Big Agnes REM Air Core Pad - Regular

Author's product rating:   

Durability	Excellent
Style	Excellent
Comfort	Excellent
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	light , quick and easy to inflate/deflate, extremely comfortable
Disadvantages:	initial outlay is a little expensive but not unreasonably so .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This is a sleeping pad and is rather like an inflatable air mattress in many ways. We backpack in many places and our favourite way, when we have the time, is to hike for several days. When we do this we have to carry everything with us that we need and as you can imagine every ounce counts. I must admit that I do like a bit of comfort and the Big Agnes REM Air Core Pad does supply this (REM just stands for ‘rest easy mama).

Big Agnes make 2 types of air core pad, the rectangular and the mummy. The mummy pad tapers at the ends and is a similar shape to a coffin. I prefer the rectangular mainly because I like the extra room at my head. We have had ours some time and now they make an insulated version of these pads. They have also made an upgrade kit for the air core which you can buy instead of having to buy the whole pad set up, which is really good. I will talk more about this later on.

Big Agnes REM Air Core Pad – Regular
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The regular pad is 20" wide x 72" long x 2.5" deep and this is my pad. My partner who is taller than me has the long version which is 20" wide x 78" long x 2.5" deep. Big Agnes also makes a ¾ length pad which is useful for ultra light trekkers. My pad weighs 22 oz (624 g) and my partners pad weighs 25 oz (709g) so as you can see the weight is pretty decent. The upgrade kit does increase this by 10 ounces but the upgrade isn’t always necessary. If the weather is hot or warm at night you have no need of insulation other than the basic pad as it is suitable for temperatures of 35° and above. The upgrade takes this temperature down to 15°

They are available in dark red and come with a stuff sack and repair kit. They are no self inflating but do take less than 2 minutes to inflate. When rolled into its sack my pad measures 4" x 8" and my partners is 4.5" x 8" so they don’t take up that much room.

The top and bottom surfaces of the pads are made from 70 denier fabric which is tough enough to protect against abrasions and punctures but even so care should be taken not to place the pads on top of sharp rocks or undergrowth. The pads are treated with a water repellent coating so they don’t stain and the insides are polyurethane coated which actually makes them waterproof. The cells inside the pad are different to typical air mattresses as there are holes within the cells which allow air to move around inside. This means the pad constantly adjusts as you move which increases comfort.

The valves often let mattresses down as they leak air but on the Big Agnes the valves are made of brass with an extremely thin thread which don’t leak and are quick and easy to fasten and undo. The valves are guaranteed as unbreakable.

The upgrade kit
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This consists of a memory foam pad and you place your air core inside the cover. This makes your mattress as comfortable as a bed and insulates you from any coldness in the ground. Memory foam is an open cell foam that adjusts to the curves of your body and is the same memory foam that you can find as a topper for your mattress at home.

Using the Big Agnes REM Air Core Pad
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Like air mattresses the pad can be inflated to your personal choice as long as it’s not over inflated (even though these pads are 100% guaranteed I doubt if a split caused by over inflation would be covered). When fully inflated it is a little hard for my taste and I like the comfort provided when a little less air is blown in. It takes a few uses to find the perfect degree of inflation; too much and it is too hard, too little and pressure points particularly the hip if you sleep on your side don’t get enough support, just right and it is bliss. It is very easy to inflate and surprisingly quick and you don’t need lungs like a trumpet player.
Once you are done with it you unscrew the valve and roll it up gently expelling the air as you go. It fits easily into its stuff sack. If you buy the foam upgrade you can roll the two up together.

Would I recommend them?
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In a word yes I would. They increase your comfort tremendously. If I was buying now though I would purchase the insulated air core pad as it’s even less hassle than the air pad and upgrade foam. It also looks better as it’s black. I never find red relaxing and have little idea why people choose it for camping equipment… well actually I do its so it can be more easily seen if you get into trouble but even so its not my favourite colour and I would prefer the black.

Big Agnes camping gear is all made to an unbelievably high standard, they reply to all emails and are always happy to advise or just to oooh and ahh over your photographs with you using their equipment. They seem genuinely interested in what they do and this shows in all the little touches like the valves and the upgrade kit so you aren’t compelled to go out and buy a whole new product if you are watching the pennies.

This is by far the most comfortable air mattress I have ever slept on , and you can take my word on it, I o sleep very well on it and don’t wake up stiff or achy with cricks in my joints. The fabric the mattress is made of is very durable and we have only had one leak which was last year when our German shepherd was a pup and decided to have a nibble on it. One tooth penetrated the mattress and we repaired this with the included repair kit, this consists of a kind of cement and fabric patch that you place over. We repaired it following the recommended two stage process and it is as if there was never a leak at all.

These mattresses don’t deflate slowly when left up for a couple of days and the way the cells are designed mean they remain comfortable when you move or wriggle about. One mattress is able to withstand the weight of me, my partner and my dog and this combined weight has to be around 20 stone (we aren’t fat pigs honest; the dog is nearly 6 stone of that total).

They just wipe clean of any marks and ours still look new. Some of our hardcore ultra light camping friends might sneer initially but one by one as they get to try them they are being converted; weight is less of an issue these days as more and more foods are available in pouches such as ready cooked rice’s and sauces which instantly lessens the weight as compared to cans (even dog foods now).we think these Big Agnes REM Air Core Pad are well worth the money and the weight. They will cost around £35-£45 depending on where you purchase. Shop around though, they are becoiming much more common and easy to find in the UK now