Hi all,

This is my first time posting here, and I appreciate any advice that can be offered helping me make a decision between the Exped Downmat UL7 vs Synmat UL7. I know the pads are quite similar, and I have having a difficult time deciding which is a more important attribute. The Symnat is 6oz lighter, while the Downmat has a higher R-Value (roughly 6 vs 3.) I do understand the concept of R-value (i.e. higher is warmer,) but I don't really have an appreciation for how it traslates to actual "degrees." I ordered the Downmat UL7 short and Synmat UL9 regular to compare, but they will both be returned. The UL9 is simply too bulky and the UL7 short is too short. They are both almost right, so I'm trying to split the middle.

Most of my hikes are roughly 20 mile weekends in the Midwest, trying to avoid the extreme apex of summer or winter, so my nighttime temperatures would range between mid 20's at the low end and 80-ish at the high side. The vast majority of my nights will be between 40-60 degrees, with a few exceptions on both ends of the spectrum. I have been using the old-style, maroon Big Agnes Insulated Air Core paired with a 30 degree BA Fish Hawk. I have found this to be plenty warm down to about 30. Anything under that can get a little chilly for me.

I'm upgrading a lot of my gear (for purposes of cutting weight) and I just purchased the Nemo Siren 30 quilt (which, while I haven't had a chance to trail-test it yet, I think I'm going to love it!) so I am looking for a complementary pad. If I knew that R3 would be warm enough, I would prefer the Synmat UL7 for the weight savings. The price between the two pads is close enough to be a non-factor. So the question is, which would I appreciate more given my environment, the extra warmth or saving 6oz?

By the way, I am not necessarily married to the idea of Exped. I'd be open to alternate brand suggestions. I'm actually awaiting a Nemo Zor to compare as well. It was designed to be paired with the Siren quilt, but I am already fairly sure I won't be a fan. Just wanted to give it a try.

And if anyone happens to know the R-value on the old maroon BA IAC pads, that would also be a tremendous help in my assessment of needs!

Thanks for any light that can be shed, and I hope you're having fun out there!

--Brett