I have had a Thermarest NeoAir All-Season pad for the last 6 months. It has been applaudingly resilient. I took care to never set it on, like, bare rock or anything, but it felt 100% secure the entire time I owned it. However, I'm upgrading to a torso-length air pad for the comfort (no drop-off by my feet) and weight savings.
Here's the pad I'm talking about; the Thermarest Neo-Air XLite
Ok, I've read all the reviews I can find. A gear tester for Backpacker Magazine called the pad "surprisingly resilient," which is kind of like calling wicker seatbelts "surprisingly lifesaving." It points towards vague generalizations of luck and circumstance.
Conversely, I have other people, like one reviewer on REI, talking about a misplaced sand grain wreaking havoc on the mattress and shredding it like tissue paper.
So, BPL: Just how strong is your XLite? Have you popped it, and what were the circumstances for it? I'm wondering if I should just assume it's going to get riddled with holes, and patch them as they come up.
FWIW: I sleep in a hammock 80% of the time, and on the ground, under the stars (or on somebody's floor) 20% of the time.
