A neo-pad choice

So what would you do?

I bought another Big Agnes bag recently, and since it has a sleeve and no down on the bottom, of course I need a pad. My wife’s had an original yellow, crinkly Thermarest Neoair for two years and I like the feel of the perpendicular tube design, but want to opt for a newer version. So the choices are this for a Large (20”x77”x2.5”) one:

A new, still-in-box Neoair Trekker from an individual on craigslist, $65, probably get it for $60. It's the second version, less noisy, heavier but much less likely to puncture. Specs: Weight: 1#8oz., R value: 2, rolled 13”x4.5”.

Or

A new Neoair All Season, $169.00 from most online outfitters, free shipping. Third version and marketed as a 4-season pad. Specs: Weight 1#9oz., R value of 4.9, rolled size: 11”x4.8”

Or

The newest Neoair XTherm, $219.00 when it becomes available in April. Fourth version, and a pad that breaks the $200 barrier for a Large. Specs: Weight: 1#6oz., has an R-value of 5.7. I was not able to find what will be its rolled size but probably similar to the All Season, although one gear tester said it rolled up to the “size of an orange.” Reviews are that it is incredibly warm.

So, what to do . . . Wait (and get a second job to pay for it?) Go cheap and haul along a closed-cell pad to put under the Trekker on cold nights, Or hope they start discounting the already outdated All Season?

(Or none of the above?)

(Note, I sleep cold and usually camp in mtns. with temps in the 30s.)

Does any pad fit equally well in a B.A. sleeve? No personal experience, but I would have guessed that the sleeve is designed to fit a Big Agnes inflatable pad ... ?

No idea on the neo-pad choice; I've been happy with the original crinkly yellow neo-air, FWIW. I don't know how or if you can find any objective comparison data.

I've used my "old" yellow NeoAir in temps down to zero. Used by itself, I found that it started feeling cold in the 25-30 degree range (and I'm not a particularly cold sleeper.) With a Z-Lite pad under it, it was fine down to 10 or lower. My experience at zero was unintentional (temps dropped a bit lower than predicted); I was using the Z-lite and NeoAir with a 20 degree WM bag and wearing WM Flash pants and jacket in the bag, but started to feel cold underneath around 5am (I'd estimate temp was 0 - 5 at that point.) I also had a nylon footprint under the Hubba tent.

I recently took my NeoAir All-Season into 20-degree temperatures (it may have gotten into the mid to lower teens one night.) I was using the same bag, without the down pants or jacket, inside a Carbon Reflex tent, with a footprint. Not only did I never feel cold, I could definitely feel heat radiating back to me. When you first lay down, or when you shift position, you'll feel a cold spot for about 30 seconds, until that part of the pad "warms up." Then it's positively toasty.

If I were choosing one NeoAir pad to fit all my trips (Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana, very little snow camping, a couple of cold-weather one or two night trips each year) it would be the NeoAir All Season. It seems a very good compromise between weight and warmth - there's only a 4-ounce difference between the 66" regular and All-Season. Remember, I said I'm a "normal" sleeper, not a "cold" sleeper. (My second choice would be an Exped Downmat 7, especially if I was regularly camping in 0 - 20 temps. Much higher R-rating, but it also weighs nearly 2 pounds. The NeoAir replaced it for my own winter use.)

Some Big Agnes bags need a mummy pad and others use a rectangular pad. Is that a consideration?

It sounds like you are wanting new gear, but why not use the NeoAir and supplement with a ccf pad? The ccf pad is a great sit pad around camp.

Don't consider the Trekker another moment. It's strictly a fairweather mattress and will conduct heat away from you like a freight train.

I'd proably focus on the AllSeason and if that for some reason falls short (approaching zero F) plan on adding a simple, thin (1/8 inch?) foam pad underneath.

Cheers,

Forgot to mention: I'm about 5'10", and the 66" pad is effectively a full-length pad for me (my pack, crosswise in the tent, is a pillow base; my shoulders end at the top of the pad, and my head is on the pack/pillow. That means I've only got to have about 5' of me actually on a pad.

Just a quick thought; it might save you a few bucks and 3 or 4 ounces.