Thermarest NeoAir

“Last spring or summer there was talk on TT about this thermarest. Regular size (72" x 20") was 2.5 inches thick, had a 2.5 R value and weighed 13oz. Regular price is 149.

It is tempting to me if it is really comfortable. The price is high for the R value, but the width is great for the weight. If I remember right, one of our resident gear sluts got one.

Anyway, any one have any experience with one of these? Anything else offer promise of comparable comfort for that kind of weight?”

“I have had the small since April. I had a tiny leak from the start, replaced free, new one works great. Another lady in our small CA group got a leak in hers after using on a plywood? bottomed pickup/suv bed. They can be touchy I think.

Usage in other than ideal conditons:

Two nights in the Sierra at single digits.
Three nights on snow using a 5/8" ccf pad.
Five nights in the AK back country with Fridge.

The slightly obvious melting of snow under my pads in Yosemite over New Year's indicates some loss of body heat, but not noticeable while sleeping.

A fellow Thelightweightbackpacker forum member does not like it for under freezing conditions. In the single digits temps I used mine in, the ground was not frozen yet, so I believe if the ground was frozen an additional pad would be necessary as you are asking too much for a low R value pad. As some have said on other forums, a good BA or POE pad only a few oz. more, might be better and with a better leak resistance.”

“I've had mine since early summer - but have not used it under such challenging conditions. I can only say that as a former user of BA inflatables, the NeoAir is, in my opinion, more comfortable. I bought it strictly for the weight savings, the comfort and the r-factor are just gravy for me.”

“I've had mine for at least 6 months and have used it many times. I haven't had any problems with mine.”

“Own 9 thermarest pads. The NEO is by far the most comfortable and of course lightest. I only use mine as a 3 season pad.”

“You prefer the neoair to the BA aircore? I have slept on a BA and it is soooo comfy (so much more so than my thermarest prolite 4). I'm curious as to how the BA aircore and the neoair compare.”

“Thanks for lots of useful feedback. Comfort and weight is what I am looking for. Price is my main reservations. A 2.5 R is definitely 3 season.

For specs only (not experience) - my hesitation on the BA aircore is the weight. For a regular the difference is 22oz vs 13 oz. I could shave some weight with the mummy version - but a mummy pad is a problem in a hammock with a bag not made for one. The BA clearview comes closer for weight.”

“Well I think we should approach the companies (THERM, BA and Insul) and ask for them to pay for a month long backpacking trip to fully try out the pads.

Ped I ahve the Insulmat and the BA, both are great and truthfully I cannot tell a difference.”

“I'm curious as to how the BA aircore and the neoair compare.�

I have both and think they are equally comfortable. The neoair is much lighter in weight. If you use the Big Agnes sleep system, the neoair is a little difficult to get it in the sleeve. I usually inflate the neoair about half way then insert it into the sleeve and finish blowing it up.”

“I'm curious as to how the BA aircore and the neoair compare.

I'm close to windigrrl's opinion, but I would split hairs and say that for me, they are comparably comfortable. What I've noticed is that when I use them, the Neoair seems somehow more rigid, feels less "squishy" under the butt. I think this may be due to the baffle arrangement of the two pads: the BA's run vertical (parallel to you body's length) while the Neoair's run the opposite, and there's actually two "layers" of baffles, also.”

“Have used my Neo regular in temps down to 26 degrees. At that temp I could feel some ground cold coming thru so put a 3/16" CCF pad (7 oz.) under the Neo and was comfy all night.”

“I used my small NeoAir for yet another night on the snow, snow camping. This time the temps were down to 13 degrees in the morning. Just as warm as if it was only in the upper 20's. I only used my WM Apache, a 15 degree bag, but had on my MontBell down liner pants, instead of using my WM Antelope, 5 degree bag and wearing silk, long drawers. Correction on the thickness of my blue, ccf pad, it is 1/2" thick, but varies a tiny bit. I know some doubt it's ability to keep you warm if temps go below freezing. This is four nights now that I have used it on the snow. A friend and I headed up to the Alpine Meadows ski area, next to Squaw Valley, in the Lake Tahoe area, a little over an hour drive for me from where I work during the week. We were over a small mountain, away from the ski area, so we had a fair view, but no wind which made it very nice. Some snow showers durng the day, but nothing much accumulating.”

“I knew there had to be a thread on this pad. I used my BA aircore last weekend and discovered it has a slow leak. Looks like the Neoair has gotten some good reviews so far. I may have to use my REI dividend to get it.”

“Some of them have had leaks too, must all be made at the same place.:)

Update, last solo snow trip a week ago into Desolation Wilderness, used the NeoAir again, three day weekend so I went in Friday morning. Saturday morning when I got up at 7 or so, temp was 5 degrees. So much for people saying it would not be any good below 30 degrees. Third time now it has been used where temps were in the single digits. Did use a blue ccp under it like I would any other pad on the snow except my Exped Dam9.”

“I own 3 of those neo now. Best, lightest, comfortable pad out there.”

“3 neo airs, how you get that past the wife? :-)”

“First of all I had Mt Rogers Outfitters order them and second I paid for them cash. 3rd I have her TT account under control by keeping what she see's on TT limited, you know by unchecking the top boxes. Iffin she ever finds out and reads this I am for sure in the DOG house for a long time.
Hey she always says I'm a stinker....”

“It would be funny if only all of us married TTers had not already utilized or considered the measures you have taken.”

“'Fridge - do you also attempt to limit or 'edit' how much of your gear she sees? do you keep it all at your abode, or remotely, such as a rented storage container?”

“She never goes into my Gear Room. It's so big and so much gear she never knows what I have or how many. Hubcap you might have a different kind of wifey and can buy anything you can without her winning.....But my wife is in control of all money in a sort a way...so when i land some extra cash I buy gear. I land cash all the time too. My allowance she gives me is very little. My gas money for the week and my 10 bucks a week extra spending money is all she allows me to have.”

“Oh man how true!!!”

“Backslacker you know it. And MY WIFE has been guzzling money too and she thinks I dono nothing of this,,,,,so I keep a low profile and will use it if I need to....all you guys know a woman may forgive you but they never forget it and will use it against you years later even if they have forgave you and you have forgotten it. They never forget and they really never forget it and will use against your argument....oh heck///////I gotta go my wife just come home from work...!!!”

“'Fridge, at TrailDaze comin' up, you HAVE TO put on a seminar entitled: "Successfully Balancing your Marriage and your Gear Jones". Guaranteed to draw huge crowds....”

“can't do ....my wife will be there. you see you have to know when and not too do stuff like that.”

“oh i'm laughing now fridge!”

“wait, are you the horrible spendthrift or is she the btch? is there enough money for this stuff or not?

in my house he's the spending jerk and i'm the btch who keeps him in line or we go hungry at the end of the month, LOL!”

“Just think of the literally thousands of hikers whose marriages you'll save! Everyone knows that Financial pressures are the #1 cause of divorce, and wives inadvertently discovering the true extent of their husband's gear hoard has GOT to be in the top five!

What about conveniently gettin' her off the grounds just around the time you put on the seminar? Can't we 'arrange' for her to 'win" a package for a Day Spa in Abingdon? Or, and I don't know how much she 'imbibes' on a regular basis, but I do know that if my wife has a decent-sized White Russian, she's like, out, on a couch for at least a few hours!”

“What's worse than buying your wife a vacuum for her birthday??

Buying her a MSR cookstove!!!”

“you can buy me one spam, i'll swoon!”

“wow, i honestly dont remember the last thing my husband ever bought me, it was over twenty years ago at least. i just buy myself stuff on my birthday.”

“LOL! I was talking about someone else on this thread!!! I'm the one that bought the vacuum....but it was a DYSON!!!”

“no, i want the msr cookstove!!! you buy me a vacuum and you'll be vacuuming for the rest of your life!!!

although weirdly enough, my husband gets excited when i buy him a new vacuum...”

“yea spam I bought my wife a pair of snowshoes and other related gear for christmas and even a stove for her Birthday.

I wuz in hot water for a month. She still brings that up after 4 years ago.

Ms dizzy.....since there is no 12 step program for gear XXXX I am doing what a gear head is supose to do. I love sneakin stuff...makes it exciting and challenging....and since she is always right acording to her and I am always wrong....it keeps the balance and they say oposits attract or is that hog wash too?”

“i don't know, i love gear too, but i'm really careful with my money; am i both sides of the same coin?

opposites attract, but they don't necessarily hold.”

“Polarity can shift and it depends on whether you are in parallel or series.”

“LOL!”

“uh ooooo my wife has just opened up this thread so it looks like I won't be around for a while.”

“oh fvck! how did she get that kind of power? you are in deep doo doo mister. i beat the emotional #&%!$ out of my husband for fvcking my budget, but then he's an alcoholic and spends it all on beer. i should be so lucky as to have him spend it on gear and go backpacking.”

“'Fridge, I thought that you had it 'fixed' so couldn't see any Gear threads! What happened to the plan, man?!?”

“Failz *sigh*

so do you think there's any physical violence?”

“why couldn't i have married a backpacker? oh wait, he was one when i met him, that's why i thought was cool! who knew he'd break, LOL!”

“Ms dizzy.....since there is no 12 step program for gear XXXX I am doing what a gear head is supose to do. I love sneakin stuff...makes it exciting and challenging...

Heh-heh....
I have done that with backpacking gear and guitars.
There is an "unknown" quantity of both kinds of gear around here.”

“i collect... um, never mind.”

“My wife has more Coach bags than I hsve tents... only slightly, but still! "I used them everyday, you only use youe gear a few times a year" bla bla bla.......I love my wife...I love my wife...I lov...”

“Do tell, Diz.....”

“i'm on myspace this morning, what else shall i tell you?”

“Coach bags, how stupid is that? overpriced sh1t. god, at least gear is worth it's price and weight. most women are freaky with the crap they buy. and i've never understood how they see shopping as a sport. you go in a store, you find what you need, you buy it, and you get out.”

“Hello!”

“hello again!”

“well, where'd ya go? i only said hello again, LOL!”