Prolite 3 Small vs. NeoAir or even REI Flash

[Lance Cunningham]

Hi All,

This is driving me crazy at this point… just like the tent… just like the sleeping bag… just like the bear can. So, tent is the Hexamid Twin by Zpacks, bag is wide X Long by Zpacks, bear can is Expedition. I will post my equipment list for the JMT in a bit, mind you, it is still in the works.

So here is the dilema… I have two new Prolite 3 Small, unopened, but paid for, they have been in the garage under a layer of dust for a few years. I am heading out on to the JMT for a month heading from Whitney to Yosemite, my girlfriend is supposed to meet me for a week and hike from Mammoth to Yosemite, but she has only camped for a weekend in her life, not backpacked. She is excited to go, will make due because that is who she is. We currently sleep in a waveless, heated, waterbed, on our side! :-) To top it off, I am more concerned about comfort than she is! lol

So what would folks recommend? I could sell these Prolites on BPL with no problem… I think. I was thinking $70 each but may be suffering from Altitude Sickness at sea level…

The NeoAir is comfy, the REI Flash at $89.50 at our local REI seemed great and it had a bag to blow it up for $30, or just stick with what is paid for and be a bit less comfy but it's paid for?

My buddy has always slept with a restless nature on thermarests when we car camp or fish, while I bring an inflatable pool raft I found 25 years ago and sleep like a king. Not going with my buddy on this trip if you get what I mean.

Stuck.

Lance

[Ian]

I'm a side sleeper at 6'3" and find the Prolite Small to be comfortable on just about anything just short of concrete. I used it one night in a campground on a campsite that might as well have been concrete and probably would have liked something more plush then but made do (not that I had much of a choice at the time). It's still my go-to pad for three season backpacking.

I have the Exped Synmat and REI Flash pads as well. Both are very comfortable although some people really don't like the mummy shape of the Flash. I've never owned a Neoair so can't speak to that. The largest downside I can see to any of these pads is that in a Hexamid (I own the twin) it'll push you closer to the tarp which can be problematic when dealing with condensation. It may be a non issue depending on how tall you are.

[alex hansen]

i would vote for the neoairs. king comfort and a UL weight to boot.

[kristen buckland]

I have the Prolite Women's and am very happy with it. I am a restless side sleeper and find it comfortable enough. Normally I'll have a CC foam pad under, but one or two trips last summer i just used the prolite and it certainly wasn't sleeping on clouds, but it was still comfortable

[Eric Blumensaadt]

The NeoAir Lite (reg.) weighs 10 oz. less than my Prolite (reg.) so, much as I love my Prolite, I'm getting a NeoAir.

But I'll keep the Prolite B/C I'm a (back)pack rat.

[Lance Cunningham]

Prolite 2 – Neo Air 2 – REI Flash honorable mention! Hmmmmm.

Ian, I am 6'0 and she is 5'10". When we climbed in the hexamid when it arrived, I did see how this could be a concern and we were not on pads yet, and one person's head was touching the tent already when sitting up. So three inches on the Flash may rule that out… or at least sitting up on the flash. That's ok honey, you will be warmer on that side and the bear will eat me first, never mind about the rain from the roof, small price to pay for me being eaten first… lol

[Chad “Stick” Poindexter]

I have a small PL3 that I use in warmer months, and a large XLite that I use in colder months. I sleep like a baby on either, it's just that I don't need that much pad in the summer. My PL3 is about 4 oz lighter than my large XLite.

Unless they are uncomfortable to you, or are not enough insulation, I would say keep what you have. The PL3's are great pads.

[Don A.]

I used the NeoAir short for about a year and it was ok but eventually decided it was too soft/spongy for my comfort. I switched to a Prolite 3XS and haven't looked back (until something new comes along). Both pads were trail tested on JMT thrus.
Bottom line though is the individual. Try and get out on the trail for a short trips to see what works for you….edit.

Sorry Lance-I just noticed you're coming the GGG/SOCAL event so you are doing some testing. There will be plenty of different pads up there to look at and lay on plus some feeble brains (mine at least) to pick about the JMT. See you there.

[Owen McMurrey]

I only use the 2.5"+ mats in full length, and from now on, that will just be an Exped Downmat UL7 when it's cold enough to warrant it.
When using a short pad, I prefer something thinner, so there is no dropoff with my pack under my feet. The Klymit Inertia XLite Recon has worked well in summer, but I want some r-value for temps down to just below freezing to use with a quilt. ThermaRest ZLite small is ok, and can be combined with the XLite for much greater comfort, but now there's both unnecessary bulk and weight.
My old Thermarest 3/4 Guidelite is also heavy and bulky compared to modern pads, but it worked well for many years. Guess I've finally come full circle, because the 11oz ProLite small is next(last?!?).

[Tom D.]

I'm 6'3", 200 lbs and don't sleep well enough on a CCF. I used a Z-Lite for the 2nd half of the JMT and sleep was just OK but not great, and I want good sleep. I have a Prolite Plus (regular size) on which I sleep very comfortably, but its more than twice the weight of the Neo-Air. Being that I'm 6' 3" and using a Gatewood Cape, I don't want to sleep on anything taller than I need to. This leaves me with the Neo-Air Xlite.

My only decision now is what size to get. Do I get the regular at 72", or the women's at 66" which is an ounce lighter and has a higher warmth rating. My feet will hang off the end with either pad, but the critical pressure points will all be padded.

Unless I hear otherwise, I'll probably try the women's version. I'll have to toss the box before my son sees it, or I'll never live it down…..

[Lance Cunningham]

Opened up one of the pads, blew it up last night and set it in a room so the foam inside can expand after being wrapped as new for several years. Zpacks bag from a fellow BPL member arrived today, pulled out the pad, took the bag out and put it on the living room floor the Queen Bee to try out!

Verdict…. This is great…. I just need a pillow! Cost of pad??? Already paid for. Cost of pillows? Unknown. Cost of her discomfort? TBD.

With that said, I will probably pair the Prolite with an 1/8th or 1/4 inch closed cell foam pad underneath it. Protect the pad, and more importantly my comfort and warmth. I have some CCF leftover from a new closet floor I am installing. Just gonna go with that as an underlayment and see if I can use it on the exterior of a Bearikade and strap it to the bottom of my pack… Yeah right.

Either way, I am going to bite the bullet and hope I don't suffer too much! Sounds like it should be fine! Thanks for all the advice! Need to find two pillows now! Suggestions anyone????

I love this website!

[Ian]

I like the Exped UL Large pillow paired with a Monkey Pillowcase from Hike Bike Dale (www.hikebikedale.com I believe) who is a forum member. When I don't need my puffy, I throw it inside the pillowcase and it's very luxurious.

[tom lakner]

i used the same setup(almost) on a 900 mi. section of the pct last summer. The monkey pillow and the Exped ul small were perfect.I slept in a tarptent contrail with a neoair xl and sleep was excellent.(except the night the bears wandered in). Anyway the Exped pillow was fabulous ,as was the monkey sleeve.

[Mike Allen]

Hey guys I was trying to find hikebikedale.com but it seems to no longer exist. Is Hike Bike Dale still selling the monkey pillow cases?

[Ken Thompson]

Here you go.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HikeBikeDale

[Mike Allen]

Thanks Ken

[Lance Cunningham]

Looks like the monkey pillow wins! Girlfriend likes it too! :-) She wants monkeys with bananas on her pillow case! I just want my pack light for the three weeks going solo!

[Lance Cunningham]

Hi All. I was able to contact Wallace through Etsy at the link provided above. Thank you! We spoke over the phone and he is still in business! yay! His domain name seems to have expired, so he will be looking into it to get his website back up and running. Between work, school, and activities his time has been zapped.

Good news is, we will talk tonight about his patterns etc., and two monkey pillows will be on the way! Thanks again!

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