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Gandalf Legacy 5.0 Self-Inflating Mat offers supreme warmth and comfort, a perfect base camp mat for at-home comfort whilst camping.
Nordisk says:
The Gandalf 5.0 is a luxurious mat with great cushioning, filled with high-quality foam it offers a supportive night's sleep, wherever you are. The upper face fabric is wrapped in natural and high quality 100% cotton fabric with a soft, brushed finish with great wicking properties. On the back, it is covered by an extremely durable oxford polyester with silicone print offering a firm non-slip grip so the mat does not slide around during the night. The Gandalf has a connection system on the side which allows you to join more mats together – and an integrated pillow for a better night's sleep.
Our Verdict
Nordisk’s Gandalf Legacy self-inflating sleeping do precisely that; you open the valve, leave it to suck air, and inflate slowly. You usually have to add a few breaths by mouth at the end, then close the valve...and sleep.
Self-inflating mats have foam sandwiched between two outer fabric layers. The fabric is soft to the touch and tough at 30 deniers. The foam inside is also of high quality that will survive repeated compression cycles. The anti-slip coating underneath will stop the mat from sliding around your tent. The multi-function valve is an excellent feature enabling a quick switch from self-inflation, one-way inflation and deflation.
Whilst not as comfortable as insulated airbeds, self-inflating mats are considered more durable - and if you do get a puncture, you still have a layer of foam to lie on - with airbeds, you would have nothing. The compression sack has daisy chains sewn on, enabling you to attach it to the outside of your rucksack if required.
This very warm mat (5.6R-value) can be used all year round; it works well for camping, but it works just as well if you have guests.
It’s a heavy mat that I would only use at base camp, but I wouldn’t take backpacking; even if you are prepared to carry the extra weight, this will take up much room in your pack.
- Reviewed by Basecamp Gear
Features
- Luxurious sleeping mat
- Square and spacious surface
- High quality solid foam
- 100% soft brushed cotton
- Extremely durable back
- Non-slip silicone print on back
- Connection buttons on the side
- Integrated pillow
- Honeycomb shaped comfort surface
- Smart carry & compression strap included
Specifications
- Weighs: 2170g
- Length : 195 cm
- Width : 65 cm
- Height : 5 cm
- R-Value: 5.6
Material & Construction
Top
- Name : Brushed cotton
- Composition : 100% cotton
- Construction : Brushed
- Colour : Forest Night
Bottom
- Name : Oxford Polyester
- Composition : 100% Polyester
- Denier : 150D
- Colour : Black
Filling
- Name : Foam
- Type : Foam 18kg/m3
STM R-Value:
From 2020, there is a new industry standard for measuring the R-value (level of insulation) of sleeping mats – ASTM F3340-18. This new standard is the sleeping mat equivalent to the EN rating for sleeping bags.
You can now directly compare the R-value of mats rated using the ASTM F3340-18 with confidence that is a fair and accurate comparison between mats. In simple terms, the higher the R-value, the warmer the mat.
In general terms, an R-value below 2.0 is for summer use, 2.0 to 4.0 is for cooler 3 season use and 4.0+ is for winter temperatures. This will be also be dependent on your sleeping bag, how cold you sleep etc. Please contact our customer service team if you need advice on choosing the right mat for your activity.
