Hi Mike - I don't understand why you feel you are being taken for a ride. The pad is reasonably warm for the weight, comfy as all heck, and packs really small. Cascade Designs indicates the pad should be good to close to freezing but as we all know, there are many variables that can affect a sleep system (like using a 45 degree sleeping bag on a Neo Air close to freezing without a tent and wondering why the sleeper was a little chilly). As far as marketing hype - what hype is there? Everything they say about the pad appears to be true.

I'm curious if the Neo-Air is durable enough to use regularly with a chair-kit.

Has anyone tried this or at least formulated an opinion on it?

It was classic marketing hype with the pad. Flood the market with previews and publicity shots. Create a demand before the product goes on sale, then feed the product in slowly to keep it at the top of the gossip pile.

I'm not having a go at the pad. It's probably a very good product.
It's still only an inflatable pad though, and i can't see why it is 2 or 3 times more expensive than other inflatable pads.

I look at my Exped Downmat, and i can see why it is expensive. A fair amount of down, an inbuilt pump valve etc. I can't see why the NeoAir is so expensive.

I have a Big Agnes Cyclone SL chair kit that I intend to try it with, be it durable enough or not. Some people have used the BA Clearview pad with it and I would venture to guess that the NeoAir is a tad stronger than that.

Well, we could discuss Osprey's marketing with the new Exos line, etc, so it is not limited to what MSR is doing. Of note, the local outfitter in my area has over 47 Neo-Air in stock. All Regular.

"I look at my Exped Downmat, and I can see why it is expensive. A fair amount of down, an inbuilt pump valve etc. I can't see why the NeoAir is so expensive."

I too have an Exped. But the NeoAir is more comfortable, is not a PITA to blow up, packs down to about 30% of what my Exped does, and....weighs over 50% less for comparable sizes. It is NOT as warm. But on all other fronts it kicks its.....

You're stating its good points David. I'm not disagreeing with you.:) Why does it cost 3 or 4 times more than a Clearview pad though? :)

> "Why does it cost 3 or 4 times more than a Clearview pad though? :)"

Slice it open and you will see.

"You're stating its good points David. I'm not disagreeing with you.:) Why does it cost 3 or 4 times more than a Clearview pad though? :)"

Because there is nothing on the market that hits the same points. When a competitor comes along I'm sure price will drop.

I'm also sure that manufacturing the neoair interior baffles is more expensive than the clearview which just needs a few weld points which can be done from the outside.

I'll also agree that CD has hyped the neoair. This doesn't necessarily mean they have made distorted claims just that they've done a very effective job of building demand.

Higher warmth, more comfort, smaller packed size? Maybe? I don't know but I am the wrong person to talk to about the BA pad. I bought one prior to a trip last fall and it blew a leak within 20 minutes of using it. I was at 11K feet base camp and a little chilly those two nights. I did bring a GG sitpad (for sitting) and ended up sleeping on it and my pack.

I still had fun though ;)

OK. Everyone is happy. It's just me. ;)

I don't know Mike - you look pretty happy in your avatar.

"I don't know Mike - you look pretty happy in your avatar."


That's because i've just ran out the store with 8 NeoAirs stuffed in my bucket/hat. That old policeman will never catch me! :)

Forgive me if it's already in this thread, but just how many does CD expect to sell? Will they even make much profit off of the endeavor?

Ahhhh...capitalism at its finest.

"I bought one prior to a trip last fall and it blew a leak within 20 minutes of using it. I was at 11K feet base camp and a little chilly those two nights. I did bring a GG sitpad (for sitting) and ended up sleeping on it and my pack."

There are two reasons I don't use air mattresses, one is I almost never sleep out above 32 degrees and so they are not warm enough and this problem with punctures and then no pad at all. Even with Prolites I have been "let down".

My new current most comfortable, warm and lightweight set up is a cut down 36" Ridgerest under a new Prolite 36" XS. 4.8 R value, 1.625" thick, 14 oz. and very comfortable and durable. When you let out just enough air for hip and shoulder relief it is awesome. I do a lot of winter desert trips with many camps on rock and it is the most comfortable nights sleep these 52 year old side sleeping bones have ever had. If I spring a leak I still have pretty good padding anyway.

Alex, I use a similar set up. Though the NeoAir looks interesting, I'm already getting a good night's sleep with a Montbell 90 and cut-down 3/8" thinlite.

Do those who have used the Neoair in cold conditions feel its stated R-factor is correct. The reason I ask is it seems pretty high for the weight when compared to other pads. Per the ounce it seems on par with a down air mattress.

Warmth was found by multiplying the weight and length and dividing that by the weight.

Weight Length R Warmth
NeoAir Short 9.1 47 2.5 12.91
Medium 13 66 2.5 12.69
Long 14.8 72 2.5 12.16
Zrest Short 10 51 2.2 11.22
Long 14 72 2.2 11.31
Prolite4 Short 17 47 3.8 10.51
Long 24 72 3.8 11.4
Prolite3 Short 11 47 2.2 9.4
Long 16 72 2.2 9.9
Nightlite Short 3.8 29 2.2 16.79
Long 12.4 76 2.2 13.48
Sitpad 1.4 10 2.2 15.71
ExpedDAM Short 23.5 47 5.9 11.8
Long 31.9 70 5.9 12.95

Edited by JasonS on 04/25/2009 19:39:41 MDT.

I've had my neoair small down to 36 degrees with a quilt, all under an open myog original tarptent, along a river in the open with a breeze. It insulated better than my zrest, and I was toasty warm and sweating with a golite ultra 20 quilt strapped to the pad and wearing no warming layers except my boxers. When my feet got cold (which was when my jam2 went out from under my feet along the sil floor), I curled up on the neoair and was back to sweating to death. The radiation of heat was very evident when I was on the pad. My quilt makes more noise than the pad did. The only time I really got the pad to make enough noise to really hear over the quilt and river was when I was shifting from stomach to back and it was only a quick and small amount of sound.

Edited by rooinater on 04/25/2009 17:52:20 MDT.

I think the claimed R value for the NeoAir is approximately correct. I've found it slightly warmer than the Prolite 3. On frozen ground the NeoAir was adequate, on snow I could feel the cold (as expected) and put a RidgeRest under that.

This is while lying down with an even distribution of pressure. I found that if I lent on one elbow this compressed the pad and I could feel the cold coming through at that point.

I would agree that the R value is about right at 2.5. I was fairly comfortable at 5c/40f but I think that much lower would not be.

Another stab at the BA IAC, no way Jose that thing is 4.1. Maybe a 1.4 I say!

Edited by richard.s on 04/26/2009 13:03:23 MDT.