Review: Klymit Double V Sleeping Pad

Details: By Kathy Locke

I had the opportunity to test the Klymit Insulated Double V sleeping pad over this past summer on various camping trips—from a state campground to dispersed camping in Colorado, Utah, Kansas and Wyoming.

I currently drive a 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser and often my daughter and I sleep in the back of it on our camping trips. I was using two individual, quality, sleeping pads, but because of the space between the rear fender wells, it made it tough to use both pads together as they would overlap each other at the foot of the FJ, making it awkward and uncomfortable, mostly for me, as my daughter sleeps like a rock.

At the beginning of the year, I started doing research on sleeping pads knowing what my summer was going to entail. The rear cargo width space between the fenders of the FJ is 42 inches. I needed a sleeping pad option to fit as close as possible so it wouldn’t ride up either fender or be so wide that it created a “cradle” and even less room for two people. I also wanted something compact so it wouldn’t take up any more space in the already limited rear cargo area.

Klymit Double V Sleeping pad review Toyota FJ Cruiser Magazine

Knowing the width I was working with, I started researching. Some were too wide or too thick and high. Some cost too much or weren’t compact enough. After looking around, I found the Klymit Insulated Double V Sleeping Pad.

My daughter and I first tested it in April, on our 1,000-mile Kansas trip. The first night we arrived at Kanopolis Lake fairly late. We were exhausted and since it was still April, it was pretty chilly once the sun went down. I had done a test run of inflating it at home a few weeks prior and didn’t have any trouble, so I was excited to test it out in the real world. But this time at camp, it was taking quite a while to inflate. My daughter realized I had attached the pump-integrated stuff sack into the “deflate” opening. The “inflate” and “deflate” valves are CLEARLY labeled. (Head slap, eye roll, deep sigh.) Once I inserted the inflate sack into the correct “inflate” opening, everything worked exactly like it was supposed to and the sleep pad inflated after a few pumps. Let’s just say I was really tired that night and I never made that mistake again the rest of the summer.

Klymit Double V Sleeping pad review Toyota FJ Cruiser Magazine

On a few of my camping trips, I would get odd looks as I used the pump-integrated stuff sack to inflate the sleep pad. Mostly, the people around me were thinking about the time and effort they thought it involved. I could’ve taken the time to set up my air compressor and inflated the pad much more rapidly, but honestly, it would’ve taken just as much time to get my compressor set up and packed away again. Sometimes, even when I was completely exhausted, the motion of filling the sleep bag with the pump-integrated stuff sack would almost become meditative after a long day. I began to utilize that time to chill out, admire my surroundings, and just breathe. It made me take the time to appreciate where I was and what I was doing—camping and sleeping in the beautiful outdoors.

Klymit Double V Sleeping pad review Toyota FJ Cruiser Magazine

One of the features I love are the Side Rails. The design of the chambers allows you to toss and turn without bouncing the person next to you like you’re on a trampoline. I’m a light sleeper as it is, so this innovative design was a gift. I also appreciated the Klymalite™ Synthetic insulation. Some of the nights while camping would get pretty cold but I never felt the cold through the pad and it stayed neutral in temperature when it was warmer.

The pad was super comfortable sleeping on as well. I’m a side sleeper, so it was great to find a pad that didn’t make my hips ache in the morning. The pad is three inches high and lightweight but that was enough to support and sleep comfortably.

Klymit Double V Sleeping pad review Toyota FJ Cruiser Magazine

Packing up the sleeping pad was effortless as well. Once the deflate plug was pulled, the pad deflated very quickly and was easy to fold and put into the sack. Even when I didn’t take a ton of time to fold it nicely and compact, it was still way smaller than the self-inflating pads that I had used before. Plus, I needed two of the self-inflating pads, so it took up even more space. A final perfectly packed bag is 12 inches by 7 inches.

Overall, I really love the sleeping pad and I’m glad I was able to test it out this summer. It fits great in the back of the FJ and my daughter and I both sleep comfortably on it. It inflates fairly quickly and deflates even faster and packs down to a small, compact, portable size. It’s so comfortable and portable, I plan on using it during the Rebelle Rally that I will be competing in this year from October 7 - 16th. My teammate and I will be sleeping on it in our tent while at base camp. Wish us luck!