Sleep Warm In Winter On Pad With 'Anatomical Body Mapping'

[leadin]Winter camping requires fortitude and a good kit. One piece of gear you simply can’t live without is a good pad insulating you from the cold shoulder of mother earth.[/leadin]

Testing the Klymit Insulated Static V in Idaho; all photos by Steve Graepel

A well-made system will keep you off the ground and buffer conductive and convective heat loss.

I tested Klymit’s Insulated Static V (ISV) in February in Idaho’s Trinity Mountains (a video of the trip is below). It rained and temperatures dipped down into the mid-twenties. Here’s a breakdown on how the pad performed. —Steve Graepel

The Gear: Klymit Insulated Static V (ISV). Available now; $90.

Where To Use It: Four season camping, ski touring, mountaineering.

Who’s It For: Those who sleep cold, in the winter months, or appreciate extra comfort.

Specs: The ISV is constructed from 75-denier polyester (a standard fabric for air mattress pads) and measures 72” x 23” x 2.5”, has a proprietary v-chamber design (think sewn through baffling), and rolls up into a 5” x 9” package (about the size of a Nalgene bottle). About 7 oz. of 60-g synthetic insulation is laminated to both sides, boosting its R value to a conservatively rated 4.4 (ISV). The ISV weighs 25 oz.

Made in: Taiwan

Boring But Important: The crew at Klymit claim that the v-shape design mimics the muscular structure of the back with “Anatomical Body Mapping Technology.” Let’s be honest, it doesn’t look like the anatomy I studied in grad school, but the v-shape design does have a lot going for it. The angled baffle welds force air pressure to distribute in multiple directions. As you toss and turn, the pressure pushes into the constructed ‘side rails’ and back under you. The result: the mattress equalizes air quickly back into the pad underneath you, not to the feet or sides. This keeps you centered on the pad and off the ground.

Deep Welding: Traditional air mattresses have thick baffled walls extending across the entire mattress thickness, providing a smooth surface to lie on. Klymit constructed its SV lineup with deep ‘sewn through’ surface welds that have a pillowy appearance. As a result, your sleeping bag’s loft pockets in the welds, helping trap heat. On the underside, this structure effectively reduces the surface contact with the ground, reducing conductive heat loss. Klymit claims this structure alone adds 30% additional warmth over a traditional air mattress.

First Impressions: I brought the ISV on a winter fat bike trip to Idaho’s Trinity mountains. We pitched a tarp over a sheet of ice and I wore my full kit (insulated pants and jacket) and draped a 20? down quilt over the ISV. The temps dipped down into the mid 20s. True to spec, I didn’t touch the ground through the pad when I moved and it felt extremely stable for an air mattress. The side rails did a good job of keeping me from rolling off the pad. Over the night, I did feel a bit of the heat leaching away. For deep winter camping, I would supplement the pad with a lightweight foam pad or bring a full sleeping bag.