My daughter’s little dog, Toto, just reaffirmed what many of the online gear reviews concluded. The NeoAir Xtherm is just about the best sleeping pad for backpacking, canoe camping and IN THE HOUSE.

Last night I had a 4 person tent set up in my living room (was testing various models to find the best, true-4-person, tent available - btw I think it’s the Exped Gemini IV but I’ll save that for another thread) and I populated it with 4 representative sleeping pads from our family’s inventory to determine if the tent would actually accommodate 4 adults. Toto who loves to camp came to check out what I was doing. With no input from me, he hopped in the tent, walked around, did several circles then plopped down on the Xtherm. He rolled up in little ball ready to sleep.

That’s very surprising given how crinkly/noisy the Xtherm is because he’s very sensitive to noises. But I guess I agree with him, you get an immediate warm feeling when you lay down on the Xtherm. It’s been my go-to pad in my hammock for years. I’m a sound sleeper (pun intended) so the noise from the pad doesn’t bother me and I hang far enough away from my mates that neither the pad noise nor my snoring bother anyone else.

His other choices, the ones he passed up, were: a Nemo Tensor Insulated 25L, an Exped Downmat XP 9 LW, and an Exped Synmat TT 9 LW. Oh and he had a fifth choice which was an old Thermarest Prolite 3 laying just outside the tent. All have pretty good specs (needed for our winter trips).

So if you’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto says ignore the noise and curl up on an Xtherm. And no, my daughter’s name is not Dorothy.

Nice write-up.
Already enjoy that mat. I don't recall any noise. Maybe I was very tired or the synthetic sleep bag muffled noise.
Need a Toto to officially approve my mat.

Nice dog. I bet he loves to chase the red squirrels and chipmunks in camp ;)

Love my Xtherm.

Love the NeoAir! I have the Xlite. The noise never bothers me either, maybe I'm conditioned? But the comfort and warmth not to mention pack-ability and negligible weight is well worth it IMO.
Have you used the Xtherm during warmer months? The 5.7R, though impressive, "scared me" to the Xlite since most of my camping is spring-fall.

pamonster: "Love the NeoAir! I have the Xlite. The noise never bothers me either, maybe I'm conditioned? But the comfort and warmth not to mention pack-ability and negligible weight is well worth it IMO.
Have you used the Xtherm during warmer months? The 5.7R, though impressive, "scared me" to the Xlite since most of my camping is spring-fall. "

I've used the xtherm in summer in the mountatoos if that qualifies. No issues bring to warm but i was using a quilt too so it was easier to regulate temps.

I also have an xlite so when it's hot that's usually what I'll use. If I had to choose just one though it would be the xtherm.

Well, a few nights ago I was I. Kansas... Goodland Kansas... Olive in Goodland MN. Haha. And Kira was quite comfortable on my neo air.

I don’t think the extra insulation is much of a problem in warm weather. I’ve used the Xtherm in the summer with no complaints although typically in my hammock and with a thin liner and/or a quilt. To feel comfortable, I think the bigger issue is avoiding the sweaty feeling you can get on any non-permeable surface (which all inflatable or closed cell foam pads are). You’ll want something between you and the pad like a pad cover or liner bag. In my setup the hammock has about as good of ventilation as you can get and the pad fits in a sleeve under my hammock so at least I have the separation from one thin layer of nylon. Using a liner bag opened up on the hottest nights and having a luxurious down quilt available for chilly nights = nirvana.

keth0601: "

pamonster: "Love the NeoAir! I have the Xlite. The noise never bothers me either, maybe I'm conditioned? But the comfort and warmth not to mention pack-ability and negligible weight is well worth it IMO.
Have you used the Xtherm during warmer months? The 5.7R, though impressive, "scared me" to the Xlite since most of my camping is spring-fall. "

I've used the xtherm in summer in the mountatoos if that qualifies. No issues bring to warm but i was using a quilt too so it was easier to regulate temps.

I also have an xlite so when it's hot that's usually what I'll use. If I had to choose just one though it would be the xtherm."

Awesome, thanks for the thoughts. I did get a down quilt last year, the 2 sound like a good combo for temp regulation. I did have a couple terrible nights with the xlite a few years back. Overnight lows were in the 90's though so probably any sleeping system would have been too warm. At least I was comfortable....

I'm due to upgrade my wife's pad soon so maybe the xtherm is the way to go and I just let her pick between the xlite and xtherm.
Thanks again