NeoAir EXP @ STP

Good find….I live right by a sierra trading post and shop there all the time (also get free shipping to store and easy returns to the store…not to brag though).

Anyway, yeah, always buy anything from Sierra with at least a 30% coupon…that would be the minimum…most times you can get even better.

The neoair exp sounds great. Its like my exped synmat UL 7 but 4 oz's heavier, double the R-value, and more than half cheaper.

but am not thinking that the r value might be 2.something as stated…campmor has the pad labeled as such also. we will see.

Yeah, I'll wait to see what the retail box says…I would be inclined to believe that, though maybe I'll also call cascade. I have a normal neoair xtherm I can use for comparison as well.

2.5 r-value…it was a prototype neoair with the xtherm top and bottom fabric, but not the internal components. same r-value as normal old school neoair. o well. still a good price.

I love the XTherm, and was looking to outfit the rest of my family with 4-season pads on the cheap. I'll be bummed if they turn out to be 2.5R– had a different impression after talking with CD.

Anyhow, I'll report on box specs, weight, and first impressions when they arrive.

they revamped the trekker and all season NeoAirs. The new ones are light green (lily) and the old ones are a darker turquoise color which are discounted all over the place right now, some ~50%. Also, the new all season version comes with the pump (sells for $40 by itself).

X

Brian,
Could you let us know where you are finding the discounted neoair's for around 50% off?

Ok, I received my neoair from sierra. Hoping to get information from the retail box…unfortunately, it was wrapped in plastic …no box. It did include a stuff sacked rolled inside the rolled up mattress.

A call to Cascade Designs did confirm that its the same xtherm exterior but most like the original neoair interiors, so an rvalue of 2.5.

With the discount, for $70 its still not bad….sometimes you can get even better coupons from sierra to make it even better. But it is heavy at 20 oz, but comparing it to my exped synmat UL 7 that is the same dimensions and same rvalue, it does have a more durable bottom material, is half as expensive, and I can store it permanently rolled up since there is no insulation. But.. 4-5 oz heavier.

Interestingly….my package from sierra included a 5 hour energy sample bottle!

Just received the pads as well. Same story to report– no retail box, and 'R-value: 2.5' is printed on a label on the plastic bag the pad was shipped in. Weighs in at exactly 19oz on my scales, including the stuff sack. A patch kit wasn't included, which I believe came with my XTherm. Although the exterior fabric is identical to the XTherm, this pad lacks the crinkly inner insulation layer that the XTherm has.

Unfortunately not warm (or light) enough to replace my kids' Big Agnes Insulated Air core pads as I intended. Sorry for the bad lead.

"Brian,
Could you let us know where you are finding the discounted neoair's for around 50% off?"

Backcountrygear, backcountry.com , campmor, campsaver, moosejaw, Dick's Sporting Goods, etc – the pre-2014 models are all on closeout – they are a turquoise color (everglade) vs the new light green (lily) color.

Thanks for links Brian…not sure how I didn't see those before.

I currently have an xlite, an xtherm, and a exped ul 7 to compare this neoair exp too.

I didn't realize that the original neoair's (that the neoair exp is most closely too) had such different interior baffles. They behave very differently.

Like, the EXP….each area of the pad "holds" onto its air, so its hard to blow it up and get the air out (Ok, not "hard", but harder than the other pads). I have to blow it up, then close the valve and roll the air to the bottom of the pad, then refill the top.

And you can hear the air moving between the sections, and it takes a couple of seconds if I put weight on a section for air to refill the section from the rest of the pad.

I'm thinking of returning the pad….luckily I have free returns since the store is just down the street.

Regardless of the R value being about 2.5, I can say that this pad is a really reliable and solid sleeping pad. I've been using mine for at least 5 years now and its still going strong. I love it. And its WAY quieter than the newer ones when you move around at night. I'm tempted to just buy another one to have on hand for when mine finally does crap out on me…