Hello all.

I do loads of trips (not the acid type), walks, bike, light bivi runs,backpacking holidays etc.

I have been using a thermarest 3/4 lite for several years and to be honest it has served me well..but on a recent 2 week trip to Slovenia, I just did not look forward to sleeping on it each night.

So ive been on the look for a replacement. Going bigger is not an option as I still want something that packs down small and weighs little.

Ive been looking at the Thermarest Neo air – any experiences ?

At a stocky 5 ft 10 what size ? Ive seen a few reviews stating that the womens version offers the best compromise of weight/ size.

I have no experience of Neo air but I have an Exped downmat and an exped ultra light synmat. They are both excellent. They also do a downmat UL as well.

http://www.facewest.co.uk/Exped-Downmat-UL.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=facewestFroogle

Edit – just saw this not sure if it is any use
http://www.facewest.co.uk/Rollmats-Comparison-Chart.html

Neo Air won’t be warm enough if it’s really cold.

The Exped Downmat 7 Ultralite is absolutely awesome

Packs down to 9 x 4.3, but is 70 x 20 x 3.5 when inflated. Is R5.9 for warmth and wait for it….565g!

Warm, comfy, lightweight and packs small.

Will cost you about £100 though.

Go for the Synmat Ultralite if you don’t plan on using it in particularly cold weather – it’s cheaper but has a much lower R rating.

The Vaude Norrsken is another option – similar to the Neo-Air, but it does have some insulation. Packs very small and very light.

NEO air’s are superb. They do provide good insulation, Also consider that part of keeping warm is being comfortable. If your uncomfortable it uses energy that would otherwise be keeping you warm!

Get a model with a stuffsack that can be used as a pump, or use a rucksack liner fitted with a pump valve.

I have the Neoair and recently bought a Exped down mat ul which I’ve not tried out in the field yet.(living room comfort test only).

Pack size Neoair wins
Weight Neoair
Comfort Down mat wins

The Weight of the Exped is quoted at 565g but you need the schnozzle bag too for inflation so it’s a bit misleading. The pack size isn’t massively bigger but the comfort is worth the drawbacks, I have constantly felt like I’m perched on top of the Neoair where the Exped kind of cradles you, which will be caused by the vertical chambers rather than the horizontal ones.
I’m using it in a fortnights time so I’ll try and report back.

Worth being aware though, the only Neo Airs which would be suitable for winter use (on it’s own) is the All Season or Xtherm.

I think you can get the Xtherm for a similar sort of price to the Exped.

The Neoair isn’t quite as thick, but the rest of the specs seem similar.

Cheers guys…when you talk of ‘cold’ are we talking snow on ground…alpine stuff ?

Apparently, you lose most body heat to the ground, so the better insulated your mat then the warmer you will sleep.

I’m in a very warm sleeping bag, but I can’t use a Thermarest on it’s own in winter in Scotland (I used to team it up with a closed cell mat).

I would say that anything in winter in the UK needs some sort of insultation (either in the mat itself, or using a closed cell underneath) for you to be comfy, outside of that you’ll get away with regular thermarests etc.

Obviously, some folk can sleep on nothing but a closed cell mat, which is great for them, but if you need something bigger/comfier, then it will need some sort of insultation to be effective in winter (try sleeping on a regular argos air bed in December – you will freeze!)

I used a Neoair for my last tour, maybe forty nights in the Pacific Northwest. It packs up small, even for the largest size, I slept really well on it. I had a few cold nights, but that was more due to more to my two season sleeping bag and mesh walled inner tent than to any failing in the mat. -15C at 6000 feet.

I also have an Exped Synmat. It’s bulkier, but has the internal pump which I liked. I can’t really comment on its insulative properties as I used it on the Trans America ride and it was still in the 90sF in Kansas in August at night.

ive been happy enough on my neoair at the strathpuffer in a bivy bag in a -20 bag :d

was comfy.

suspect if i went lighter on my bag id want something warmer but the neoair is a million miles from the airmatresses of old that you break out for the guestbed.

have you looked at any of the Alpkit products? have served me really well so far, plus they’re much, much cheaper than thermarest

Loving the look of the Downmat ul 7…just not sure I need the added therm qualities it provides.

So may be tempted by the synmat.

The neoair from memory doesnt have the buffered sides and I do tend to jiggle about when asleep.

Alpkit…like some of their stuff, but have hated others…so am reluctant to buy a brand with a 50/50 ‘personal’ track record…and a brand that is difficult to try before you buy.

The neo air is great, very light and comfortable. I have used it in frosty uk camping in October, was very comfortable combined with a go lite quilt. This was only to -2/3, can’t comment on it’s use in double figure cold. Mine is 2 years old and I bought the 3/4 length to save weight, on reflection I could have had the full size as it’s not much heavier for lots more comfort.

Also consider that part of keeping warm is being comfortable

The less comfortable you are the more you will fidget and the warmer you’ll be.

A foam mat cut to size and shape weighs about 150gm. Cut another one to fit where the hips and shoulders go and you have a double layer where it matters for a total of 250gm that works when the ground is cold.

Edit: the rucksac with anything you’re not wearing in goes under the top part as a shoulder pad/pillow obviously.

I use a neo-air for mountain marathons, it’s great. Bought a small to keep weight to a minimum, and it packs down quite small too. I’m 5’9”, and was impressed how comfy it was (and how well I slept – not the norm on previous mats). It’s a damn site fatter than a normal Thermarest, which helps its insulating credentials, and I tend to shove a foil space blanket beneath it to line the tent footprint (seems to work for me). Obviously an appropriate season bag for the conditions will help keep you toasty too. If you can part with the wads & wads of dollars to buy it I’d recommend one

Hmmm the swingometer of opinion now comes back to the neoair 😕

Alpkit mats are cheap for a reason ime – they were quick to refund though

They have some cracking product but their mats are not robust.

I have a full length Neoair and use it for back and bike packing. I’ve used it down to -7c with an old ME Lightline (standard 1kg down bag).

Mine has about 200 nights on it so far; all the Munros, US Transam and a shed load of UK backpacking. It hasn’t missed a beat. The latest ones are a bit lighter I hear <sigh>

Neoair user here too – used on frosty Dartmoor nights in November last year and it’s been great. It might be obvious but for maximum comfort I pump it up hard, lie down then let the air out until I ‘squidge’ into it a bit.

Having said this I have no experience of the other mats mentioned, just my Neoair.

HTH, Paul

The regular is indeed a lot more comfortable for not that much a bigger packsize or weight over the small 3/4. Again, I have used mine well into – figures to include sleeping on snow and never found it cold with either a 600 or 800 weight down bag.

If you’re not too fussed about r value, there is the peak elite ac to consider too, altho too narrow for my liking.

Flatfish…

Have you tried it yet?

brack – Member

Flatfish…

Have you tried it yet?

I believe he has and didn’t sleep that well

http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1395#p12800

I picked up a Synmat 7 recently and tried it out last week at the top of a mountain on snow.

Fantastic. Definitely the best sleep i’ve had on a mountain in winter.

I was torn between the Downmat 7 UL and the Synmat 7, but eventually plumped for the Synmat on the basis that it was only slightly heavier and slightly larger than the Downmat, roughly the same warmth, but much cheaper.

I wasn’t too keen on the Synmat Ultralight, since it was quite a dip in R value.

What Tiger said. ^^^^