Vango Shangri-La 15 Double Self Inflating Mat

Product Information

Both camping mats and camping SIMs can also be used on top of a camp bed or ‘cot’ (as the Americans say) for more of a bed-like experience. This also helps stop the heat escape problem which lying on the ground can incur.

We really love Outdoor Revolution – they make great quality items at the mid-to-top end of the camping spectrum. Yes they may be slightly more expensive than the Decathlon’s of this world, but we’ve never been let down by their tents or their general camping gear. The Outdoor Revolution Skyfall Double 150 SIM is no exception to this experience and offers an immense 15cm of pure cushioned comfort for your nighttime napping. Ultra-Reliable - Precision manufacturing and modern TPU lamination ensures durability and reliability.Elastic Fabric – Produced using a soft, elastic yarn knitted into a comfortable fabric providing a home-from-home feeling with the best possible night’s sleep Weighing only 2kg in large size (196 x 64 x 11cm) and 2.5kg in XXL (203 x 76 x 11cm), this is a surprisingly lightweight product which has greatly impressed us. It is more less than half the weight of the Vango Shangri-La for example. Personally I would plump for the XL if you find you have a choice of sizes – it just gives that extra bit of surface area for a nice sprawl when sleeping, and for not much extra weight. The KingCamp is undoubtedly fabricated from decent materials – the two valves on the SIM are brass which is a nice touch and differentiates the Deluxe from other SIMs which rely on plastic.

The Vango Shangri-La II Double 15cm is an exciting addition to the range that brings superior comfort to your camping trip. The luxury feel is achieved through a knitted, soft feel, elastic yarn on the surface. The three dimensional construction with vertical walls adds to the comfort further, whilst creating a flat sleeping surface which remains supportive over the whole area. Durability is ensured by the high quality, precision construction and modern TPU lamination. The latter feature also enables the self-inflating mat to compress down further and at a lighter weight. This luxurious item is also easy to use, with two cyclone valves ensuring rapid, unaided inflation. This is a very comfy mat to sleep on. It inflates itself, and deflation is much easier with the special valve design. One good feature of the Ultim is that both the single and the double SIMs in the range come with clips which enable you to join up multiple SIMs into an enormous bed. Perfect to practice your gymnastic routine on after a few beers!

In this article we concentrate on our experience and recommendations for the choice of best self inflating mattress, and so the size and weight of the product is of less concern than how comfortable it is and how well it stays inflated etc. One aspect that I struggled with a bit was that if you just leave it to self inflate, you'll end up with a mattress that's on the softer side. So much so that if you put all your weight down in one area, you will hit the ground underneath (this sensation is exacerbated if you go for a one-person-on-a-double situation, so choose wisely before scaling up so you can starfish). However, if you spread out a bit and you've got a lovely cushiony soft surface that's amongst the very comfiest camping beds I've ever slept on. You can feel if a mattress-mate shifts around next to you, but the movement is dulled, so you won't have the sensation of being near bounced out of the tent, as can be the case with air mattresses.

It is a true 4-season sleeping pad with an R-Value of 6.8. This provides excellent insulation between you and the floor for effective winter-use.We recommend an R-Value of 3 or higher for 3-season use, and 5 or higher if you will be lying on the ground in winter too. There’s no doubt that the Kip Highrise is an absolutely blissful in terms of the luxury it offers and actually it offers good value at the pricepoint we’ve seen for this year. In terms of dimensions and operation, the Dreamcatcher is pretty standard in most areas. However, the inflated size is a little restricted compared to the more expensive Vango and Berghaus options – the length is 195cm (just under 6ft5) and so we would recommend either of those two over the Outwell if you’re lanky like me. The vertical walls of the mattress provide a flat and level top to the bed and super-soft stretch fabric ensures a plush sleep surface, making the Shangri-La the ultimate in camping mattress technology and comfort.