Therm-A-Rest® NeoAir™ What do you guys think?

[Connie]

I have a Prolight short. It is bulky to carry, lashed outside a 30 Liter pack.
I have a NeoAir small. I disappears inside a 30 Liter pack.
I have an Exped 7 (with pump) short. It packs very reasonably small inside the 30 Liter pack at the bottom of the pack and under my homemade down sleeping quilt.

I use the ProLight for car camping at the county parks, while traveling.
I like my NeoAir best for "fast-and-light" hiking. I love my Exped for luxurious hiking and camping.

I am mostly a side-sleeper, but, when I am fully relaxed I am a back-sleeper.
The NeoAir seems narrow for me at my shoulders and I am not a "big" woman.

If I have any problem, REI takes it back. I haven't had a problem.
Many stores will take it back, if you have a "leaker". Ask, before you purchase.

Note: I select a good spot to sleep and improve it slightly by removing sharp pointy things.
Plus, I use a Tyvek groundsheet. Rather than sleep on rocks, I hammock. I even use rock-climbing equipment like small chocks to hang the hammock off a rock. My tarp "converts" very nicely into a "travel" hammock.

[Codger]

Have a neo air, which is great for a side sleeper, but to hard to inflate, at the end of hard day of hiking I didn"t want to sit down and have to blow 10 to 20 breaths to inflate. Have a prolite 4 which I really like, but I'am going to try the zrest.

[SteveJ]

There it is. It's all about denier threadcount and fabric shell thickness if you want a durable pad. I've read so many stories about the negatives of the NeoAir that if needed I can dredge them up here. Suffice it to say it's a niche luxury item for the Ultralight-impaired. But hey, don't try telling this to the Captivated and Enraptured.

Tipi: I have 5 thermarests (includingthe BaseCamp), a ridgerest, and a z-lite. The primary reason I wanted to try the neoair is because of the comfort. And it is darn comfortable.....when it holds air!

[millergear]

Some do hold up well. I met a Thru hiker in N. Va. using one from Springer (in the snow) w/o any issues.

[10-K]

I've got about 600 miles on mine, including all of rocky PA and NJ - still going strong.

[skinewmexico]

I'm always just amazed that it took the NeoAir for some people to realize that reliable, durable, insulated air mattress' have been around.........for 10 years. Gotta admit, Thermarest had dedicated brand followers.

[Kerosene]

This is an example where it would be great if the manufacturer provided some transparency as to product quality. Based on what I've heard, the early batches appeared to have had quality issues such as delamination, but comments over the past 6 months have centered more on unexplained loss of air and susceptibility to puncture.

Certainly it appears that the NeoAir covering isn't as thick as a Prolite, but I haven't found any scientific comparisons regarding puncture resistance. Until then, I'll take the warnings with a grain of salt, as I have not experienced any problems to date. I haven't experienced any problems with air loss either, although it has been a challenge to tune the firmness to what works for me as a side-sleeper.

As for some of the other complaints I keep hearing recounted:

• I find the nylon on my sleeping bag to be more annoying than the NeoAir, but I don't hear either because I typically wear earplugs.
• If you can lug a pack 15 miles up mountains, then you certainly shouldn't have a problem blowing one up. It takes 9 large breaths to fill my Short to capacity, but I could probably get by with 7 as I don't like it that firm.
• While I have owned other Therm-a-Rests, for me it's always been trying to find the best balance between comfort and weight. The NeoAir is far superior to my BMW TorsoLite, but of course it's even more expensive.

[ARambler]

I'm always just amazed that it took the NeoAir for some people to realize that reliable, durable, insulated air mattress' have been around.........for 10 years. Gotta admit, Thermarest had dedicated brand followers.

I'm pretty sure Rocky Bob and I both had Thermorests in 1985 in Wesser. You will have a hard time finding one with a brass valve or the Hostel not spelled NOC. Not sure if you are saying the changes have to be good? Try waiting for the Wesser bus.

[skinewmexico]

I'm pretty sure Rocky Bob and I both had Thermorests in 1985 in Wesser. You will have a hard time finding one with a brass valve or the Hostel not spelled NOC. Not sure if you are saying the changes have to be good? Try waiting for the Wesser bus.

No, I was saying that the Neoair was a response, several years late, to the loss of market share caused by products like the POE Max Thermo, the BA IAC, and several Expeds. The NEoair is quite a bit lighter than those products, at 3-4 times the cost.

[spirit4earth]

I love my neo-air!