Backside Line
The Exped Extremely 6.5R is a dependable, all-season sleeping pad that balances heat, consolation, and packability higher than most. It’s heat sufficient to deal with true winter circumstances, but nonetheless gentle sufficient to deliver alongside year-round.
The mixture of vertical baffles, plush thickness, and supportive aspect rails creates a steady sleeping platform that caters particularly properly to aspect sleepers. The oblong form (and wider choices) offers you extra usable area, which is sweet for anybody who shifts positions all through the night time.
We examined the Extremely 6.5R on a weeklong journey by way of the Grand Canyon and through chilly overnights within the Rocky Mountains, and it delivered solidly throughout a spread of circumstances. Nevertheless, for those who’re sticking to warm-weather journeys or prioritizing minimal weight, this pad could also be greater than you want. Now we have extra favorites reviewed in our finest sleeping pads gear information.
How We Examined
We examined the Extremely 6.5R on a weeklong backpacking journey by way of the Grand Canyon, together with a number of chilly overnights within the Rocky Mountains. These journeys gave us a mixture of heat desert camps and colder alpine circumstances to judge the consolation, heat, sturdiness, and total ease of use in real-world settings.
Fast Specs
Exped Extremely 6.5R
Finest Chilly-Climate Sleeping Pad
CleverHiker Ranking:
4.5/5.0
Value:
$200
Weight:
1 lb. .2 oz.
R-Worth:
6.9
Thickness:
3.5 in.
Professionals
- Cozy
- Many dimension/form choices
- Heat
- Packable
- Fairly light-weight for heat
Cons
- Not probably the most sturdy
- Not the lightest
Consolation
The Exped Extremely 6.5R offers above-average consolation for all-season use. The medium width model is 72 inches lengthy, 20.5 inches broad, and a comfortable 3.5 inches thick. Blown as much as full capability, 3.5 inches is lots thick sufficient for most individuals to not backside out.
Though most firms appear to be phasing out vertical baffles, we predict those on the Exped Extremely are fairly comfy. The aspect rails aren’t big, however the vertical baffles assist to hug the physique to maintain you in place. Facet sleepers will particularly recognize the forgiving really feel of the vertical baffles.
The highest plastic sheet is fairly commonplace for inflatable pads – nothing particularly cozy or comfy. Bigger of us may additionally think about sizing as much as the 25.6-inch medium broad model, as we discovered the common one a bit on the slim aspect.
Weight & Packability
The Exped Extremely prioritizes a big sleeping floor and ample insulation over main weight financial savings. That mentioned, it’s a mean weight for an inflatable sleeping pad, particularly contemplating how heat and comfy it’s. The lengthy broad model is simply 5 ounces extra.
The pad is tremendous straightforward to roll up due to its easy form and versatile material, and the stuff sack has loads of additional room so that you don’t really feel such as you’re attempting to stuff 10 kilos right into a 5-pound bag.
Sturdiness
The Extremely 6.5R sacrifices a bit within the sturdiness division to maintain the pad gentle and heat. Most air pads use materials within the 30–40 denier vary, whereas this mannequin depends on 20-denier ripstop polyester all through. It’s not probably the most fragile pad on the market, but it surely does require a bit extra care in use and website choice. If you happen to’re sleeping on snow, the probabilities of ripping the 20D polyester are a lot decrease.
We suggest pairing the pad with a Thinlight foam pad for additional safety. If you happen to do occur to get a puncture, the included subject restore equipment makes it comparatively simple to deal with fixes within the backcountry. One level of noticeable sturdiness is the inflate and deflate valves, which will be frequent leak factors on different pads.
Heat
One of many standout options of this pad is its 4-season heat. It makes use of microfiber insulation in addition to layers of reflective foil to realize a formidable 6.9 R-value. That’s lots for many winter circumstances, and is even overkill for the summer time. Mixed with a 3.5-inch thickness, this pad is rated to be used in temperatures right down to -31ºF. Pair this child with a foam pad within the winter, and also you’ll be cookin’ with gasoline.
Ease of Setup
The Extremely 6.5R is fairly simple to arrange, aside from a few quirks. The included “Schnozzel” pump sack creates a agency connection to the pad and has a big opening that makes it straightforward to seize plenty of air. We had been capable of get the pad totally inflated with simply 3 fills of the pump sack. The pump sack saves your lungs and retains moisture out of the pad.
If something, the pump sack is a bit overbuilt – with a buckle roll high enclosure and a valve cap. In our expertise, we’ve discovered this stuff to be pointless, they usually do add extra weight. The pump sack weighs 2.8 ounces, however for lower than an oz. extra, you might get the electrical Extremely pump for really easy inflation.
Our solely different gripe is the location of the inflate and deflate valves. They’re positioned on the underside of the pad, which might make them a bit tough to search out in the midst of the night time. On the plus aspect, they keep out of the way in which of your pillow, and the fine-tune adjustment valve is a pleasant contact for dialing in firmness.
Ought to You Purchase the Exped extremely 6.5R?
The Exped Extremely 6.5R is a superb do-it-all sleeping pad for year-round use. It delivers sufficient insulation for winter circumstances whereas remaining gentle and packable sufficient to justify carrying on shoulder-season and even summer time journeys. For backpackers who need one pad to cowl a variety of circumstances, it’s an excellent piece to construct a sleep system round.
The vertical baffles, aspect rails, and beneficiant thickness make for a really comfy floor, particularly for aspect sleepers. Sprawlers and bigger of us will recognize the oblong form and the supply of wider choices for much more room to unfold out.
If you happen to’re primarily a warm-weather backpacker, an ultralight fanatic, or attempting to maintain prices down, the Extremely 6.5R could also be extra pad than you want. There are lighter and extra reasonably priced choices that deal with typical three-season circumstances with out the added bulk and insulation.
What Different Backpacking Pads Ought to You Take into account?
Try our full information to backpacking sleeping pads to search out out which one is most appropriate along with your sleeping fashion.
Large Agnes Divide Insulated Evaluation: The Divide is without doubt one of the finest finances buys on our record and includes a related design and luxury to the Extremely 6.5R. It has vertical baffles, beneficiant thickness, and an oblong form but it surely’s considerably heavier.
Therm-a-Relaxation NeoLoft Evaluation: If optimum consolation is what you’re after, backpacking pads don’t get far more plush than the NeoLoft. You’ll take a weight penalty and spend a bit more cash, however the consolation of this factor is loopy.
Therm-a-Relaxation XTherm NXT Evaluation: The XTherm offers the identical degree of heat because the Extremely (truly a bit bit extra) however includes a totally different baffle design that is perhaps higher for abdomen or again sleepers. The horizontal baffles are stiffer and extra supportive than vertical baffles.
