thats a full length thermarest neoair.

used in anger for the first time at the weekend – comparing directly to my experiances with an alpkit wee arric , a kathmandu version of wee arric and a standard thermarest full length job

takes about 10 more breaths than a wee arric to inflate the neoair comfortably. It is noticably warmer when you lie on it.

It packs up smaller than any of the other matts ive used thanks to no foam inside it.

Comfort though – the important part it is super super super comfy to sleep on , i am 6 foot 3 and it is long enough for me , slightly narrow but still wide enough – quite thick so if you use one of those backless strap in sleeping mat sleeping bags you might have issues

other thing is it may be more delicate than a thermarest/next to useless when deflated when a thermarest still provides some comfort/thermal properties with burst – having slept for a week on a broken arric

can pick em up for about 80 quid new

hope this is of help to anyone looking at them for bivvying …

I've also got one and reckon it's brilliant – so small & light and I find it comfier than my "normal" thermarest. I'm hoping that I could use my puncture repair kit to fix it if necessary (if it's just a small hole obviously).

They look great, but expensive.

I recently took a punt on a similar sized inflatable from Go Outdoors.

Cost me a tenner.

Watch out Terry you'll be annoying Al. 😆

I really want one of these.

Didn't seem as light as it should have been though? Still plenty heavier than a balloon bed, but presumably *bang* a hell *bang* of a lot *bang* more pra*bang*ctical *bang* BLOODY HELL! *bang*

Cheers Trail_rat, had my eye on one of those for a while.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-reeded-single-sized-sleeping-airbed-p143575

that ?

nah – the neoair isnt just an air mat – air mats by inherrant design flaw cool – hence always cold to touch

the neo air manages to get round that cleverly with 2 layers of air and a foil layer

the only thing that 9.99 mat shares in common with a neo air is that they both use air im afraid – but long as it works for you !

trail-rat, how much puff are we talking to get the neo air decently inflated? The kind of puff you'll be happy to provide after fifteen straight days of 130 milers on the Divide? 🙂

nah – the neoair isnt just an air mat – air mats by inherrant design flaw cool – hence always cold to touch

❓

air mats are always cold – do i need to list a list of air mats ive used.

come to think of it the only chap i know with a balloon bed has binned it after 1 use …

yes pedalhead its not a tough job to inflate.

there is a technique to getting it away again but it does go back into the box it came in once you get the technique ! – no stuff sack supplied though – a downer for what it cost …

my mrs goes blue in the face blowing mine(fnar fnar) all in one go but i give it a few blast of air then do something else like get changed, few more blows, do something else like start food, last few blows. Done.

worth it over a bog standard thermarest and for the naysayers the reckon it rustles too much, piffle.

i got a stuff sac with mine!!

inflatable air mattresses often register an R-value of less than 1 from outdoors magic

neoair is r of 2.5.

mine came with a stuff sack, will be trying for a week in the next moth so see how it goes.

cheeky email regards stuff sack sent to cascade ! see what they say !

NeoAir=God's airmat, fact. I've been using one for about a year after the usual Karrimat->Thermarest evolution.

The 'Regular' (read 'Normal' i.e 180cm long) wweighs in at 410g but packs into about half the space of the equivelant Prolite.

I've used mine down to -7c and am currently backpacking my way around the Munros with it. I do carry a small tube of Mcnett SeamGrip (the stuff they put in the repair kits) in case of unintended deflation…

Brilliant kit for l/w backpcking up there with the Laser Comp and the Pocket Rocket 🙂

BTW, I got a stuff sack with mine too.

I got one ages ago as well from our sponsor – brilliant thing, super comfy and streets ahead of my old orange ProLite 3/4. Expensive but worth it.

This is what you want, 100g packs down to the size of half a packet of biscuits, favourite of the Monuntain Marathoners:

http://www.balloonbed.com/

no – it really isnt what i want …. had i wanted it id have bought it ….

what a laugh i had at my mate being all smug with his one of those ….

light , cheap , shit . but serve a purpose – might as well be on bubble wrap !

Quite funny really, people here agonising over the 20 puffs (of air not piano fame)it takes to inflate a NeoAir…

Can you imagine the scene; wrestling with all your balloons, pi$$ed wet thru, shagged from another 30 miler whilst folded into your favourite small space (e.g. Laser Comp or other unfeasably small oner person backpacking tent)….

I've had one of them for a decade or so, packs up tiny and costs a pound…

air mats are always cold…

Hmmm… am going camping in a few weeks and taking my wife; she's never been camping before. I've got a double inflatable air mattress that, admittedly, I've never used for camping – I have a Thermarest that I've never found lacking for either warmth or comfort.

Sounds like we might be getting her another Thermarest if air matresses are that cold?

househusband – Member

air mats are always cold…

Hmmm… am going camping in a few weeks and taking my wife; she's never been camping before. I've got a double inflatable air mattress that, admittedly, I've never used for camping – I have a Thermarest that I've never found lacking for either warmth or comfort.

Sounds like we might be getting her another Thermarest if air matresses are that cold?

Depends when and where you're going. South of France, plus 30c, she'll be reet. Pennines in winter, might be a tad chilly.

I bought an Alpkit Fat Airic a couple of years ago for valley/car camping. Very comfy though the size and weight of a small house when packed. I don't normally bother with the generic copies of this type of gear but the Fatty is OK and might be a good compromise for you.

I inititally had an exped down mat until it developed a leak on the valve so I sent it back and exchanged it for the NeoAir. I used it for the first time the other day and I am more than impressed. I have also got a thermarest Prolite and although I thought that was awesome to sleep on the NeoAir is just so much more comfortable. I did get a little lightheaded blowing it up but it was a lot less effort than the Exped downmat!
I wouldn't bother with the cheap mats as they do not trap air in pockets like the neo and they dont have an outer that stops you from sliding all over the place.

Balloon beds are great for getting your pack size down to very small, woudl ONLY EVER use one on a mountain marathon/Polaris.

I bought one, and the balloons kept popping. So at the overnight camp you could hear these sporadic pops like distant gunfire all over the camp. So when everyone's (finally) settled down, and peace descends.. just as I am starting down the road to sleepyland there's another random bang and I am down to just three balloons. I swore loudly which everyone heard – that got quite a big laugh. Three was the minimum to keep my torso off the ground, so I couldn't afford to lose any more. I've never slept so still in all my life.

Re thermarests – their patent expired or something I think, there are loads of copies now. I got a really thick one for my wife for £30 from the local Milletts-alike.

Always been loads of copys – not seen one yet that a packs down small as a thermarest for a given thickness/size of mat and b carrys the same warrenty a thermarest does…. Any stockist no reciept no problem ….

I have one, a brilliant piece of kit. It is just so small and light. Used it in the Brecon Beacons in Feb, with snow and -ve temps, with no issues at all. Toasty. Mine came with a stuffsac (not that you can stuff it).

had a reply – usa models dont come with a stuffsack europeans do … they have emailed euro disty to see if they will send me one 😉

Result!
If you don't ask, you don't get.

sorry terry but i'll stick wiv my exoed downmat it really is good used it at the puffer and it was comfy and cosy earlier ones all had dodgy valves now sorted hopefully no problems with this one