NeoAir XLite

I purchased this in order to have something between myself and the hard surfaces I will be sleeping on in hostels throughout China, Thailand, Japan, and western Europe. I sleep primarily on my side and sometimes my back and if I am on a solid surface my hips dig into the ground and it is impossible to sleep. I am 5'11 and 165 lbs and this pad did the trick for me. Here I will break down the pros and cons I have noted thus far.PRO - I was skeptical but it is quite durable considering how light it is and the material will withstand being on rough and uneven surfaces just don't shove a sharp stick or rock into the bottom and it should be fine- When fully inflated my hips are well above the ground which is exactly what I wanted from the thickness. There is even room to deflate it once laying on top to find a more comfortable position.- The most important factor was that it would be LIGHT weight. That made a large impact in my purchase since it will be in my backpack all the time. Its comfort to weight and size ratio is great- I fit on it well laying down and the carrying case it comes in makes it so I can stuff it in my backpack wellCONS - Many reviewers mention the crackling noise. It is there and would be an issue for a very light sleeper. Otherwise, I would not worry about it. My only concern is that in a hosel with 6 other people it might bother someone- It takes some time and energy to inflate. I got a bit light headed trying to get this pad ready to lay on so that might be a problem if you are very tired at night and do not want to sit there inhaling and exhaling before you sleepGreat light pad for backpacking and traveling for comfort and staying warm

I've used quite a lot of camping mattresses over the last 3-4 decades, and the technology has continued to improve over the years. The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir is no exception. EXTREMELY lightweight, about the size of a Nalgene water bottle when packed down (including pump sack), and very easy to deploy and deflate.One of the biggest struggles with camping mattresses is getting them back down to their "factory-packed" size, so you can pack them back up as you head out to your next location. The NeoAir impressed me here because I didn't have to fight with it to pack it down again. You just pop the deflate release valve, roll most of the air out, unfold it again, and then roll it back again. Done.Super-easy, and your fellow campers wont' be waiting for you to pack your gear while they stand by getting attacked by mosquitos!The R-value of the mattress is noticeable if you have a decent 3-4 season bag on top of it. You'll immediately feel the warming from your back. I took this up the White Mountains to Crag Camp where every gram on your back matters, and did not regret packing it. I used a 0-degree bag on top of it and actually had to open the bag to cool down a bit, even when it was pretty cold at the top of the mountain.Because I was using a mummy style bag, I didn't have to worry about rolling off the mattress, but if your bag is square, you may need to make sure you adjust it so your bag doesn't slide off.There's a surface tension on top of the mattress that prevents sliding, but if you're a restless sleeper, you probably want to put one side against the tent wall or cabin wall to avoid shifting it from under you. That's not the fault of the mattress, just modifying your sleeping habits.Pumping the mattress was supremely simple with the "shnozzle" pump sack. Took about 3-4 sack fillings to get the mattress as firm as it could get where it wouldn't take any more air from the pump sack, even when putting my full weight on the bag.

I am normally a hammock camper and have all the quilts for that, but have had the need to ground camp several times recently and the old blue foam pad was not getting it done for my hips and back (as a side sleeper). After research, determined this was the best choice for me and pulled the trigger. I am so glad I did!This is ridiculously light (12 oz) in my pack and, if I roll it properly, takes up minimal room. Very comfortable night's sleep. The back and hips feel great in the morning, and I got a great night's sleep with this! Also - this is much warmer (higher R value) than most pads out there and has been great on bunks in unheated cabins and on the chilly fall ground. Was able to inflate the pad fully in about 25 breaths. Easy enough to deflate and roll up.It is a bit annoying to move on this pad and make the crinkling sound (wife asked if I was sleeping on a pile of grocery bags!) so if you share a tent with a light sleeper, be warned - you will annoy them!Overall, so glad I bought this & highly recommend it.