Thermarest NeoAir ???

[andrewc]

I need a new sleeping mat as my Downmat has sprung a leak.    I can get another downmat but am interested in alternatives.

Has anyone used the Thermarest NeoAir and if so , what do you think ?

[andrewc]

Oh well,    I grabbed one from a local shop at luchtime for £85.    I'll post a review after I've used it.

[toekneep]

I would be interested in your findings as I am in the market for a replacement for my twenty odd year old Thermarest.

[mike]

I think Simon P has one and likes it.  I've just bought one too but not tried it in anger.

[andrewc]

There is a review of sleeping mats in this months TGO.   Chris Townsend is taking a Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether on his next big walk.   They are substancially cheaper than the Neoair & Exped models but not as well known & have limited availability.  Ultralight Outdoor gear carry them

[tatanab]

I bought one 18 months ago.  It is nice and comfortable - but-----

1.  It takes 20 big lung fulls to inflate.  After a hard day riding this would be a bit tough.  OK, I could do a couple and then a few more in half an hour.

2.  Maybe I was unlucky, it holed twice in something like 20 nights of use.  The first  was on the seam near the valve.  Not somewhere you can easily abrade.  The second was a standard hole a few inches away.  I thought this might be abrasion from an open zip on the sleeping bag, but it could also be abrasion against the nearby mug and cooking kit in the way I pack.  Having had no previous problems with self inflating Therm-a Rest I have gone back to them.

[andrewc]

Interim report after 2 nights sleeping on the thing.

it takes a lot of effort to blow it up, but the Downmat was also a pain, like giving CPR!

Lying on it, it feels very stable and supportive.  It's warm to the touch, though probably not as warm as the Downmat.

It feels quite fragile, only time will tell.

I've had 2 good nights sleep on it.  I'm sufficiently impressed to consider selling the standard one I bought and taking the hit to buy the Large model,  I don't need the extra length, but another 10cm width would be less like sleeping on a plank.

[andrew_s]

I got a small one.
Comfy, a bit warmer than a thermarest Prolite. I find it feels a bit narrow, perhaps because the ground is futher down.
I don't have a problem blowing it up. I think the mistake is to blow too hard rather than breathe normally and exhale into the mat.

[The Mechanic]

Can't you pump it up with your bike pump?

[simonp]

I had no trouble blowing it up 3 times during LEL, or once during the Mille Cymru.  Not punctured mine yet - used on LEL and the Mille Cymru and on a couple of campings.  I carried it bungeed behind my seatpost on LEL.