xTherm NWT Opinions?

[Tipi Walter]

I recently got back from a 9 day January trip with lowest temps at 10F and 12F and used a lightweight NeoAir xTherm pad rated at 7.3R.  I found I slept colder than on my usual Trail Pro pad at 4.4R.  Anybody here experience any winter problems with the xTherm??  Does it seem to sleep colder because it has no foam inside like with the Trail Pro???

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Walter I have slept in 10 F. on my Thermarest  Trail Pro regular (foam filled) with no problem in my -20 F. down mummy.

Recently, in a moment of consumer weakness, I broke down and bought the eye-waveringly pricey  Thermarest  X-Therm NXT size Large (25″). But I haven’t tried it yet so I don’t know if there’s a difference. But a few You Tube testers say it works fine in temperatures BELOW -30 F.  So I’ll take their word. For sure the Trail pro is not good for those temperatures.

I sleep in a Tarptent Moment DW solo tent modded for winter so it usually is about 10 F. warmer than outside temps, or at least it feels like that when I unzip the door in the morning!  To me a tent is a must for winter camping unless you have a snow cave or Qinzhee shelter made of piled up snow. (Hey, Quinzhees work just fine. I was cozy in one in my -5 F. rated synthetic mummy at -22 F.!)

Perhaps you did not drink that extra mug of hot chocolate before bed, or didn’t eat a big slice of salami. Eating before bed is my ritual in winter camping. Usually it’s a slice of homemade fruitcake. Keep a bottle or wineskin of water in yer mummy for midnight hydration. Also are yer feet are warm enough? I like down socks/booties or heavy “sleep socks” You can always zip up yer down parka and slip it over the foot of yer sleeping bag as well.

[Chad Lorenz]

I’ve used my NXT XTherm extensively for multiweek trips in the winter Rockies (WY/ID) and find it’s the warmest pad I’ve used, often by a long shot. After 3-5 nights in a quinzhee on my older ProLite Plus (foam inside) the snow beneath me had ‘dished out’, not so with the NXT. This is always using a -20 to -40* bag and a ridgerest classic or zlite beneath the inflatable. Coworkers on regular yellow Xlites and a wide variety of other pads are often filling in shallow depressions where they’ve melted the snow beneath them to keep the sleeping surface flat after a few days. YMMV…

[Tipi Walter]

Thanks for the replies.  I’ll set up the tent in the backyard again and give the xTherm one more try—an aging body reacts more to cold temps of course.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Walter,

Don’t give me that “aging body” stuff “Sonny”. ;o) I’m 82. The cold still affects me about the same. (I think). Two years ago I slept in 5 F. in my -20 F. down mummy on my trusty Thermarest Trail Pro and was nicely warm all night. My buddy and I were sleeping on ski-packed snow so there was that as well for insulation. I admit to donning a -30 F. expedition parka while sitting on a picnic bench  after our dinner having a nightcap of Canadian Pendleton rye. We were car camping so taking the extra parka (and a liter of rye) was an easy choice. We had resort skied all day and were pretty tired. The rye was a “reward”.

Even with foot neuropathy I can still feel cold in my feet.  But yeah, I’m more careful to monitor my feet in winter. The docs said the neuropathy was “ideopathic” i.e. they have no clue as to the cause, having tested me thoroughly including a spinal MRI. So yes, Sonny, age is taking its toll on me but differently from you.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Eric

Look up Morton’s Neuroma on the web.
Wearing footwear that is a bit too narrow is a common cause. Walking long distances with the toes jammed too hard together: very common. The root cause is often that a lot of the ‘cult’ brands of shoes only come in a D or E fitting, while walkers’ feet very often grow to a 4E width after all that exercise.

Cheers

[Tipi Walter]

I think I’ll stick with my more comfy Trail Pro 3rd Gen at 4.4R.  I used it last night in the backyard in a 12F cold snap and continue to love it despite it’s potential for bursting.  If the xTherm blows I’m laying on a sheet of plastic with nothing underneath.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I hear ya Walter. I’ve had one winter insulated REI air mattress leak and STILL can’t find the leak.

For winter camping I take a 3/4 length Thermarest Z-Rest to use as a “chair” on the snow while cooking. I can always use that if My NXT fails – plus all my insulating clothing. That will get me through the night. BTW, very nice winter tent there. Mine are two Tarptents, solo-> Moment DW.  the other is a sturdy 2 1/2 man-> SCARP 2.

 

[Brad W]

Xtherm is pretty much the king of cold weather pads. I have slept on ice and was very warm in it. I don’t think there are counterfeit Xtherms but anything is possible. Could it be you were just colder on this trip? My body tends to feel warmer/colder given the same conditions based on earlier activity output, meal timing, other variables I have not figured out.

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