ActiveOutdoorsCampingAlpkit Whisper insulated camping mat: a lightweight 3-season sleeping pad for multiday backpacking escapadesGet a good night’s sleep on this comfortable camping mat, insulated to protect you from ground chill for most of the yearWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)T3 VerdictThe Alpkit Whisper is a very reasonably priced, lightly insulated camping mat that is ideal for fast-paced, lightweight backpacking and bikepacking adventures in typical British conditions from the start of spring through to autumn. It’s wide, comfortable and packs away nice and neatly.Reasons to buy+Lightweight+Small pack size+Wide and comfortable+Has a pump sack+Made with recycled materials+Quiet+Great valueReasons to avoid-Relatively low R-value for a 3-season mat-One (rather dowdy) colour onlyWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
ActiveOutdoorsCampingAlpkit Whisper insulated camping mat: a lightweight 3-season sleeping pad for multiday backpacking escapadesGet a good night’s sleep on this comfortable camping mat, insulated to protect you from ground chill for most of the yearWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)T3 VerdictThe Alpkit Whisper is a very reasonably priced, lightly insulated camping mat that is ideal for fast-paced, lightweight backpacking and bikepacking adventures in typical British conditions from the start of spring through to autumn. It’s wide, comfortable and packs away nice and neatly.Reasons to buy+Lightweight+Small pack size+Wide and comfortable+Has a pump sack+Made with recycled materials+Quiet+Great valueReasons to avoid-Relatively low R-value for a 3-season mat-One (rather dowdy) colour onlyWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Get a good night’s sleep on this comfortable camping mat, insulated to protect you from ground chill for most of the year
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)T3 VerdictThe Alpkit Whisper is a very reasonably priced, lightly insulated camping mat that is ideal for fast-paced, lightweight backpacking and bikepacking adventures in typical British conditions from the start of spring through to autumn. It’s wide, comfortable and packs away nice and neatly.Reasons to buy+Lightweight+Small pack size+Wide and comfortable+Has a pump sack+Made with recycled materials+Quiet+Great valueReasons to avoid-Relatively low R-value for a 3-season mat-One (rather dowdy) colour only
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
T3 VerdictThe Alpkit Whisper is a very reasonably priced, lightly insulated camping mat that is ideal for fast-paced, lightweight backpacking and bikepacking adventures in typical British conditions from the start of spring through to autumn. It’s wide, comfortable and packs away nice and neatly.Reasons to buy+Lightweight+Small pack size+Wide and comfortable+Has a pump sack+Made with recycled materials+Quiet+Great valueReasons to avoid-Relatively low R-value for a 3-season mat-One (rather dowdy) colour only
T3 VerdictThe Alpkit Whisper is a very reasonably priced, lightly insulated camping mat that is ideal for fast-paced, lightweight backpacking and bikepacking adventures in typical British conditions from the start of spring through to autumn. It’s wide, comfortable and packs away nice and neatly.
T3 Verdict
The Alpkit Whisper is a very reasonably priced, lightly insulated camping mat that is ideal for fast-paced, lightweight backpacking and bikepacking adventures in typical British conditions from the start of spring through to autumn. It’s wide, comfortable and packs away nice and neatly.
Reasons to buy+Lightweight+Small pack size+Wide and comfortable+Has a pump sack+Made with recycled materials+Quiet+Great valueReasons to avoid-Relatively low R-value for a 3-season mat-One (rather dowdy) colour only
Reasons to buy+Lightweight+Small pack size+Wide and comfortable+Has a pump sack+Made with recycled materials+Quiet+Great value
Lightweight
Small pack size
Wide and comfortable
Has a pump sack
Made with recycled materials
Quiet
Great value
Reasons to avoid-Relatively low R-value for a 3-season mat-One (rather dowdy) colour only
Relatively low R-value for a 3-season mat
One (rather dowdy) colour only
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Selecting which camping mat to take on any given adventure is typically a three-way toss up between whether you want to prioritise comfort, weight or pack space. The Alpkit Whisper is basically the ultimate compromise, offering very acceptable levels of comfort in most conditions, while remaining lightweight and easy to pack, whether you’re backpacking, bikepacking or enjoying a multiday kayaking or canoeing trip.
I have used the Alpkit Whisper in a wide range of scenarios since getting the product in late last year, from a fastpacking trip along the West Highland Way in Scotland in late autumn, to garden campouts in winter and very early spring. Does it qualify as one of thebest camping matsout there? As an all-round performer, I believe it does, especially considering the extremely reasonable price point, and the fact it’s made with largely recycled materials.
Read on for my full review of the Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat.
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We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat: Specifications
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat, next to theAlpkit Soloistbackpacking tent(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat, next to theAlpkit Soloistbackpacking tent
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat, next to theAlpkit Soloistbackpacking tent
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat: design, materials and thermal performance
The R-value of this mat is 2.5. R-values correspond to how ‘warm’ a camping mat is, in terms of how much insulation they provide from the ground, which obviously gets colder as we move from summer into autumn and winter, before slowly warming up again during spring (the R represents a measurement of thermal ‘resistance’ provided).
The Alpkit Whisper with theAlpkit Pipedream 400sleeping bag(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
The Alpkit Whisper with theAlpkit Pipedream 400sleeping bag
The Alpkit Whisper with theAlpkit Pipedream 400sleeping bag
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
To be considered a 3-season camping mat, the R-value of a sleeping pad should be at least 2.5, so the Alpkit Whisper sneaks in at the lower end of the scale in terms of providing warmth. However, when paired with theAlpkit Pipedream 400 3-season sleeping bagand while using theAlpkit Soloist 3-season tent, I felt warm enough – even in November in the Scottish Highlands. I also used it with the same set-up for winter camping – albeit in the less demanding surrounds of the backyard. I’d happily recommend it for true 3-season use.
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat packed away(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat packed away
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat packed away
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat: features, comfort levels and ease of carrying
The Alpkit Whisper is fairly wide, mummy shaped, single-person camping mat, and I experienced no problems with falling off it during the night. It has a baffled design, with a series of 7-cm deep ridges, which I found to be very comfortable whether I was sleeping on my back or side.
As the name suggests, the Alpkit Whisper is nice and quiet to sleep on, even if you’re a nocturnal fidgeter – unlike some sleeping mats out there.
Because it is an inflatable mate, with fairly low-key insulation, it packs away very easily and rolls into an extremely packable size. It’s also very light for a 3-season mat, so it is absolutely no hassle to carry while hiking or bikepacking.
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat, being inflated with the included pump sack(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat, being inflated with the included pump sack
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat, being inflated with the included pump sack
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat: inflation and reliability
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat has a low profile valve, and is quick and easy to inflate and deflate(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat has a low profile valve, and is quick and easy to inflate and deflate
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat has a low profile valve, and is quick and easy to inflate and deflate
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat: Some alternatives to consider
If you’re only intending on backpacking, bikepacking or camping during the warmer months, then consider the excellentAlpkit Cloud Base, which is even lighter and packs away extremely small. For a camping mat with a much higher R-value, that will help keep you warm while camping year-round, check out the brilliant (but more expensive)Thermarest NeoAir XLite.
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat: overall verdict
The Alpkit Whisper insulated camping mat can be all things to all campers: light and packable enough to be taken on all but the most minimalist trips, while being sufficiently wide and warm to keep you comfortable in the vast majority of conditions you’re likely to face in Britain (and beyond) for nine months of the year. It does have some limitations (the R-Value isn’t massive, for example) but – particularly for the price point – it is an excellent mat for most backpackers, bikepackers and overnight adventurers of all persuasions.
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