I've been using Thermarest self inflating pads for a number of years while car camping and when I put a pack back on after a number of years I lashed the pad to my pack and took it for a walk. The pad is good but I find myself waking up in the morning stiff with a knee or hip aching. Regardless of how inflated it was the pad never seemed to provide enough padding.

This past weekend I decided to camp both going to and returning from a long car ride to Tennessee. Shenandoah was the halfway point so I decided to spend a night in the woods. Along the way to VA I passed a Cabelas and that store just happened to have a Neoair Xlite prominently displayed in the camping section. It must have been a sign!

What worked - I was blown away by the comfort. I woke up in the morning refreshed with nary an ache. Also, it packs into a stuff sack that's not much bigger than a Nalgene. And it's lighter than my self inflating pad by a country mile.

What didn't - Not much, really. I'm extremely nervous about puncturing the thing but I'm usually a type A so I'm very wary of letting it rest on any unapproved surface.

Overall - I can't wait to get this thing out in the woods for an extended hike. I can already envision a better night's sleep.