
spite of its insulation, to be a summer only pad when used by itself.
One solution to make the AXL pad warmer is to carry a thin
foam pad to place over it to provide extra insulation when it’s needed. The
one-eighth inch thick Gossamer Gear ThinLight pad (2.4 ounces/$18) is a good
choice. It’s full-length, stays in place over an inflatable pad, and has
numerous other uses. I have tested the ThinLight to extend the warmth of other
sleeping pads, and found it adds a remarkable amount of extra warmth for its
minimal weight.
However, when you add up the actual weight of the AXL pad,
the Pumphouse inflation bag, and a supplementary ThinLight pad you arrive at
17.4 ounces, which substantially reduces the lightweight appeal of the AXL pad.
One consideration for campers who use a shelter with limited
headroom is the thick AXL pad will reduce headroom even more. In other words,
the AXL pad works best in a tent with plenty of headroom.
In my opinion, the AXL pad is too heavy for ultralight
backpacking, so I will reserve it for lightweight backpacking, base camping,
and car camping. Lightweight backpackers will love it for its exceptional
comfort and reasonable weight. And there should be no problem with late night
chills on warm summer nights.
I would appreciate reader comments on their experiences with
this pad. Does your bottomside get chilly late at night when the temperature
hits its low? And about what temperature does that occur? Or perhaps you don’t
find any issues at all. Share your experience below.
I experienced the same issues with the insulated version. I spent a night in the upper 30s/low 40s and couldn't sleep because my body was cold wherever it was in contact with the pad. Returned it.
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