Best for

A light, minimal and affordable option for three- to four-season trampers and thru-hikers.

Overview

Modest weight, good packability and a winter-capable R-value of 4.9 drew the affordable Hyperlite to our attention. This slightly mummy-shaped mat is a generous 53cm wide for much of its 183cm length, so your feet are less likely to overhang the edge. It has 8cm-thick mylar-insulated chambers, but like some other minimalist mats it doesn’t have raised side baffles. The 20D nylon shell has a single, small dual-mode valve at the centre-top of the mat’s base. It has a large pump bag and a lightweight stuff sack with two adhesive repair patches.

Performance

The Hyperlite is at the lower end of thickness for its class (we measured it to be closer to 7.5cm) but the baffle design provides even, stable comfort. It requires more careful pressure tuning compared with thicker mats, and lumpy ground is a little more noticeable. While it doesn’t have the higher side baffles of some mats, it’s agreeably wide. The valve includes both inlet and outlet ports in one unit, which is light and convenient, but the narrow diameter prevents fingertip air-bleeding and reduces airflow for inflation. A large, somewhat overbuilt pump bag compensates for this, but I found it more efficient to kneel on the bag, rather than rolling it, to force air in quickly. Care is required when removing the pump bag lest you open the outlet valve by mistake.

What we liked

Reasonably wide, light and packable, three- to four-season warmth.

Limitations

Can’t bleed air for fine tuning, no spare valve. 

Why buy the Peak XV Hyperlite? 

The minimal feature set and basic valve don’t reduce this pad’s comfort, warmth and packability, making it an affordable option for year-round tramping and thru-hiking.