As a lightweight, technically minded backpacker, if you were looking to rate the overall performance of a sleeping pad, you might define a "performance envelope" consisting of parameters like warmth, weight, comfort, and packed size. A traditional backpacker might also include durability and ease-of-use, but I'd argue these are less important to lightweight hikers. Tradeoffs among these parameters are unavoidable in any pad technology. For example, closed-cell foam pads are generally lighter, but less comfortable and bulkier than self-inflators.
The new Therm-a-Rest NeoAir pad expands the envelope by offering a 2.5 inch thickness for comfort, an extremely compact stored size, and a claimed R-value of R-2.5 for warmth. The NeoAir achieves the comfort and compact size by virtue of its non-self-inflating construction. This itself is not new in pad designs, as companies such as Big Agnes, Exped, and Pacific Outdoor Equipment have had this type of pad for some time. By eliminating or reducing the thickness of the internal insulation, a non-self-inflator can be blown up to a plush, comfortable thickness, and still be deflated to a compact size for packing. The drawback of this kind of construction is that it is difficult to achieve much thermal insulation. If the pad is constructed with large, empty air chambers like the Big Agnes Clearview Pad, convective air currents in the pad will decrease its insulation dramatically. One way around this is to add some down or synthetic high-loft insulation to the inside of the pad chambers, as is done in the Exped Downmats, Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Thermo pads, and Big Agnes Insulated Air Core series. By impeding convective currents, this construction adds substantial warmth. But, it adds weight and increases packed bulk. Plus, if down is used, a pump must be used for inflation to avoid trapping moisture from your breath inside the pad.
The NeoAir promises to deliver the light weight, simplicity, and compactibility of an insulation-less non-self-inflator like the Clearview Air, with the warmth of an insulated pad. It achieves this with a five-layer honeycomb construction that disrupts convective currents and reflects radiant heat.
Producing this honeycomb structure, dubbed "Core Matrix," required new manufacturing technology. A proprietary machine made in Tacoma, Washington welds the five fabric layers simultaneously. The process is time consuming, requiring up to ten minutes for the machine to complete the discrete welds. Current prototype pads are being made with a prototype welder, but the company has a larger capacity machine in development. Somewhat surprisingly in this day of Asian-produced goods, the production pads will be made in Seattle.
The technology has taken over five years of development. They were initially looking to build a lightweight pad using conventional high loft insulation. This evolved into attempts to achieve semi-self inflation by orienting the matrix vertically. Eventually a horizontal matrix was decided upon to reduce the number of welds needed and improve warmth by reducing the vertical size of the "chimneys" inside each cell.
Materials consist of a 30 denier high tenacity ripstop nylon shell, nylon non-woven inner layers, and a central aluminized, urethane-coated, reflective layer. The layer sandwich is claimed to offer an R-value of R-2.5 at 1.85 inches of inflation. (As with all inflatable pads, the R-value depends on the inflation thickness - more air equals more insulation.)
The technology and design of the pad appear impressive, but as with any potentially revolutionary product, we'll have to wait and see if production versions live up to the initial promise. A full review of the NeoAir is in the works at BackpackingLight.com. The pad will be available April 2009 in four sizes.
Features of the Small Version:
- Dimensions: 20 x 47 in (51 x 119 cm)
- Claimed Weight: 9 oz (260 g)
- MSRP: US$119.95
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- The Envelope Just Got Bigger
- What About Conventional Therm-a-Rests?
- No Oyl Shortage Here
- Want To Design Your Own Sleeping Pad?
# WORDS: 1400
# PHOTOS: 4
Member Exclusive
A Premium or Unlimited Membership* is required to view the rest of this article.
* A Basic Membership is required to view Member Q&A events
Discussion
Become a member to post in the forums.
Companion forum thread to:
Plush Pads (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2008)
I question how "green" is the use of palm oil. Personally I prefer virgin forests and orangutans to certain "green products"
Franco
I like the weight of the small NeoAir but what is the packed size?
Randy
Yes. While Cascade Designs is taking a good step in using recycled product, marketing palm oil as 'green' is not doing their reputation as an honest, up front, caring sharing company any favours…
Check the NeoAir pack size out here:
http://lighthiker.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/outdoor-2008-sleeping-pads/
POE says in their catalog for 2009 re. the palm oyl usage:
"The palm is not a food replacement crop, nor GMO, but it is not without it's issues, which we are actively working to resolve. Even with it's issues, it is a step in the right direction, because it helps to bring about a market transformation – weaning us off the petroleum that is so prevalent in all products we use today."
I have asked Thermarest for 4 years to make a 25" x 72" pad. To get 25"w you have to get 77" L, which adds weight twice. It should be a no-brainer and will make nights on the trail more enjoyable for those of us who move around during sleep.
Sleepless in Savannah
Thanks for all your good reports!
Lanny
NeoAir vs. Big Agnes Insulated AirCore:
Comparison for 20 x 72 x 2.5 inch rectangular pads
Price: Big Agnes $70; NeoAir $150 = advantage Big Agnes
Weight: Big Agnes 24 oz; NeoAir 14 oz -=advantage NeoAir
Bulk (rolled); about equal = tie (Big Agnes 5×9 inches; NeoAir not listed, only photo)
R value: Big Agnes 4.1 (15°F); NeoAir 2.5 = advantage Big Agnes. I'm surprised at the difference in R values. I had expected the NeoAir to be much higher.
Ease of use – to be determined. Big Agnes inflates and deflates quickly and easily. I still want to see how all that internal structuring affects this with the NeoAir.
Would I pay $80 more to save 10 ounces? Yes, if the R values were comperable. As it stands right now, that's not the case, and I'll keep my Big Agnes Insulated Air core pads.
Wandering Bob
I wonder why they don't make a 25" wide in a 3/4 length. What all us wider guys like to pack longer pads? or I guess they think because we are wider we don't mind packing the extra weight? … :)
"A traditional backpacker might also include durability and ease-of-use, but I'd argue these are less important to lightweight hikers."
As part of my sleep system, durability is an essential element of design that I look for in a sleeping pad. Perhaps more so in the lightweight world than in traditional backpacking. I recently switched from the torso lite pad for this very reason. Perhaps on a short (>=3 day) trip it doesn't matter if your pad become a self deflater, and in that case maybe one could go without a pad at all to save even more weight, but on an extended trip, with multiple high mileage days in a row, a good nights sleep can be part of risk management. Additionally, without the added insulation of a sleeping pad, many lightweight sleep systems can be easily pushed beyond their useful threshold. In January of this year my self deflating torso lite dropped the effectiveness of my prototype (and admittedly under filled) GoLite quilt from barely comfortable (about perfect, because I had to wear all my cloths) to down right frigid and miserable.
Propagating the stereotype that lightweight gear is or has to be delicate is not helping the lightweight movement gain any momentum in the industry. Certainly there is a balance and trade offs that must be made, but dismissing durability as less important seems to support a consumeristic and disposable culture that I find conflicts with any notion of being greener. It goes REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE for a reason.
Hi Ryan-
I certainly wasn't advocating disposable products, nor was I saying that durability is completely unimportant…merely less important than the other criteria I listed for lightweight use.
Lightweight gear generally requires careful handling to make it work — be it cuben tarps, silnylon backpacks, propore rainger…the list is long.
I agree completely that there must be a balance — gear cannot be so light that it is too fragile to perform its intended function without crossing the line into disposable, non-functional, or dangerous. And, I think the NeoAir will pass this test (though, as I mentioned in the article, I'll reserve judgment until we do some field testing.)
As to the lightweight movement gaining momentum in the industry, I recommend Ryan Gardner's "the wait for lightweight" article — good reading.
Cheers,
-Mike
Not to distract too much from the subject of gear, but Franco's right – there's nothing green about palm oil at this point. Regarding, their assertion that it's a 'step in the right direction', I don't agree. I'm all for CSR, but companies need to do better homework. Palm oil is not a renewable resource.
Aside from habitat destruction in SE Asia and resultant loss of biodiversity, clearing rainforests and burning out peat bogs to convert land for palm oil plantations has made tiny Indonesia the world's second largest greenhouse gas emitter. Add to this widespread corruption and land grabbing by powerful logging and palm interests and the effect on poor and indigenous peoples becomes apparent as well.
Franco's right – there's nothing green about palm oil at this point. Regarding, their assertion that it's a 'step in the right direction', I don't agree. I'm all for CSR, but companies need to do better homework. Palm oil is not a renewable resource.
Aside from habitat destruction in SE Asia and resultant loss of biodiversity, clearing rainforests and burning out peat bogs to convert land for palm oil plantations has made tiny Indonesia the world's second largest greenhouse gas emitter. Add to this widespread corruption and land grabbing by powerful logging and palm interests and the effect on poor and indigenous peoples becomes apparent as well.
“The smallest and lightest pad in this series is the torso-sized extra-small version, measuring twenty by thirty-six inches, and claiming an eight ounce weight.”
This is neat. What is its thickness and roll size?
-Barry
Hi Barry-
Sorry, no info on the rolled size. But the specs from Thermarest show 1" thickness and an R-Value of R-2.2.
Cheers,
-Mike
"… has made tiny Indonesia the world's second largest greenhouse gas emitter."
I don't really want to remark but "tiny" Indonesia happens to have 222 million inhabitants and is the 16th biggest country in terms of land area in the world.
I agree in what you say though.
/J
I have the BA IAC and it's not 24 oz as spec'd, but 28 oz. It's also not as warm as my Thermarest with R2.2. I would estimate it at not more than R1.8. Bob, where did you get the R4.1 value since BA doesn't publish R values??
Become a member to post in the forums.