NeoAir crinkle now Louder?

[HooKooDooKu]

Curious about others' experience with the crinkle sound of NeoAir sleeping pads.

At this point, there seems to be 3 generations of NeoAir pads.

The 1st generation was rectangular in shape with a surface that seemed to be made of mylar.
The 2nd generation was mummy shaped with a vinyl-like surface that was semi-translucent.
The 3rd generation is still mummy shaped, but the vinyl-like surface is much more opaque.

I never owned a 1st generation pad. But testing them out at the gear shop showed that any movement on the pad created a crinkle noise. It seemed that all the reviews seemed to love the pad except for this crinkle noise (and perhaps some deflation issues... but I think that has more to do with blowing the pad up with hot air and setting it out in the cold).

I purchased a 2nd generation pad after it had been out for about a year. The pad seemed much more quiet than the 1st generation. You could make minor shifts quietly... presumably because of the vinyl-like cover. You only got a crinkle noise if you made a major shift that moved the internal mylar-like baffles.

My 2nd generation pad developed an issue I discussed over here, so I was able to get it exchanged for a 3rd generation NeoAir. I haven't gotten the chance to try it out in the wilderness. But just setting it up in the living room, this 3rd generation pad seems to have much more crinkle noise, even from just minor shifts.

I wondered if others had noticed if the newer NeoAirs were louder than the 1st set of 2nd generation pads?

[daddytwosticks]

I got rid of my Neoair last year after using about 6 nights. Don't know what generation it was, but being a restless sleeper, I had some shelter mates complain about the crinkling noise. This noise was just one of the reasons for ditching it and going back to a standard TR Prolite long.

[jj2044]

dadyteosticks, people really complained in a shelter ?? lol, with all the farting and snoring that goes on in there I wouldn't think anyone would complain lol. I had the first generation, and it was fine. I hiked with a dog, so I would wrap poncho liner over it top and bottom, I was scared my dogs nails were going to poke a hole in it, but the liner seemed to really help with the noise and never had a hole in it, so I don't guess I cant complain. over all I really liked it. but it was a pain at the end of the day to blow up and break down in the mornings.

[martinb]

Same issue with BA Q Core. Sounds like a bag of Ruffles when you move.

[rocketsocks]

I'll pay $10 dollars for the loudest crinkliest Neo air you can find. No half pads please.


...I'm serious!

...and a promissory note that I'll never use it in a shelter.

[Starchild]

Last's year Neoair even thought seems crinkly in the store did not prove that in the shelter YMMV

[1234]

Trying to sleep with about 6 of em in a shelter one night made me promise myself to never get one. Z rest for me an it has never popped yet!

[HeartFire]

I had a first gen and a 2 gen neoair - here's the interesting thing. My first one was not crinkly AT ALL. this was when everyone complained about them, but also, when there were a bunch that had baffles fail- you would get a bubble, usually on the bottom side. mine got a leak (and yes, it did have a blown baffle as well). I bought a new one (and it was very crinkly) - an xlarge because I wanted the extra width - I'm a side sleeper. I was going to cut down the new one to a shorter length (just google you tube videos for this), so I thought I'd best practice on my old one to make sure it works - before cutting into a $100.00+ item. The baffle material in my first one was a soft stretchy silvery fabric, sort of like mylar but 4 way stretch, the new one, when I cut it open was a very crisp crinkly mylar fabric with no stretch - so now, I understood why people complained about the crinkle noise when I had never been bothered with it before. I'm not crazy about the noise, but I love the width and shorter length of my new neoair.

[Meriadoc]

They (other folks' NeoAirs) have kept me up at night before. The price I paid for sleeping in a shelter. Z-rests all the way.

[Drybones]

I got rid of my Neoair last year after using about 6 nights. Don't know what generation it was, but being a restless sleeper, I had some shelter mates complain about the crinkling noise. This noise was just one of the reasons for ditching it and going back to a standard TR Prolite long.

That's one thing I like about the Exped Synmat 7 UL....sleeps quiet and soft. I had a pillow that made noise like that, it was comfortable but couldn't handle the noise.

[tracedef]

Have any links regarding 3rd generation release? I can't find anything on there being a 3rd gen.... would love to read up on it.

[Tramp]

+ 1 on the synmat ul 7

[MuddyWaters]

Ear plugs.

Crinkle noise is no worse in shelters than the breathings, snoring, gasping, hacking, coughing, farting, general moving around, and midnight pee trips.

In fact, I would find it preferable to those.

I slept about 40 nights on my neoair last yr, never heard it crinkle, slept like a baby
Of course, tyvek groundsheets never bothered me
Neither do spinnaker shelters
Or wind in the leaves

[Offshore]

Bought a Neoair last year and was unpleasantly surprised at how loud it was. I gave it a one night "test sleep" at home and immediately returned it. Never mind keeping others awake - it woke me up throughout the night. I replaced it with an REI Flash inflatable pad which is much quieter, has the same R value, is not significantly (1 oz) heavier (for L size), and as a bonus, $70 less.

[rocketsocks]

I'll pay $10 dollars for the loudest crinkliest Neo air you can find. No half pads please.


...I'm serious!

...and a promissory note that I'll never use it in a shelter.

Bump

offer increased...$20 bucks

[bfayer]

That's one thing I like about the Exped Synmat 7 UL....sleeps quiet and soft. I had a pillow that made noise like that, it was comfortable but couldn't handle the noise.

I agree, the Exped UL7 is everything you said and more.

[Nooga]

My experience with Neoair Xlites is that the crinkle noise decreases with use. After a few nights, I do not notice it. I rarely sleep in shelters, usually using my tent, but I have never had any complaints on the occasions I slept in shelters. For me, it is the best pad option.

[tracedef]

OP: Are you referring to the Xtherm, which is gray, by any chance or is yours yellow?

[HooKooDooKu]

Have any links regarding 3rd generation release? I can't find anything on there being a 3rd gen.... would love to read up on it.

Calling the latest NeoAir XLite a 3rd generation might be a bit of a stretch.

At first glance, what I'm calling 2nd and 3rd generation look pretty much identical. But I'm seeing a few distinct differences between the 1st XLite I owned and this newer one. The primary visible difference is the opacity of the shell. I noticed the newer one was folded ever so slightly. But the biggest difference I'm noticing is the level of noise. My newer pad seems louder than my original one, and I'm wondering if others have noticed any difference.

[HooKooDooKu]

OP: Are you referring to the Xtherm, which is gray, by any chance or is yours yellow?

Not talking about the Xtherm... strictly just the yellow pads.