The HEST Foamy Wide Mattress: An in-field review from roving contributor, Mike Holland.
Sleep is a wonderous and an important asset when traveling and overlanding. I know that I need a good night’s rest so that I am energized for the day’s adventures. Without it, traveling and adventuring outdoors leaves one tired and exhausted. Today, many sleeping systems are available. I have tried many of them. But over the last year or so, I wanted to move away from sleep systems reliant on an air mattress. They can be comfortable, but also a challenge to inflate and, when a leak exists, to determine origination and how to repair it. With that in mind, I decided to try the HEST Foamy Wide mattress.
The mattress measures 30 inches by 78 inches; two of them can be linked as one mattress, slightly smaller than queen size. The mattress is comprised of two layers: 1. the top layer is a temperature resilient foam that contours to the body and 2. the bottom layer provides support and pressure point relief. The mattress has an R-Value of 8.8, which provides needed insultation in cold sleeping environments. Two compression straps allow for the rolled mattress to be stored. The cover on the mattress can be easily removed and washed after an adventure. Now, I needed to try it out in the field.
I decided this past fall, to meet a few friends in Canyon Country to view the eclipse this past fall since southern Utah was going to be a prime viewing location. We found a beautiful site on the slickrock with tremendous views in all directions. I set the HEST mattress on the slickrock and found an ideal spot to “cowboy camp” under the stars. The night was cool and windless. A sea of stars overhead lulled me to sleep.
The sun peaked just above the horizon and warmed my face. I squinted my eyes to adjust to the bright, natural light. However, it was just too bright, so I retreated into the blackness of my sleeping bag for just a few more minutes of rest. As I laid there, I wondered: was it really morning? Had I slept thru the entire night? I unzipped my bag and stretched to face the dawn of a stellar day in Canyon Country of southern Utah.
The HEST mattress provided an excellent night’s sleep. The foam felt remarkably comfortable and warm. The mattress offered excellent support while sleeping on my back or side. The memory foam contoured to my body, which resulted in the mattress form fitting to me. It reminded me of sleeping on a high-quality mattress at home. Before we set our cameras to capture the solar eclipse, I quickly rolled the mattress, cinched the straps, clipped the buckles, and tossed it in the back of my Land Cruiser.
If in the market for a sleeping system, give HEST mattresses a look. They come in different variations for a variety of applications such as roof top tents, pickup trucks, and campers. I clipped two of the mattresses together and used them in a Four Wheel Camper bed—phenomenal! Sleep is critically important to energize you for what adventure presents itself. Get rested. Get revived. Adventure on.
The Good:
A solid and oh so comfortable sleep mattress.
The Caution:
The sleep system rolls into a 24” by 30” roll. An important point for the space conscious adventurer.
