ISUKA Trail Mattress Review: A mattress with excellent practicality, created by a sleeping bag manufacturer who knows everything about the mountains of Japan, pursuing comfort and ease of use.
written by Yosuke.C
Lightness is just for those who want to lighten the equipment even at 1g.
However, sacrifices of comfort beyond the acceptable range become more enjoyable, but rather a penance.
The gear we're introducing today is appealing to those who are thinking, "I want to make my equipment lighter, but I can't even throw away the comfort."
We would like to introduce the "Trail Mattress," a sleeping mat released in 2024 by Japanese sleeping bag manufacturer ISUKA.
The sleeping bag is important when it comes to sleeping in nature, but the sleeping bag is just as important as the sleeping bag.
Having a comfortable sleep not only helps relieve fatigue, but also directly affects satisfaction (it's tough if you can't sleep on a mountain hike that you've been looking forward to).
Iska's trail mattress is a sleeping mat with a balanced balance of comfort and practicality, and is a mat that is carefully designed to allow you to sleep firmly on the mat even in outdoor fields where you cannot necessarily sleep on flat areas.
In this article, we will thoroughly review what I felt after actually using a "trail mattress" and what I am interested in.
table of contents
Main features of Iska Trail Mattress
Isca is a Japanese sleeping bag brand founded in 1972. We carry mountaineering equipment such as sleeping bag covers and rain covers for backpacks, mainly sleeping bags.
When it comes to Iska, sleeping bags are famous, but they also make mats, and the new trail mattress introduced in 2024 is the "trail mattress."
The trail mattress is a sleeping mat for three seasons with an R value of 2.7, and is used with air in it, but it contains urethane foam inside, making it a mat that is somewhere between an air mat and a closed cell mat.
The mat is 2.5cm thick, so it can be fully infused, allowing it to run out of bottom and comfortable, and the air and urethane foam repelle firmly, allowing you to lie down comfortably.
There are two sizes available: "Reg" and "Mid", and the difference is the length, and you can choose according to the user's height.
The surface of the mat is made of 20D polyester, and the design of the pattern is silicone print and has an anti-slip effect, while the back is made of 30D polyester with an anti-slip coating on the entire surface, making it difficult for the mat to slip even in nature, which is not necessarily flat.
The 2-way valve, which is used by flipping it upside down on the front and back, is equipped with an inflation valve that prevents air from flowing when inflated, and a deflation valve that prevents air from flowing into the mat when folding, greatly improving the hassle of setting up and taking out the equipment.
Trail mats are highly comfortable and practical sleeping mats.
Favorite points
- Self-inflatable mat for excellent sleeping comfort
- Insulation for three seasons from early spring to early autumn
- The back and surface have anti-slip surfaces, so you can sleep on the mat even at an angle
- Easy to set up and take out with 2-way valves
- Foldable storage bag
Interesting points
- There is little difference in size between the two types that are unfolded
- Large storage size
Main Specifications and ratings
| name | ISUKA Trail Mattress Reg | ISUKA Trail Mattress Mid |
|---|---|---|
| structure | Self-inflatable mat | |
| R value | 2.7 | |
| size | 51 x 183 x 2.5cm | 51 x 168 x 2.5cm |
| Storage size | Ø12.5 x 27cm | Ø11.5 x 27cm |
| weight | 520g | 460g |
| material | Surface: 20d polyester Back: 30d polyester (full non-slip finish) | |
| accessories |
| |
| Outdoor Gearzine Review | ||
| Comfort | ★★★★☆ | |
| Ease of setup and removal | ★★★★☆ | |
| weight | ★★★★★ | |
| Portability | ★★★★☆ | |
| Durability | ★★★☆☆ | |
Detailed review
Self-inflatable mat for excellent sleeping comfort
Trail mattresses are mats that are used to inflate with air, but since they contain foam inside, they can be said to be a mat that is exactly halfway between a closed cell mat and an air mat.
Although the mat is 2.5cm thick, it has a resilience that makes it difficult to reach the bottom when aired in firmly, and when I lie down, it was not too soft or too hard, so it was comfortable to sleep on.
I prefer to go sideways, but even when I sleep on my side, the contact area is smaller and the load applied to one point increases, I can sleep without reaching the bottom.
There are two types of trail mattresses. There are 183cm long Reg sizes and 168cm mid sizes, but the difference in length between the two is 15cm and the weight difference is 60g. As someone who wants to make it as light as possible, I thought it would be nice if there was a short size that was even shorter than the Mid size and could cover the upper body.
Insulation for three seasons from early spring to early autumn
The design also has a non-slip effect
The R value for a trail mattress is 2.7 (R value is a numerical value for high insulation, with the higher the value, the higher the insulation.)
It can be used in three seasons from early spring when it gets warmer to early autumn when the summer peak is over, and by using it in conjunction with a closed cell mat, it can be used in low mountains in winter (please consider this as a reference only as it depends on the person how you feel the cold.)
The trail mattress has only been hollowed out of the built-in foam, and the surface on which the body is placed has foam all over the surface, so I felt it was highly insulating than the R value.
The back and surface have anti-slip surfaces, so you can sleep on the mat even at an angle
The fields where tents are set up are not necessarily flat in mountainous areas in designated camping areas. Popular camping sites fill up from flat areas, and if arrival times are late, there are only a few places that can be set up.
Sometimes it can only be set up in a slope, and before you know it while sleeping, you may fall off the mat and wake up in the cold (I've experienced it, but it's quite painful).
The trail mattress has an anti-slip coating on the entire back, making it less likely to slip when placed inside the tent.
The back is completely non-slip
Also, the pattern on the surface is made of silicone print and has an anti-slip effect, so it is double non-slip on both sides, making it less likely to slip off the mat even if it is tilted.
The design also has a non-slip effect
There are limits as you cannot resist gravity, but at least if you feel a little slanted, this anti-slip works well and you can sleep without slipping off the mat.
Easy to set up and take out with 2-way valves
One of the reasons why I have not actively used the inflatable self-inflatable mat with built-in foam is the "funny" of withdrawal.
In particular, types with foam inside have rebound strength and require force to compress, so it is difficult to store them in a dedicated bag when they are removed, but trail mats solve this "difficulty."
The secret is the 2-way valve. Valves that prevent air from flowing inside the mat are often seen on mats from other brands, but mats with the function to prevent air from flowing into the mat are rare.
Inflation valve that prevents air from flowing out from inside the mat
When the cap of the valve that lets you inject air is removed, it can be turned over from the front and back, and can be used as an inflation valve (top photo) to prevent air from flowing out of the inside of the mat when set up, and as a deflation valve (bottom photo) to prevent air from flowing into the mat when flipped over.
A deflation valve that prevents air from flowing into the mat
The deflation valve allows the compressed foam to not inflate without any force, making it easy to flatten.
Easy compression thanks to the deflation valve
The 2-way valve can be opened to remove the air all at once, which has significantly improved the "nuisance" when retracting.
If you open it all the way, you can quickly deflate the air
At the moment, there is no dedicated pump sack that fits with trail mattresses, so you will have to inflate it with your mouth when setting up, but the built-in urethane foam naturally bulges out, so it's not as difficult as an air mattress. It is more efficient when retracting than when setting up, so I felt it was much easier to use.
Foldable storage bag
The storage size is the 2-way valve that makes it easy to remove.
The storage bag for the trail mattress is sized to fold the mat in exactly half to fit perfectly, making it easier to store.
Mats from other brands are often sized to be stored in triplicate to reduce storage size, but have the folded mat become larger than the storage bag and become snug? (This is common to me)
To fit perfectly into the storage bag, you will need to fold and roll up the bag while checking the size of the storage bag when you take it off. On the other hand, trail mattresses can be folded in half, so you don't need to check the size and can be stored by folding them in half and rolling them up.
This point is highly recommended for me, who is lazy and doesn't like to store properly.
My favorite thing about it is that it can be folded in half and stored, but there are some concerns about the storage size.
Compared to air mattress, the storage size is larger
My favorite thing about it is that it can be folded in half and stored, but there are some concerns about the storage size.
From my perspective, it is within the acceptable range considering the comfort, insulation, and ease of use, but when comparing other companies' mats with similar structure and insulation, the storage size is slightly larger.
Although it is a small difference, this storage size is a concern for those who want to be particular about compactness.
Comparing other companies' mats with similar structure and insulation properties, the storage size is slightly larger.
Trail mattresses are overwhelmingly compact compared to closed cell mats and have the advantage of portability, but air mattresses are more "compact" than air mattresses.
For better or worse, the storage size is a concern for trail mattress with a cell inflatable mat, which is a intermediate between a closed cell mat and an air mat.
Summary: Recommended mats with a balanced balance of "sleeping comfort," "portability," and "easy to use."
We introduced the Iska Trail Mattress.
A comfortable sleep in nature directly leads to satisfaction. Choose the perfect sleeping mat for a comfortable sleep and head out into the mountains!
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Yosuke
People who act with just one backpack with the motto of "as light as possible" so that they don't get inconvenient.
From spring to autumn, I chase after char deep in the mountains and go fishing in the mountain stream. We walked the mountains in search of spectacular views that cannot be seen from the ground. Camping to be healed by the bonfire. Snowboarding is a floating mountain with a mountain of silver.
A freelance writer who enjoys outdoor activities all year round. I share my own experiences and tools that I've been using.
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