Mountain Equipment  Aerostat Synthetic 7.0 Sleeping Pad

I bought one of these in 2019 and having been loving it for the last two years. Out of all the name-brand sleeping pads that I have used, this one is my favorite and I am here buying a second for a friend. The warmth of this pad for the weight has been incredible and the long size pairs perfectly with my BA anvil horn 15 pad sleeve. The included inflation sleeve is easy to use, my breath (or the moisture) has never been inside this pad. I have used it cowboy camping and tent camping and have yet to develop any leaks. I looked at trying the down version, but I don't see any reason to as this one has always kept me warm into the 20s. Highly recommend you try one out!

I am 5'1" tall and this is a bit too long but I think it is a great pad. I was worried my height would cause me to sink into the middle, this did not happen. I like the material because it is not slippery. I used the air inflation bag and once I got the hang of it I had it blown up in a short time. The pad held air for days in my living room and I laid on it many times a day, to feel if it lost air, no air loss. I bought this to replace a pad, I purchased a month ago from REI, it leaked air so I returned it. I have not used this backpacking yet but I feel confident it will not let me 'down'.

My husband and I got two of these to use while hiking the AT. About a week in one got a puncture, which can happen however rather than puncturing like every other pad we have used, it exploded into a 4 inch hole. We thought there was maybe something defective with that particular spot on that pad but a few days later the same thing happened to the other pad. After about 3 weeks we had 4 large holes between both pads, none of the circumstances seemed like it should have created a puncture much less a giant hole.

Wish I could give this pad 6 or 7 stars that’s how vastly superior it is to all other pads. Getting an exped pillow made me a believer about the construction and material so when my pad sprung a leak and I saw this there was no doubt in my mind to get this one. First off, it’s 30d. Most pads are weaker 20d. The difference between 30d and 20d is significant. It’s much thicker and durable. Yet, this pad is only 1lb. 6.4 oz. That’s fairly comparable with other 20d pads. I’m not really looking for ultralight on pads. I can cut ounces on the sleeping bag and tent to make up for the extra weight on pads. They’re so sensitive that it’s absolutely necessary to have a little thicker and little heavier material. As far as I’ve seen, this is the only pad that offers 30d outside the NEMO Cosmo 3D which is 75d and designed more for car camping. Also, it seems to me the type of nylon they are using is just more premium quality than what other pads are using. At the REI store, I looked at all the pads they had lined up in the bin and the only thing close to durability was the NEMO Cosmo 3D, which is 75d. But yet, despite this being 30d, it even felt like it was actually more durable than the Cosmo. That could be because of the thermoplastic polyurethane lamination they use. It’s VASTLY superior lamination to any other pad on the market and it’s clear it will not only protect the pad better but break down and degrade far less and much slower than the others. Also, the way they are doing the creases and seams, which they call the exped construction and is a welded construction, makes the seams much much tighter and stronger. So that’s the build quality. It’s a 2-way valve system which is a great design. You’re getting, on some level, two different seals on the valve. Some pads actually can leak out the deflate valves. The valve is on the bottom of the pad, however they put it sort of on the curved end of the pad, which seems to prevent it from being scraped up but also is giving you access to it in the in the middle of the night if you need to reinflate it in cold weather when air maybe compresses. It seems warmer also than my previous pad that was similarly insulated. This R value is actually 4 despite what REI is saying. My previous pad doesn’t have an R value, but this was much warmer. Having 10d extra nylon is definitely going to increase the warmth factor. The R rating is really sort of just a ballpark rating, and sometimes because of differences in design/construction/material a lower R rating can actually be warmer than a higher one. Same principle on some level with sleeping bag temp ratings. Inflation was surprisingly fast and simple. The bag pump is inside the stuff sack and the valve on it clicks into the pad very nicely. My main concern was not being able to get outside air, and not air from my lungs, into it. You have to blow in it for one second so the bag pump expands. So what I do is wait and let outside air circulate in it. It only takes about 4-6 cycles to fill it. Maybe less with more practice. The only real downside seems to be the stuff stack. It’s definitely weak. The stitching at the base really isn’t very strong like with my exped pillow, which broke. More force is sometimes needed to get things into stuff sacks which as we all know are sometimes too big for the sack if we didn’t roll it up properly. It’s important to be super careful with the stuff sack, especially since the pump is also integrated into it. I would really recommend this pad over any of the others. The only thing better would be the down pad in this same line. It strikes a good balance between weight and durability. 1lb 6.7 oz yet you’re getting 30d instead of 20d. Overall the premium nylon, the exped construction and welding, makes this pad much stronger but also more comfortable to sleep on.

The main reason I bought this was because it is listed as 1lb 2.7oz on the REI website. This is not true. The regular is 1lb 7oz. The pad is pretty comfortable and relatively stable. I don't roll off quite as easy as some other pads, but for something this heavy I'd rather get something with side rails. Also, the inflation sack is a weird design. Not difficult to use but a little awkward. in my opinion the design big agnes pumphouse ultra is much better (not compatible with this pad unfortunately)

I like this pad when it doesn't leak. When it's cold in the 20s and 30s mine leaks air. It's a slow leak but by morning I find myself on the ground. I can't find any puncture and it's fine at warmer temperatures. It's still the best pad I've used but I'm probably going to keep looking.

I bought this b/c I am a slide sleeper, didn't want to spent money on the top of the line models, and sleep really cold. The pad when it is full inflated is a little thicker and the temperature rating is one of the highest. I use a quilt and wanted to make sure my body wasn't getting cold from the ground. The bag to blow it up is also not as easy as the self inflating (obviously), but much better the my other bags that require pumping in a CPR motion to blow up. Well worth the investment.

It's great, sturdy and it's not that heavy. With a pad underneath you're good to go. I've had no issues with leaks in over a year of consistent use.