James, I am from Bama, northern Bama actually. Where is "South" for you?
I was wondering if you have tried out your NeoAir XLite yet? I bought that one just before I made the final decision to keep the original Q-Core. I was pretty comfy but I laid on it in the floor at home and it was really crinkly sounding. I didn't know if that noise would be a problem with me sleeping outdoors or not so I ended up sending it back and going with the Q-Core. Hope it is working well for you though. Since I have been waiting to get the SL I have also been looking at the Exped Synmat UL 7. I saw it in the package at an REI while traveling (they didn't have any on display) and it packs really small. Do you have any experience with Exped? I saw the pic Ryan posted in this thread. Maybe he could comment on the comfort level of the Exped UL 7 compared to the Q-Core.
I need to take more time to read in these forums and ask others for advice. I am an Asst. Scoutmaster and have been backpacking with my boys for about two years now. My first backpacking trip I took 53lbs into Bankhead National Forest and almost killed myself. I was completely new to backpacking and had no idea what I was doing. Unfortunately there wasn't anyone around who knew enough to tell me anything much different either. Since then I have been reading, experimenting, buying lighter equipment and just leaving things at home and it has made a real difference in how much I enjoy going into the woods. I try to educate anyone who will listen by explaining my mistakes so they don't make the same ones, but you know how it is, sometimes you just have to do it wrong to learn. I read somewhere once that each time you go into the woods you should leave something different at home that you normally carry and try something different. I try to do that every time I go. Some of the scouts and other leaders chuckled at me when I pitched my tarp with trekking poles instead of a tent on our last backpacking trip but I wanted the experience and truth be told, I think it's good for them to be exposed to something different too so they see there are alternatives to everyone carrying the same heavy load. Thanks for listening.
