Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad

Comments about Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad - Regular:

I just got back from an 8-day trip to the Sawtooth Wilderness that gave me a good opportunity to check out a major leap in sleeping technology. My prior pad was a Therm-a-rest 1.5" pad of similar dimensions that worked well but I really wanted to shave some weight and bulk from my basic pack weight. At 14 oz., it is less than half the weight of my old pad, and folds neatly into less than half the space. A lot of money for such benefits, but I figured for the cost of one night at a Marriott, I might be able to sleep in greater comfort for less weight and space. My initial concerns involved blowing it up, losing pressure as night-time temperatures dropped, piercing the very thin material, and last but not least sleeping comfort and warmth.

Blowing it up for 7 nights was no big deal, and I didn't even give it a second thought. I would take in the scenery, breath naturally in through my nose and out my mouth in to the pad. In no time, it was ready to toss in the tent. Certainly if you huff and puff too fast, it can make you light-headed.

Temperatures went from the 70's in the day to the low 40's at night. Just before hitting the sack, I would "top off" the pad with a few puffs. I never experienced a flaccid pad come morning.

I do think the pad is much more susceptible to being punctured than other pads. Therefore, I used a Tyvek ground cloth under my tent and would run my hands over the sleeping location to make sure nothing sharp was poking through the floor. I kneeled on it, stretched on it, changed clothes on it, and basically treated it as I had my old pad without any problem. My only negative is that you have to be more careful where you lay it; you probably don't want to use it as a chair on the ground; and if it goes flat, you're on the cold, hard ground until you can fix it. To me, the many benefits of this pad outweigh this one risk.

Finally comes comfort. I sleep on a Tempur-pedic at home, and this pad is as good as it gets for a backpacker. At 2.5 inches, it is thick enough for a side, back, and front sleeper like me. The internal construction creates a solid sleeping foundation with great back support, and I always awoke feeling rested and ready for the day. For the first time, I was sleeping as well on a backpacking trip as I was as if I was home. Getting a good night's sleep is key to enjoying an extended backpacking trip.

While expensive, the NeoAir delivers a major leap in weight and spacing savings coupled with an equal increase in sleeping comfort. That being said, I agree with others that Therm-a-rest is being "cheap" by not including a repair kit with the pad – especially with the risk of a puncture being a distinct possibility.

Comments about Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad - Regular:

I just recently bought 2 of these (got them both 20% off) and used them for the first time on one overnight. They are very comfortable but mine deflated to where I could feel my hipbone touching the ground in the middle of the night. My wife's did the same but not quite as bad as mine. I know for sure it wasn't because I didn't close the valve all the way. I'm not sure if it's just a permeable type of material and this is normal. There aren't enough reviews yet to tell. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with them. I've heard that someone returned it and got a new one and everything was fine. I may do the same. If the same thing happens again I may just go back to my Prolite 3. They are very comfortable when they aren't deflated. Worst case, you may have to blow it up once more in the middle of the night.

Comments about Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad - Regular:

Getting older and trying to lighten my load yet still have comfort on multiple nights out. Decided to add yet another sleeping pad to the gear collection. First night out was rainy and on the cool side 46 F. It took about 30 breaths to inflate, remained inflated all night, felt no cold spots. Easy to deflate and roll the next morning. Worked equally as well the second evening. If a stomach sleeper, arms come off the pad as it is a bit narrower once inflated. Great for side sleeping, no sore spots on the hips. No slipping of sleeping bag off the pad, but then again I was in a Hubba Tent. I did not use to sit on the ground out of the tent as I am concerned of durability. I don't know if I would use this on an extened trip even with a patch repair kit due to fear of a blow out and be stuck with nothing for the next ten days. I would recommend if you have extra cash and want to try out new technology. I personally think for the price Thermarest could have thrown in the stuff sac and a repair kit.

Comments about Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad - Regular:

I bought this pad a year ago and have used it in the deserts of Utah and mountains of Montana. It is the most comfortable pad I have ever owned. I was a little concerned about it's durability because of how thin the fabric is, but it has held up to some pretty rough use. I use it in a Trekker Chair and have not had a single puncture. I am in my late 50's with some miles on my frame so it is getting harder to get a good nights sleep on the ground. This mattress allows me to sleep as well outdoors as I do at home even the first night out. It has been warm down into the teens and twenties but I probably would not use it for winter camping. Blow it up and let it adjust to the ambient temperature, then give it a few puffs before you go to bed to keep it firm. If you use it in the chair you need to let a fair amount of air out to get it to fit.

Comments about Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad - Regular:

The hard way, I learned that the Hot Bond patchkit that REI sells is not the correct patch kit for this mattress. You need the Fast & Light Repair Kit, which is available online. Cascade Designs' web site can help you figure out where to buy it.

Comments about Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad - Regular:

I used this mattress for two nights. The second night I had to reinflate it several times. When I got home, I inflated it and submerged it in the bathtub to find the leaks. The leaks were at the head of the mattress on the top side. There were at least 5 pinhole leaks. I concluded it must be some defect in the material.

I returned it to REI.

The idea is good, but this mattress is prone to problems. I replaced it with a Z-Rest.

Comments about Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad - Regular:

First and foremost I want to note that many people make a point of saying its (not durable)or things of the like but that is just nonsense and to be honest not one of them actually had any issues at all with the durability which makes me wonder why they all say its not durable. I guess just because it unbelievable how light and amazing it really is . It is durable and through my use ive treated it the same as any other mattress or pad ive owned with no issues whatsoever so im gonna go against the grain here and say yes this little marvel is durable. So to start I smoke a pack a day (filthy habit) and have no problem inflating this after 20 miles on the trail in about 20 big breaths in the nose and out the mouth, the only slow going part is deflating it the next morning but just roll slow and tight and it takes about 5-7 minutes to get it looking like it just came out of the box, no big deal.I have used this sleeping pad on several trips now and when it was 26 degrees and the ground was frozen I actually felt the pad getting warm and holding heat beneath me which in-turn warmed my bag the top of my bag was alil chilly but anything near the thermarest Neoair was so warm (34 degree "lamina" sleeping bag by mountain hardware)The weekend before in the same weather, I was chilly/cold in the same sleeping bag with a self inflating insulated thermarest model (which also weighed alot more than the Neoair)if anyone is currently using that style I figure thats the best reference for a comparison warmth wise.I don't think I've had a sleeping pad where I actually could feel it holding heat like this. The technology within the Neoair is extremely effective and the simple fact that you are 2.5" inches off the ground puts you far from any hard cold or wet stuff . It can be blown up firm enough to keep you up high all night, unlike other mattresses it does not fold or crease where you are laying , the horizontal chambers are very structurally sound and keep it firm throughout the whole mattress. If you prefer to sleep on a softer bed then just let some air out I've done both and I find that I get the best performance and most comfortable sleep with maximum inflation. The comfort level on this is unsurpassed (at least for me going from a self inflating insulated thermarest to a neoair) I inflate it as much as I can until it feels like its about to pop and hop on and it feels extremely durable (the first time I tried it though I was a bit cautious because it seemingly has the thickness of a mylar balloon, but it really is pretty tough) I use it in a tent(kelty teton 2) with no ground cloth AND im often too lazy to get every last stick and pointy object up before I set up my tent and lay on the Neoair. I have nOt had any issues yet(one whole night it was on a pine cone and i found out in the morning, I even twist and turn in my sleep and yet the Neoair, fully inflated , took the abuse there was a slight tear in the bottom of the tent but not even a scuff on the Neoair. It reminds me of a pair of quick drying hiker pants and that square thread strong material pattern. So I find it to be much more durable than it looks. In this case the Neoair is just far ahead of the competition and even though the price is very intimidating, you are truly getting features and material that will prove to be worth your hard earned money. You will be warm when the ground is cold and no matter what you will be comfortable . I dont use a pillow but I often stick my extra stuff (clothes jacket socks)under the head area of the Neoair and it gives it a nice lean like a pool chair which i find to be really comfortable and efficient as a pillow. *Quick note on a patch kit* in the bike section of REI I found these things called Slime Skabs for patching bike tires (Item # 742967) the reviews all say they arent super sticky so I figure they will be great for the Neoair if i "ever" have a puncture so i picked them up for two dollars , looks like a perfect light weight lime green patch :) and the kit is about the size of a Listerine tabs container check it out . In all I use my gear hard and have found this mattress to endure the test while providing a nights sleep thats exactly like waking up in my own bed. Imagine that. Oh and another thing , I sleep on my side on this and its great to be able to do that comfortably in the woods now, but if you happen to be a back sleeper get a large ...Im 5'10' 176 lbs and my elbows hang off the side and touch the ground when i lay on my back (in the winter that sucks) this is 20"in wide and the large is 25. If you're reading reviews and you made it this far do yourself a favor Its so small and light for what it actually provides you with. I'VE had two other friends purchase it as well and have similar things to say. I inflate it when I get to camp and by the time I get in the tent its almost deflated due to the pressure change from the colder air at night so you just top it off with some air and itll stay tight all night. A friend is currently using a big agnes model and is looking forward to switching to the Neoair after he saves up. One last thing, I use a pair of wool wigwam socks (which double as part of my pillow kit,and late night camp shoes) as a stuffsack for the Neoair and that seems to work well. Think about it , a pair of socks as a stuff sack. :) 5 STARS - Happy trails. (I said four season camping meaning down to 20 or so degrees FOR SERIOUS BELOW ZERO CAMPING ,to increase the R rating which is already a 2.5 *much higher than any other uninsulated mattress made* the manufacturer recommends adding a thermarest zlite foam pad for a combined R value of 4.7 i think)

Comments about Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad - Regular:

For the cost of this pad it should have at least included a stuff sack and a repair kit. Seems VERY thin, worry about long term durability. Seems to leak a bit already after a few nights use. Feels narrow. Would not have paid such a premium price had I had I known the material was this thin. I'll be a little more "Leary" of "Backpacker" magazine's reviews in the future.

Comments about Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad - Regular:

While I was only able to use this for one night I am hooked. I will be buying one for myself when I get the funds.

Yes it took a little longer to inflate but it was well worth it. As a heavier person it was awesome to get a good nights sleep because my hips weren't driving into the ground.

Durability may be a concern but if you treat it like your down sleeping bag , with love and care, I think it won't be an issue.

Comments about Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad - Regular:

I recently brought this with me on a week long trip in the Smoky Mountains. I have never slept so well in the backcountry. After long 10 hour days, I crawled into my sleeping bag and felt like I was in my bed back home. Even the other people in the shelter commented on how comfortable it looked. The pad is small and light when rolled up. It may not be the least expensive, but you are paying for quality.

It does seem a little thin without air in it, but I didnt feel at any time like it would puncture. It does take a lot of breaths to fill it though, but its not too difficult.

I plan to bring this with me on my trips later this summer and I plan to hike the AT from Springer to Harpers Ferry next summer and I will have this in my pack with me the whole way.