Did your NeoAir last an entire thru?

[Double Wide]

Being that I like to learn lessons the hard way, last summer I bought a Therm-a-Rest Trail Lite Large sleeping pad. It's fairly comfortable but a) It weighs 2 lbs 7 oz! and b) it's a bitch to roll up and get into the stuff sack, not to mention that it's huge even when fully compressed. The real estate inside the backpack is too valuable, so it's time to upgrade. Oh, and did I mention that it weighs almost 3 lbs???

Luckily I bought it at REI, so going with the NeoAir Trekker is only a matter of covering the $40 price difference.

I love the weight and small size of the the NeoAir, but has anyone seriously made it through an entire thru-hike without damaging it? I see that it doesn't come with a repair kit, but instead of saving a few bucks by buying in on Amazon, I'm guessing that I'll just keep replacing it at REI if it doesn't hold up? Or is this thing tougher than it looks?

Thanks

[malowitz]

I used a gossamear gear thin light pad under mine. It lasted well into Maine before a small hole developed - it would lose air slowly and after a while you'd be on the ground, but it was still sort of usable. I tried to patch it in Caratunk but it didn't hold. I bought a new one in that town west of Monson to finish the trail with. It was worth it and if I hiked again, I wouldn't hesitate to take a NeoAir.

[Red Hat]

not even the whole JMT.....

[hikingshoes]

I have a friend who's hike the "AT" twice and used his neoair both times.

[lava]

I used a NeoAor (regular, not Trekker) for the whole trail last year and loved it. No problems whatsoever and I slept really well.

[soilman]

I used a regular neoair for my thru in 2010. My favorite piece of gear. No problems. I was careful with it and always put my tyvek under it, even in shelters. Carried a patch kit but never needed it.

[Lando11]

my first neo air(trekker) lasted all of 2 months before it wouldnt hold air. so i returned it and bought a reg neo air. this one too made it about 2 months and started to deflate on me. i called a buddy and used his hammock (best decision ever) for the last 2 weeks of my 2011 thru. i have used the newer neo air on quite a few trips this year with no issues until this past weekend!
though the neo air is comfortable as all hell, it isnt worth the price tag and the crap shoot of whether this thing will work tonight or not. only buy from somewhere like rei that you can return no questions asked.

[hikingshoes]

I have the neoair all season and love it...

[pyroman9]

Just finished my thru hike on 4th of july. GA to ME. Used the regular neoair the entire time, worked great!

~Bomber.

[Don H]

Yep, Neo regular all the way. No problems.

[BrianLe]

I think that with care a neo air is good for an entire thru-hike. I used one for the entire AT with no problems, but it developed a small leak almost the very first trip I took after I got home.
I brought a not-at-all-new neo air on the CDT (don't recall if it was the same or a different one), and got a leak I couldn't find/fix in a trail town part way along. Still worked, I just had to blow it back up a couple of times during the night. Got a replacement for that and it lasted something more than half way from there and is still fine.

Between my wife and I we now own 3 neo airs. One has delaminated enough at one end that it's a bit of a PITA dealing with the lump. The other two are fine as far as I recall.

I imagine there's a big difference in durability depending on what you're putting it on top of each night.

[Mrs Baggins]

We haven't thru-hiked with ours, but we have been using them for 3 years now, with the Gossamer Gear thin pad under them, and have had no problems. When not in use we keep ours on hangers and not folded or creased in any way. The hangers have padded clips on them so that they're not being "squeezed" by anything sharp. On the other hand the much tougher-seeming Big Agnes I used to have started leaking after a few weeks of use.

[Drybones]

I suggest you look at the Exped ultralite pad before purchasing the Neo Air, I believe it's called a UL Synmat 7?, weighs 16 oz for a regular size. Much quieter than the Neo and the most comfortable pad I've slept on and I've tried a bunch.