Klymit is now warm

My backpacking friends reacted with surprise and delight, like they’d just been served lobster and champagne on a camping trip.

When you’re used to mac ‘n’ cheese and tuna surprise, how else would you react to the comfort of the Klymit’s new insulated Static V Luxe sleeping pad?

We’d all slept plenty of nights on those crappy, standard-issue sleeping pads. Inflatable or not, they seldom offer a decent night’s sleep. They might pack light, but they’re slim on comfort, too, especially for those of us with back issues.

The Klymit pad, new this year, added a big dollop of luxury to our outing with only a few extra ounces to carry.

Klymit, Inc. caught my eye last year at the Outdoor Retailer. It’s a Utah company dedicated to the idea that “the experience of outdoor enthusiasts can be enhanced with new technologies and a different approach that yield quantifiably superior products.”

I reviewed the Static V Luxe (uninsulated) last year with skepticism and the firm belief that no pad would work for my problematic back. I was wrong. It was great. Read review.

The insulated version adds a skosh more weight and bulk (35 ounces packs to about 5x4x8 inches, or the size of a large pineapple) in exchange for the added comfort that comes from not being cold. That’s substantial for a cold-weather weenie like me. Being cold means waking up more often and sleeping in multiple layers. No, thank you.

The pad expands to the same luxurious size as its Static V sibling: 76x30x3 inches, nearly wide enough for two humans or with plenty of room for your canine companions.

I toss and turn a lot at night, but I never slipped off this pad. With an R rating of 4.4, it’s the perfect for three-season pad (R is for heat-loss Resistance. Pads generally come with 1-7 R ratings. The higher the R, the better the insulation.)

It took three minutes to blow up and a fraction of that time to deflate. I doubt my dogs would ever pierce the 75-denier polyester, but if it ever happens, there’s a nifty patch kit sewn right into the stuff sack.

Looks like I’m all set for another great season of camping.