Big Agnes air pad

“Insul Mat doesn't have down. I think it's similar to the BA. My only reason for choosing it was the same mat was about $30 cheaper. SS - mine weighs about the same as my 3/4 Guidelight Thermarest. I think it's around 1#6oz.”

“So I see the Big Agnes insulated pads got an Editor's Choice from Backpacker. Not that it means much coming from them (and no, I don't get their mag, I saw this in a backcountry.com ad).

It is comfy, I broke mine in a few weeks ago and loved it.”

“Ummm, how do you "break in" a Big Agnes pad, pray tell?

LMAO... you're not LITERALLY loving it, right??!?!

LOL! ;-)
last edited: 4/11/06 10:14:10 AM”

“I just traded my Insulmat for a Big Agnes. I really liked the Insulmat but it had a defect leak by the valve. When I went to exchange it, they didn't have one so I got the Big Agnes. I think I will like the full rectangle better than the tapered foot area. And the Big Anges has more air cores going across than the Insulmat. I try it out on the 21st. ;)”

“Interesting... my InsulMat just starting leaking. Not sure where.

I like the taper, just wish it where like half its length!”

“I have to try out my insulted big agnes as well. I'll be using it this weekend though, in Deep Creek.”

“well, i really like my thermarest 'trail' pad which is the 25 incher and plenty of comfy, rectangular pad.”

“The insulated Big Agnes is fantastic...been down to 20 and was comfy as can be

This is a whole new way to sleep in the woods using the tapered.”

“Sweet sweet slumber on a 2.5in thick cushion air. One of my favorite pieces of gear.”

“Since it was going down to the low 20's on my first trip out with my BA, I chicken'd out and took along an extra insulation layer. Slept right on the BA the first night and was cold (I sleep really cold). Put the insulation between the BA and my bag the second night and was warm. So for me the insulating qualities of the BA are questionable.

BTW, the insulation was a sheet of that white spongy packing material - kind of like the stuff packing peanuts are made from but in sheet form and not compressible. Its only about 3 or 4 mm thick but its really warm and light. I got a sheet about the size of me that came with a table I bought from Ikea. Reuse, recycle!”

“I have an Insulmat Max Thermo and two Big Agnus Insulated air pads, they all are awesome, I've had the Insulmat for over a year now, no leaks with 50 plus nights. I carry the mummy Insulmat when weights a factor and the Big Agnus Rectangulars when I can afford a few extra ounces.(BA aircores also come in mummy shape)
One interesting factor between the two is that the Big Agnus pad has more chambers, probably makes for a more comfy/flat sleeping surface then the Insulmat although I haven't noticed others have.
POE's Insulmat is less expensive though and comes in red, my favorite color ;)”

“I don't think the insulation in the insulmat is all that. I used mine on a twenty degree night for the first time at Hocking hills and felt cold coming through. I bought the insulmat to use instead of my BA aircore and frankly, it feels just as uninsulated to me.

Techntrek, have you got anymore ikea packing material? ;)”

“Neither pad is meant to be used in cold temps without an insulator under it. They are 3 season pads.
Lizs, hold your inflated pad under water to find the leak. My leak was right by the valve. The patch kit worked but I was unsure for how long due to the place of the leak.”

“The Insulated Big Agnes pad is rated to 15°. The Insulmat should be okay at 20° if it's a three season mat. Spring and fall nights are in the 20° range. POE says it has an r factor of 3, which is supposed to be for colder temps.

All I'm saying is that I found the Insulmat Thermo Reg to be just as uninsulated as my BA uninsulated aircore. Maybe we get what we pay for?”

“That's funny, because I find the Insulated Aircore to be just as insulating as my Insulated BA pads. When I expect the temps to get down lower then 25 or I am camping on snow I bring an extra 1/4 inch closed celled foam pad for on top. I never expected my insulated pads to insulate in temps that low, but I do expect them to insulate more then a pool float! and I've found that they do, I've frozen my arse off in summer on a pool float but spent many summer/spring and fall nights on my Max Thermo comfortably.”

“That should say I find the Insulated Max Thermo to be just as insulating as my insulated BA pads.
Doh

(I don't have an uninsulated BA pad to compare to though)”

“I will bring along a cut-to-fit, one-layer piece of flannel to just lay on the InsulMat, and the sleeping bag is laid on top of that. Pretty lightweight and it helps. (remember -- I need my -20 bag when it's 36 out, so I sleep COLD, lol)”

“sassafras - sorry, don't have anything else that big. I have some smaller pieces but nothing worth even taping together to make a bigger piece. Your best bet is to go to one of the shipping/rent-a-mailbox stores like UPS (their store and not the shipping center at a distribution center) and ask if they can sell you some. They have everything for packing so they should have it.

I did expect to feel at least comfortably warm with the 15* rating of the BA, even in the 20's. Heck, my bag is 0* rated. Oh well, the money's spent and I have a free solution to keep me warm.”

“At least they're really comfortable, even if they aren't warm, lol. I think I'm going to try sticking my clothes under the pad, or maybe even a space blanket. I have the BA sleepy bag w/ sleeve for the pad so I can't sandwich anything between pad and bag.”

“On some recent thread, I posted about finding a leak in my BA Insulated Air Core pad and sending it to BA for repair or warrany replacement. I can't remember the thread... but someone asked me to post once all was said and done to let them know the outcome and how it was handled by customer service. So, here it is...

I sent an email to Big Agnes first. They directed me to their website for the appropriate form and asked me to send the pad. I sent it via UPS on April 28. Big Agnes is located in a small town in CO, Steamboat Springs. UPS charges a "rural fee" or something like that, because of its location. So, it cost an extra $4 to ship it. Ugh. Anyway, on May 4, I rec'vd an email from a rep at BA to let me know that they had my pad and were checking it out. On May 9, I rec'vd a phone call and an email to let me know they had determined they would replace my pad under warranty. He also wanted to know if I wanted them to ship it Rush Delivery to get it by May 11 for a trip I had planned (I had noted that on the form). It wasn't that big a deal so I told them not to worry about it. I rec'vd the pad today.

I'm happy about how quickly they responded, how attentive they were (three emails and a phone call) and that I now have a new pad.

But... this is my second Big Agnes Insulated Air Core to spring a leak. While, I'm thankful that both times the pad was replaced under warranty (once by BA and once by the distributor), I'm now worried that the product isn't all it's cracked up to be. Two pads, two leaks...My confidence is about shot on this pad. I don't want to go deal with another leaky pad on a trip. It can be such a bummer. Might have to resort back to my ThermaRest for a while.”

“You need to remove all piercings before use.”

“I still have a slow leak, but I usually ahve to get up at 2 AM to visit the trees, so I just reinflate and go back to sleep.”

“slow leaks ruin it for me. I wake up freezing in the middle of the night. Naa, don't want that.
I guess I stick with my therm-a-rest for now.”

“You could just switch to the Insul-mat Max. I have not heard of a single person having one leak. They’re about $55 for the insulated ones and they are almost as light as the T-Rest UL.”

“Tarabull: Did they say if the leak was the result of a puncture or a manufacturing problem?”

“Yeah, Gem, ruins it for me, too. Waking up cold or just plain uncomfortable sucks and ruins my sleep.

Nig - I'm not in the market for a new pad. I'm on a budget. I believe Q has the one you speak of, tho, and really likes it. I'll keep it in mind next time I'm in the market.

lost soul - They did not specify the cause of the leak. However, after a couple days of examining it, they determined they would replace it under warranty as opposed to charging me the fee for repair. I am to assume they would charge me if I punctured it.

I did check the pad by submerging it in water and couldn't even see bubbles. I'm assuming it was in the seam, like before.
last edited: 5/15/06 9:18:29 PM”

“so it wasn't body peircings then?”

“tara - I have the pad and worry about springing a leak. I have had to sleep on hard ground twice and it doesn't work for me.

So, I carry a Therm-a-rest Prolite 3 in a chair kit. If my BA springs a leak, at least I have a backup. The Prolight 3 with chair kit doesn't weigh very much. I was carrying a chair or chairkit anyway.

However, my Prolight 3 has a leak...I have to fix it.

Note: My Thermarest LE was comfortable and rugged. I may go back to it some day.”

“No, body piercings didn't puncture the pad... sorry to disappoint you. lol

Phil - I almost always carry a foam pad in addition to my inflatable pad, primarily for something to sit on at camp and to use as insulation. And, of course, it serves as a backup if my inflatable fails. But, a foam pad doesn't make up for the lost comfort.

Yes, the Thermarest seemed to be very rugged. I bought it in 1998 and it still works great. The few leaks it did have were all my fault and not something malfunctioning as a result of a defect or something. Might not be as thick as my BA but it certainly has been more reliable.”

“I found that you can also use the BA and the Insul Mat Max with a chair kit. Very comfy. I bought the InsulMat because, sigh, Backpacker Mag did a test with them. The guy rode the thing down a scree slope to see how it would hold up. It went down the hill four times before springing a leak.”

“I wonder how many teeth he lost in the process.

N - does this mean you were actually reading bp mag when doing your reviews? I must say I'm a bit shocked.”

“Well in my defense I was looking for a new pad at the time. I cringe when thinking of ever having to spend another night on that T-Rest of mine. Anyone wanna buy a UL full length cheap?”

“Nigal...thanks...another toy to look into!”

“I have slept on it in 15 degree temps and was fine. I was surprised a 2 1/2" thick air mat would not freeze me.”

“I hope this one holds up for you tarabull. I'm very careful with my air core but I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway.”

“You could just switch to the Insul-mat Max. I have not heard of a single person having one leak. They’re about $55 for the insulated ones and they are almost as light as the T-Rest UL.”
DeadNBloated
4:44:43 PM
5/15/06

I have that pad also. One of the best ones out there. Lighter than the Prolite's and a lot more comfortable.

Nigal, do you roll your's up or fold it flat. It takes up a lot less room if you fold it. It is approx. 11 x 17 x 2" thick when folded. I use it as extra padding against my back when it is in the pack.”

“I never thought about doing that Ewk. I'll have to give it a try. Do you protect it with anything?”

“I didn't even bother getting my air core repaired, just bought an insulmat. Someday I'll send it back when I'm in the mood. I think my insulmat only cost $39.”

“Nope I just stick it down between my sleeping bag and the back of the pack. I do make sure nothing sharp will be against it just in case.
Songbryd has one also and she told me about doing it that way.”

“WOW......My Big Agnes Insul Mat had a slow leak...not a problem becuase I usually need a 2 AM tree Visit. But it was getting more of a problem so I contacted Big Agnes. I mailed it back to them and WHOA! Just got a note they are replacing it.

This company ROCKS, heck didn't know me from Adam's House cat but their customer service has earned them a new permenant customer.”

“I've had the same experience. My BA REM insulated mummy air core developed a slow leak. I tested it in my bath and couldn't find it. Went to their website, e-mailed them and got a response in under an hour requesting that I send it in with the return form and they would replace it.

Great customer service.”

“Well their mummy airpad fits in my bivy bag with the sleeping bag etc...when I get there, just pull the bivy out and inflate the pad....One bag holds it all....”

“I need to stop procrastinating and send mine in.”

“I haven't noticed a leak yet, but it seems to be a problem for others. I guess I'll just have to use mine more to catch up.”

“I had to use mine for four years to make it leak.”

“I met the folks at Big Agnes during one of our frequent visits to Steamboat Springs. Their shop is tiny but you can stand at a window and watch them make stuff.

If your ever in "Da Boat", their store is called "BAP" and it's on Oak Street in downtown Steamboat. Interesting and some FANTASTIC deals. They offered me a "pro" deal without me having to ask when they saw my Ski Patrol ID in my wallet when I was getting out my credit card.”

“I did! I did! My sweetie bought it for me. I can't wait to try it out. :D”

“I would stand at the window holding up a sign reading, "Extra seam glue please.". LOL!”

“Remember... remember... remember...

While great customer service is fine, NOT NEEDING IT is PRICELESS.

There's a threadful of leakage stories about Big Agnes. You don't find that with Insul-Mat. I've been very happy with my Insul-Mat. Consider the product track record when buying.”