Therm-A-Rest NeoAir Trekker sleeping pad
After being sick and tired of my old 1-inch thick sleeping pad, I finally broke down to get a 2.5-inch thick NeoAir Trekker, after doing some research and reading user reviews.
It's pricey at $100 to $120 range depending on size.
I wish that it offers a shorter version like a similar product from Big Agnes (20x66)
At 20x72, it is too long for me (not too long for a tall guy)
Whatever I don't need becomes extra, useless weight for me to carry while backpacking.
Big Agnes' air pad is cheaper ($50) but the report of leakage is more often than NeoAir's.
When doing wilderness backpacking, the worst is having a sleeping pad leaking air.
It's so hard to sleep right above the hard, cold, and/or damp earth.
Even with tent foot print, tent floor, and inside your warmest down sleeping bag, you can feel the chill and cold seeping in without a decent sleeping mat in between, not to mention all the small pebbles and things that cover the tent site.
I received my new pad right before the Grand Canyon trip (thank god!)
Rim to Rim is a hard hike so naturally I'd prefer a better sleep before and after the hike
With my new pad, I got two nights of decent sleep in the north rim camp ground
The pad is an air mattress and is thick
I have small lungs (being a female) therefore it took me about 35 breaths to inflate the pad fully and firmly
Some like their pad to be less airy and some prefer a pad firm with air
It is easy to let the air out if less air is preferred by simply twisting the knob slightly open and close quickly.
It's a lot quicker to let the air out than to pump in air.
Somehow once it has been inflated, it's hard to completely rid of the air before packing
The good thing is that it is light in weight therefore a bit more volumn in packing size is not that big of a deal.
Since I have only camped on grounds relatively free of rocks and sharp objects, I am not too sure how durable this product will be.
I am very gentle with my things therefore hopefully this product will stay leakage free for some time to come.
It's not like I can afford to spend $100 every few months to replace the leaky air sleeping pad.
This is the kind of item that's better being purchased from REI.
REI has 100% satisfaction guarantee
If the product goes bad, defective, or not suitable, simply take it back to REI with the receipt and REI will give you a full refund.
BTW, the 20" width is not generous for a big guy
I believe that there's a 25" wide version and if you are a big beefy guy, get the wider version to get a more comfortable ZZZ.
Also, some said that albeit its thickness, it's not a guarantee to ward off the cold from snow camping.
Since I have never done snow camping before I won't know how much insulation this pad can provide or how warm my REI down sleeping bag would be
I am hoping to find out this winter by trying a night or two of snow camping.
It would be neat to spend a night in the Sierra surrounded by fresh snow.....
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