REVIEW: Klymit Inertia X Frame Recon

To sleep well in the great outdoors, you need a comfortable sleeping pad. However, most of these have the problem of being large, bulky, and heavy. The outdoor company Klymit has addressed this issue and introduced a very minimalist solution to the market: the Inertia X Frame Recon. Today we will tell you what this "portable hole" can do.

In the image above you can see it in all its glory. The dimensions are 198 x 45 x 7 cm and a weight of only 298 g. In essence, it is an air mattress from space research, or as some friends have pointed out – a hole with plastic around it. The package also includes a small hand pump, a transport sack, and repair kit. With all these items, the weight is 305 g.

At the head end, there are the air valves, one for oral inflation and the connection for the hand pump. The air chambers are also clearly visible. The major advantage of the Recon sleeping pad is its very small packed size. In the size comparison, next to it is a 0.33l can of a well-known beverage producer.

The setup of the Recon is very simple. Simply unroll it, inflate the mat with 5-7 strong breaths, lock the valve, and further inflate to the desired firmness using the hand pump. To pack it up, simply open the mouth valve and the mat will empty in no time. The Recon can be used either as a traditional sleeping pad under the sleeping bag, or better yet inside the sleeping bag. The ergonomic design makes this easy.

For sleeping on, the Recon is a dream. Whether on soft forest floor or a gravel parking lot, the sleeping sensation was always soft and warm. During our tests, the outside temperature ranged from 0 to 15°C. The only downside of the Recon is also its advantage, the contoured shape. If someone is significantly taller or shorter than 180 cm, then the padding for shoulders and buttocks simply do not align. The sleeping sensation in this case is rather uncomfortable.

CONCLUSION: For people of the appropriate size, the Inertia X Frame Recon offers the best combination of weight, packed size, and comfort. It's no wonder that this is the issued sleeping pad for Tier1 Special Forces in the US military.

The Klymit Inertia X Frame Recon is available at Comrade for 99,oo € (excluding shipping).