Are there any long-term reviews about Kooka Bay pads? Apart from this thread, and of course the MYOG thread, I can only find them on gear swaps. And most of those 2 threads is from January and February, so no long term reports there.

Does any one have long-term experience with kooka-pads (especially regarding durability), or are you guys not using them in summer?

I too am also interested as I have been considering a lightweight winter pad. The The Kookay Bay is light enough...

My Exped synmat9 DLX is hardly light by any stretch of the imagination.

Hey guys, I have three of them. Although I can't comment on winter warmth yet, my fiancee and I have used them for a combined total of about 30 nights. We used them in Glacier NP for a week, and the rest of our camping was done in Wisconsin.

We both have the lighter, thinner 30D material, and so far, no durability issues. No leaks. One pad had a valve that leaked very slowly, but I think it was a fluke because I just added another rubber O-ring and it fixed it.

My DAM's are easy to blow up with the Big Agnes Pumphouse, but I've replaced the included short piece of tubing that serves as an adapter with a much longer one that stays in place better (the pumphouse can't fit around the larger valve for the DAMs). It was an easy fix, and not even necessary.

The DAMs deflate slower than non-DAMs because of the feathers, but its not that bad. With practice you can get them deflated and packed in a couple of minutes.

I'm excited to get to try these out in cold temps this coming winter. I will say that they're not as "easy" as say a Big Agnes Insulated Air Core because of the pumphouse and slower deflation time, but with the weight savings and gained warmth, its worth it.

Do you have to e-mail Kookabay for info about their DAM's? I can't find them on their website. I'd like to know what the weight is for them since I don't really have a good pad for harsher winter conditions.

yep, send Bender an email. My 60x20x2.5 rectangle pad with 6 ounces of down and the 30D material weighs 16 ounces.

Wow, half the weight of my 7-yr old thermarest and not much more than my short z-rest. Thanks for letting me know!

And don't forget this pad should be warm enough for winter. I say *should* because I haven't tested it out in temps below 29 F, but I think it'll go to 0 F.

If I had extra money, I'd get a lighter summer pad, but this one, with all its comfort, is a good weight for any time of the year.

FYI BPL is in the process of reviewing several KookaBay air mats. I am working on updating the website so it will let you custom build your air mat! You will be able to select the material, type of construction, insulation, R value, shape and of course length, width and thickness! New goose down and inflatable pillows will also be available.

I have been using my Kookabay downmat (24"x60"x3.5 w/6 oz of down 21.5oz total weight with the 70d material) for some 35 nights or so now and no problems at all. I wish it would deflate a bit faster but I am learning some new tricks to get it back down to size more quickly.

I just returned last night from a week in the Winds with the lowest temp at 9 f and was plenty warm. I have had to redistribute the down between the chambers from time to time but it isn't a big deal. In addition I have been thinking about adding some DIY silicone and thinner to one side as the material is very slick on silnylon floors and moves around a bit more than I would like, but other than that I am very happy with it.

The 24" width is a much better fit for making a quilt work for me as primarily a side sleeper, as the sides of the quilt drape onto the sides of the pad, making a more draft free sleeping experience. Moreover, when I am on my back, the extra width means that my elbows/arms are on the pad and not hanging off.

John,
Good to hear some more reviews. It's also good to hear you got your pad down to 9F with no problems with warmth.

I also have to squish some down around occasionally. Have you noticed if there's a small empty portion of the chamber, do you feel cold sneaking through there, or is the air in the pad kept warm enough by the rest of the insulation?

I haven't noticed any cold spots due to down shifting. I think that even if you can't actually feel down in the chamber it doesn't mean there isn't some there keeping convection currents within the chamber from causing a cold spot.

Thanks John,
I have the white 30D material, and when held up to even a little light, you can see exactly where the down is.....and isn't! But, if you haven't had any cold spots, I doubt I will also.

Thank you for your comments on the pads, Travis and John.