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Got the medium length today. Much less crinkeley that the X-lite and feels more durable. Will be using this in a hammock with two zlite wings to widen the torso area, and I believe it will work well.
Me: I'm not exactly a UL hiker – 5' 10" and 220 pounds. I move throughout the night sleeping on my back and both sides. I am a cold sleeper.
Use: Regular size (72 x 20), 2 nights in the 40's on a trip in northern Arizona. One night with my trusty Montbell #3 and one night with a EE quilt.
Results:
The first night, I used the pad on slightly uneven ground (not completely flat and downslope left to right) in a sleeping bag.
Good – Unbelievably small and robust. The fabric does not feel like it needs to be babied. The warmth was obvious. It wasn't particularly cold, but I'm still amazed that a pad with no insulation can provide such warmth. The thickness of the pad was sufficient to absorb the irregularities on the ground. The top of the pad has a sticky or tacky surface which did a great job holding my sleeping bag in place when I moved around during the night.
Not so good – with horizontal baffles, there is very little definition to the edges of the pad. Throughout the night, it felt like I really only had about 10 inches of usable pad when I rolled onto my side. I let some air out of the pad to see if I could stabilize more, but I still felt like I was essentially balancing in the middle of the pad when on my side. Noise wasn't a particular issue, but it the pad is loud compared to others I've used.The second night, I slept on more even ground with an EE quilt on top rather than a sleeping back.
Good: as mentioned, the pad is warm. It almost radiates heat.
Not so good: I still felt like I couldn't use the entire width of the pad when on my side. If I got too close to the side, the pad felt like it would escape. Additionally, the slightly tacky top surface that worked well with my sleeping bag, was a real issue when using a quilt. The pad kept *me* in place and made it difficult to roll onto my side.TL;DR – nice warm and light pad, best for those thinner hikers that don't move around much at night.
I have the large. It takes about 18-20 breaths to inflate and then I let some air out for a little deflated conforming comfort. I am a side and belly sleeper. I sleep in a floorless tarp tent.
I have used this on a white rim trip, backpacking trips, and car camping trips. It has been on rock, gravel, uneven forest floor, and above tree line. It neutralizes uneven surfaces. It is warm. It isn't noisey. I don't mind taking the time to inflate it. It deflates to a small package. It fits in the support/pad sleeve of my pack by folding over the top few inches. It is very comfortable. Even when sleeping on my side, it forms around my hips and contours. It is the most comfortable and only sleeping pad I need now. I use it year round. I can't judge its durability yet, but when I am nervous about damage I put my waterproof map and the plastic bag I use as a pack liner under the pad to psychologically feel I am protecting it from punctures. No holes yet. I wish I had this years ago.
I had seen these at REI and for the price, knew I would never own one. Now fast forward to the REI garage sale and I find a factory defect return that wont hold air. I blow it up and notice the edge seam has a half inch opening where the heat seal didn't stay put. For $30 I had to give it a shot. Brought it home, hit it with an iron, and now have 50+ nights of amazingly comfortable sleep.
I'm only 5'9" and I got the large. I wouldn't want any smaller as this allows me to spread out comfortably as I roll around a lot when I sleep, and during winter trips it gives me somewhere to rest my arms. The horizontal baffles create more chambers to spread your body weight, and conforms better than vertical pads by far. The tacky surface is awesome, pad stays put on the tent floor, and keeps me in place as well. Packs down small, weighs 1lb. 4oz. Inflates faster than any other mat I've owned, although I use the neoair electric pump which eliminates condensation from entering the pad. Ditched the stuff sack pump it came with, weighed over 2oz itself???
The Xtherm radiates heat, and the pad usually inflates a bit more than when you went to bed due to this warmer air expansion. Even on snow. I fill mine enough that it just barely holds my butt or hips off the ground allowing it to conform to my body. Never fully inflate, unless you like sleeping on a board, and even worse if the morning temps warm up, it could pop.
Over a dozen nights on snow and below freezing temps, this pad has proven to be a winner.OK, not perfect, but close. I purchased the regular (20x 72) for an extended trip this past summer. I was lured by the in-store comfort, small packed size, and high R-value, which I reasoned could allow me to carry a lighter sleeping bag. My biggest concern was potential noise from the fabric.
This pad definitely exceeded expectations. Noise was a non-issue, and the thing was amazingly warm under my sleeping bag, almost too warm (not a bad thing!). Durability over 14 nights has been great. Getting the inflation just right takes a bit of dialing in, just as it would with any inflatable.
The only minor complaint is that the silly inflation stuff sack included with the pad doesn't really stay attached well while trying to capture bagfulls of air and squeeze in. I dumped that for a lighter sil-nylon stuff sack and just blow the pad up. Less hassle. No mildew so far. Very happy with the product, and now find I have some other pads to sell off!
I got a regular size in the contoured version in plenty of time to start my hike on the PCT in March. I used it in my hammock as well as on the ground. The R value of 5.7 drew me in as I hate "sleeping" cold. At different levels of inflation I cannot say I noticed much difference in its insulation value. For those March and April nights in the desert when temperatures declined to the 40's this pad fit the bill. Once in the mountains at high elevations, temperatures down to 15* didn't chill due to the pad, whether on the ground or in the air. I did chill due to having a 20* bag–my mylar space blanket saved me from any more cold nights. As to its ruggedness I had no problems, despite having forgotten to take the patch kit along. I knew of at least two hikers who had their Neoair Xlite pad leak. I like that for the weight of a foam pad, I got twice the insulation value. I had only to clear the ground where I camped of sharp objects. One of REI's 20% sales took the edge off the premium price. As a frequent side sleeper, I looked forward nightly to the comfort of the 2.5" high pad. I'd buy this again.
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