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Klymit Inertia X Frame Sleeping Pad Review

By Dave Roberts   

on August 5, 2011    No ratings yet.

Klymit Inertia X Frame Sleeping Pad Review

The Klymit Inertia X Frame pad is the worlds lightest full size inflatable sleeping mat, measuring over 180cm in length and under 260g in weight. It packs down into a tiny package, invariably described as smaller than a “soda can” and takes up virtually no room in the pack. It’s also claimed to be one of the toughest, and just in case it comes with the usual free repair kit. The Inertia X Frame is easily inflated with a few puffs of air and full pressure achieved by using the dry air pump that comes with it. When you have to pack in the morning, it is deflated almost instantly as the air under pressure hisses out. Neither do you have to go through the usual faff of packing a sleeping mat where you have to keep folding it under your knees in order to expel all the air out of it.

 

When you first lay this on the ground you seriously doubt that it will support you. There’s more space than pad, but it’s body mapped and the clever guys at Klymit have put the support only where you need it. As an added bonus, it means that unlike normal mats that flatten all that heavy down you’ve carried up the mountain; you retain the loft of the bag underneath. This should theoretically mean that the mat seriously insulates you from the ground. It also means that the mat is much more breathable, which could be a factor in warmer conditions.

“At [258g] the Inertia X Frame is the world’s lightest, most compact, and most technically advanced camping pad available. Designed with body mapping technology it gives you support and comfort where you need it and not where you don’t.”

Say bye bye to camp breaking faff…


Initially, you feel like you’ve lain down on the ground before realising that the ground doesn’t feel that comfortable. Placing it inside my sleeping bag the first time around, I kept turning around in the night and it did feel like I was sleeping with a load of balloon animals. Unless you’re a back sleeper, keep this outside your sleeping bag! Even on my side, the Klymit somehow managed to keep me comfortable and I enjoyed a decent night’s sleep.

Another bonus to the design is that as you sink into the gaps a little, you don’t tend to roll off in the middle of the night and find yourself on the tent floor. I used a 5cm thick mat until it acquired a slow puncture and kept rolling off in the night.

We’re well impressed with this pad, as despite lacking any insulation of it’s own it makes use of that you’d normally waste. This sets a new standard in sleeping mats, and I’d hardly consider anything over 300g as lightweight after seeing this. However, not content to rest on their laurels, Klymit have a 3/4 length version (X Lite)that weight in at an unbelievable 173g, or a hefty luxury weight pad (inertia XL) at a back breaking 476g.

Add to all that the added bonus that it packs down to it’s original size, or in fact it was smaller after we used it the first time. This is some serious gear pr0n, no doubt about that! The only thing this doesn’t do is make the coffees in the morning.

Summary: Light and surprisingly comfortable body mapped sleeping mat.

 


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Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts founded Walk Eryri in 2004, with the aim of providing routes that are off the beaten track. Walk Eryri is now part of Mud and Routes which continues to provide more off beat routes and walks in Snowdonia and beyond. Dave has been exploring the hills of Eryri for over thirty years, and is a qualified Mountain Leader. Dave also established Walk up Snowdon, Walk up Scafell Pike and Walk up Ben Nevis just to mention a few.

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2 thoughts on “Klymit Inertia X Frame Sleeping Pad Review”

  1. They say it is body mapped but what about people of differing heights. If small will you fall down the holes?

    What price the 3/4 mat?

  2. I think you’d need to be pretty small 😉
    Seriously though, I’ve found it comfortable, but maybe someone differently shaped might as you say, fall through the holes.

    The 3/4 sized mat is cheaper, about 10% on the US site, so i’d expect it to be around the £72 mark, though that’s a pure guess. I’ll try and wheedle a UK release date out of them as well!

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