ALPKIT Base 120 (£25)
ALPKIT Base 120 (£25)

By Chris Townsend

August 01 2010

Rating

At the amazingly low price of £25 this self-inflating mat costs less than some closed cell foam pads. It’s reasonably light too and suitable for year-round backpacking as it’s filled with solid foam and so should insulate well on frozen ground and snow.

As it only arrived in mid-May I haven’t been able to test it in winter conditions but I have found comparable mats warm in sub-zero temperatures. Alpkit’s R-Value of 4 also suggests it’ll be warm in winter though this is only an estimate as the mat is so new Alpkit hasn’t finished testing this. In design the Base 120 is a conventional rectangular self-inflating mat. It inflates and deflates quickly and is quite compact when packed. Comfort is good. The polyester shell fabric is a little slippery on silnylon groundsheets but this is a very minor complaint. If the length isn’t enough there is the full-length Base 180 which weighs 870 grams and costs £30.

Technical Spec

Type: self-inflating foam
Materials: ripstop polyester shell, foam inner
Dimensions: 120 x 51cm
Thickness: 2.5cm
R-Value/Temp. rating: R4 (estimate)
Weight: 541g
Likes: very low cost, good insulation for the weight
Dislikes: nothing at this price

Alpkit
0115 932 5050
www.alpkit.com

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