Our expeditions

The integrated sleeping systems they’ve selected come from the Multimat Expedition range designed for just such ventures to the most hostile environments on the planet. The system uses a Summit XL original foam mat in combination with a Summit 25/38 self-inflating mat.

The Summit XL is British-made from top quality polyolefin foam and designed for durability, insulation and minimal weight. The ultra-light base layer provides great insulation and the top layer is made with an EVA copolymer (ethylene vinyl acetate) for extreme durability. The Summit XL was selected to provide the strength needed for this arduous journey and for survival in case of a mattress puncture.

The self-inflating Summit 25/38 mat is made of tough, lightweight 75D polyester fabric with a drilled foam core to save weight and improve compactness. It has a special warm zone for high insulation (7.95 Tog) which is unique to Multimat, giving lasting performance and full and fast inflation. It also features a protective TPU membrane specially formulated for lower temperatures and a waterproof base layer.

Both mats are designed to the right balance of weight with insulation that’s needed for extreme conditions. We know that whenever they are used these systems could be life-critical so we are delighted that The Coldest Journey team have put their trust in Multimat.

The team members are Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Richmond Dykes, Dr Rob Lambert, Ian Prickett, Brian Newham and Spencer Smirl. They plan to set off across the ice-covered continent on March 21st and complete the 2,000 mile trek six months later on September 21st.

There are three reasons for the expedition. The first is simply to face the challenge but in doing so the team will also be conducting useful scientific research. They will be providing data for five projects covering climate change, bacteriology and even the “White Mars” project which will help us understand the challenges of human exploration of Mars.

They will also attempt to raise money for the global charity Seeing is Believing which aims to tackle avoidable blindness across the world. You can find out more about the terrific work of the charity here and to make a donation click here.