Thermarest NeoAir Dream

[Mihun09]

The NeoAir Dream sleeping system consists of the inner NeoAir sleeping mat and an outer fabric sleeve with foam pad layer.

For anyone who counts ounces or grams, this system is not for you. For those of us who like some luxury and don't mind a few extra pounds in the packs, this may just be the ticket.

I ordered the Large size, which is 25" x 77" and the two parts together give 4" thickness with R value of 6. It weighs 4 lbs 2oz for both parts together.

This is replacing a regular self inflating foam pad from Cabela's that was the same size but it weighed a tad over 5 pounds for 2 1/2" thickness.

The packed size of the Cabela's Guide series pads were 26" x 8". The Dream is 16" x 10".



It comes with the inner pad already inside and there is a hole in the outer bag for the inflation valve. The stuff sack is designed to be used to inflate the inner pad and is very large and works quickly to inflate the pad which in itself is 3" thick which would take a long time to blow up manually. There is a powered pump available that runs off 2 AAA batteries that I may consider, but the stuff sack system works well enough that I might save the $30 for the pump.







For longer trips, I can see using both the parts of the system together to lessen the aches of pains of a longer trip, but for weekends only I could take out the inner pad and just take it and have the smaller size and weight. I may just use both always.



I am a side sleeper and once inflated I could not get my hip to touch the floor. This could solve some of my issues with sore hips and legs on extended trips and will take up a bit less space in the pack.

The cost was $225 Cdn., plus taxes. It is made in the USA and took 5 weeks to come in once ordered.

 

[Canotrouge]

That might be some thing for me to!!

 

[Odyssey]

That would make the PERFECT couch for in front of the evening fire this summer.

 

[ppine]

After a week of gravel bars I have gone to the 4 pound portable cot. The old 3 inch Thermarest Basecamp has worked well for canoe camping for many years. There are great new pads all the time. Decent sleep is becoming harder to come by all the time, so I welcome all of the new products.

 

[Mihun09]

We have found our trips are getting shorter since sleeping on the ground is taking it's toll over the longer periods of time. Mind you, our longest trips were only 15 days but even 10 now is a grind when waking to sore joints and aching muscles. We aren't old yet, both mid fifties, but our lives of physical labour is wearing us down quickly. I stand on concrete 10 hours a day working only my upper body, Christine is still a diesel mechanic for the most part. We still do what we can but the days of portaging 10 miles a day are pretty much over.

If these expensive pads can bring some relief and keep us out in the wilds longer, they are worth their weight in gold.

We aren't ever going to be hammockers since we really cannot see it as an alternative regardless of the issues we have just find a level tent spot et al. They certainly have their appeal, but we still see the need for a tent.

 

[Odyssey]

I'm just kidding about the couch thing. We're also into making our trips more comfortable these days. It's been a gradual gear adjustment, going from punishment to pleasure. It's the weight vs function that is tricky sometimes. M is fairly happy now with her sleeping pad, but I'm now doubling up with 2 older thinner pads. Silly using 2, when I could just upgrade to another with improved R value and cushy comfort. I'm looking forward to hearing how this NeoAir Dream works out for you.

ps very funny (and helpful) using the Bud for scale

 

[memaquay]

Ha ha, woke up this morning after a few too many buds around the fire, and first thing I see is this! That thing looks pretty comfortable!

 

[Guest]

Not just a Bud, a Bud Light, shown in the tastiest of consumption possible modes, unopened.

 

[Mihun09]

Well, to keep with the theme of comparable size using a beverage container, I bought the Bud Lite specifically for this review. I must say, it tasted much better last August in the heat of an Ontario Summer than it did yesterday after our morning snowfall. A 6 pack of Bud Light out this way is almost $14.

Some of you will get to see it in a few months. The inside mat is a tad larger than the cover and thus needs to be folded to fit, which in turn creates a sort of built in pillow on that end. Perhaps I can leave my Thermarest pillow at home it it works out that way, but I have to have a pillow regardless.

Brad, we routinely do 3 or 4 carries on portages over 1km long with well equipped packs. Built for comfort, not speed.

 

[Waterdog]

A 6 pack of Bud Light out this way is almost $14.

I'm pretty sure that just made up my mind to trip in the USA this Fall and not Canada.....

Looks like a nice mattress, I'm looking at something similar but more for car camping.

Barry

 

[Mihun09]

I'm pretty sure that just made up my mind to trip in the USA this Fall and not Canada.....

Looks like a nice mattress, I'm looking at something similar but more for car camping.

Barry

That is the price in Manitoba. It is less expensive where more people live. The entire province has less than a million people. A 25 pack of cigarettes is $17 here. The necessities of life are expensive, hydro and gas are cheap.

 

[Jimmy The Jet]

I've been tossing that pad around in various shopping baskets online since I first saw it. The idea of a thick, plush pad is too great temptation, especially after seeing this post. I think I'll be picking a couple up this summer. Since backpacking is , I think the option of separating them is good just in case, but for the most part, canoes and cars will carry this bad boy, in all of it's 4+ lbs glory, just fine. By the by, they have them in stock at MEC for $205 in large & $220 for the XL.

 

[Mihun09]

MEC would have been a tad less expensive but they are downtown and will be around forever and Wilderness Supply is virtually 2 streets away from where I work and I like to support the little guys as much as possible. Same goes for most anything else, I go into Stonewall which is much closer than Winnipeg, I know I pay more but I support the local business'.

 

[red langford]

Spent 10 days in WCPP with the hammock and I may have 4 air mattresses for sale. I may sell the mattress in my bedroom too.

If you don't support local businesses they will be gone. Come to Red Lake with an average household income of well over $70K and the local business sector is truly suffering save few exceptions.

 

[lowangle al]

I have used the thermarest base camp for years and found them to be comfortable but bulky. Last year I upgraded to an Exped Downmat lite. It rolls up way smaller and is just as comfortable or more so. It is an inflatable and comes with a pump that is a little bit of a pain to inflate but it only takes a couple of minutes. After about 10 days on this pad I am happy and intend to get one for the wife.

 

[Mihun09]

Spent 10 days in WCPP with the hammock and I may have 4 air mattresses for sale. I may sell the mattress in my bedroom too.

If you don't support local businesses they will be gone. Come to Red Lake with an average household income of well over $70K and the local business sector is truly suffering save few exceptions.

If you sell the one in the bedroom you may need a double hammock or you will be sleeping in the shed all winter.

I can make 70K in Red Lake working? I need to buy a house there soon!

 

[Cookannapurna]

When I'm not in the Hennesey, I'm on the XL version of that pad (I'm 6'7" and 300#), really comfortable. We even use it for an extra bed at the house!

 

[Mihun09]

So, after using it in the bush for a few nights I have to say it is comfortable to sleep on, being a side sleeper once I got the inflation correct I never hit the ground. The fuzzy top picks up a lot of F.O.D. though. Also, even in a 4 person tent it can be a hassle to inflate. Must be done without anything else in the tent due to the size of the bag inflator thingy, which I'm still getting the hang of. Once I figured out I couldn't close the nozzle while the bag was attached it was a tad easier, but then I had to finish it by mouth for firmness since when you stop pushing on the bag to close the valve all the air rushes out.

If I don't like it after the Marshall Lake trip, Christine gets something new a lot cheaper than what I paid for it.

 

[Odyssey]

I like the looks of that, or something similar. I have a fuzzy plan to base camp trip in the cooler months, Oct-Nov. with heavier gear. Some kind of campfire tent and comfier beds. That NeoAir might be the answer.

 

[Iskweo]

No Title

HA!! Christine already got something new. I was at Canadian Tire and they had a sale on camping stuff. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a Woods Windcatcher rapid inflation air bed. It looks for all the world like a neo air. 72 x 20 x 4. It weighs 1 lb 10 oz. and takes up hardly any room at all when scrunched down into the carrybag. It was on sale for $60. I was thinking to get a cordura bag made for it to imitate the neo air dream. Maybe our friend Bothwell could start making some of those.

Of course I also got a massive Broadstone single air bed that is 8.0 inches thick and can sleep two probably, because that was $25 and how could I resist. Truuuuuuck camping oh yeah.

The plan is to use the Woods mat for the trip with an older small thermarest for backup. Take the other one along for the truck camping part of the trip. If this Windcatcher pans out it will be a super good deal and will shrink my gear size considerably.

The black one is the cheapo monster bed and the blueish one is the Woods.