Reddit reviews Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite Ultralight Backpacking Air Mattress, Standard Valve, Regular - 20 x 72 Inches

I've been doing A LOT of research over the past few months. I apply ultralight principles to my decision making, but also factor in quality of life and durability. I'm testing out different items (mostly clothing) on long day hikes in preparation for backpacking. Still collecting my gear. A lot of people will cringe at the below, but here are some things on sale that I picked up recently.

Altra Lone Peak 4 Trail-Running Shoes $89.99 (25% off) I hiked 10 miles yesterday never having worn zero-drop shoes before, these felt great despite that! Zero problems. I do hear a lot of durability issues...

Columbia Silver Ridge Lite Long-Sleeve Shirt $40.99 (25% off)

Columbia Silver Ridge Lite Plaid Long-Sleeve Shirt $44.99 (25% off)

Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter System for $29.89 (25% off) Darwin noted that the blue inline adapter can be used to back flush in the field. Place the sports cap of a clean water bottle against the blue inline adapter screwed to the Sawyer.

Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles $97.39 (25% off)

Native Eyewear Wells Polarized Sunglasses (gray lenses) $79.19 (20% off)

Buff CoolNet UV+ Multifunctional Headwear $17.99 (25% off)

Outdoor Research ActiveIce Spectrum Sun Gloves $18.69 (25% off)

Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap $26.99 (25% off)

Patagonia Strider Pro Running Shorts - Men's 5" Inseam $48.29 (30% off)

Patagonia Nine Trails Shorts - Men's 8" Inseam $45.49 (30% off)

REI Co-op Multi Towel Lite (small) $6.89 (30% off)

Helinox Chair Zero $89.89 (25% off) Burn me at the stake, I know.

I also picked up some GOOD TO-GO, Backpackers Pantry and AlpineAir meals to try out. These are all 20% off.

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I also found some items on sale at CampSaver, but found similar deals on other sites:

Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net - Insect Shield $9.71 (25% off)

MSR Ground Hog Stakes $2.21 (25% off) 3 for Zpacks Duplex vestibules (only 2 required).

MSR Mini Ground Hog Stakes $1.88 (25% off) 7 for Zpacks Duplex tent body and guy lines (only 6 required).

Thermarest NeoAir XTherm Sleeping Pad (large) $179.96 (25% off) Yes, this is 8 ounces heavier than a regular XLite.

Evernew Titanium Ul Stacking Set $53.19 (~20% off) This is an outlet item and I used the SVSP2020 promo coupon code. I chose these pots because I want a stacking set, plus it will fit my Soto WindMaster stove.

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The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad (regular) is $118.95 (30% off) at these sites:

Backcountry Edge

Backcountry

Amazon

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Edit: Corrected a misspelling and explained how the Sawyer inline adapter can be used to back flush.

Neoair xlite deal on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PZL14EK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_qoZbBbHB6HPKC

Just noticed that the NeoAir’s price dropped $50 recently on Amazon. https://camelcamelcamel.com/Therm-Rest-Ultralight-Backpacking-Mountaineering/product/B00PZL14EK

FYI to all, the regular NeoAir Xlite is on Amazon for $119 right now. This is within four dollars of the lowest price Amazon has sold it for within the past eight months.

If you have time to wait try camelcamelcamel.com . I was able to create an alert when the xlite dropped below a certain price on amazon and I was able to buy it for $99 last month.

Amazon is having a sale on the ThermaRest XLite right now.

https://www.amazon.com/Therm-Rest-Ultralight-Backpacking-Mountaineering/dp/B00PZL14EK/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1527198732&sr=1-1&keywords=thermarest+xlite


Depending on your level of UL ness, you could get Reg or Even Small. Width is a concern for the Small given it is built for women, but it is possible to buy a Reg or XLong and then cut and seal it down to torso length and sleep with your feet on your pack. That's really counting grams though which you can always do later. If you are an average sized guy I'd say go with Reg sizing.

NeoAir Xlite is extremely popular and on sale right now over at amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Therm-Rest-Ultralight-Backpacking-Mountaineering/dp/B00PZL14EK/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1521837547&sr=1-1&keywords=NeoAir+XLite

Pack seems good. Your largest weight savings would be your sleep system and shelter system, followed by dropping unnecessary items and swapping out some clothing for lighter versions.

1. Quilt option examples: Nunatak Arc 20 ($360, ~21.2oz, https://nunatakusa.com/nunatak-premium-quilts/106-arc-ul-2010f.html, Arc 10 adds about 5oz), EE Enigma Custom 10 850 Charcoal 10D outside Orange 7D inside ($320, ~21.09oz, https://enlightenedequipment.com/enigma-custom/, 950 down option adds about $85 and drops 2oz), or Thermarest Vesper 20 Quilt ($380, 19oz, http://www.cleverhiker.com/blog/17-exciting-new-backpacking-products-from-outdoor-retailer, 950 down included, street date 2019Q1).
   
2. Sleeping pad upgrade: Thermarest NeoAir XLite ($170, often on sale for less, 12oz, rvalue 3.2, https://www.amazon.com/Therm-a-rest-NeoAir-XLite-Regular-Marigold/dp/B00PZL14EK/). You can pair this with a GG Thinlight 1/8 foam pad ($18, 3oz) https://www.gossamergear.com/collections/sleeping-pads/products/thinlight-foam-pad, and then ditch sit pad and anything else. Between these two you have redundancy, a sit pad, and plenty of warmth value added to the quilt selections above. Another option that is coming in 2019Q1 is the Thermarest NeoAir Uberlite ($180, 8.8oz, rvalue 2.0, https://www.cleverhiker.com/blog/17-exciting-new-backpacking-products-from-outdoor-retailer), which combined with the GG 1/8" pad would still have nice warmth, and come in at less than 12z total for 2 sleep pads (which also provides more versatility in future if you want to ditch one or the other at any given time).
   
3. Shelter system upgrade: there are a ton of options based on how much space you need, if you want a fully enclosed tent, a simple tarp setup, etc. Popular tent option with lots of space but still not much cost would be something like Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2, at 31oz carried weight (2 person tent, $350 MSRP). Lighter but more expensive options can get you down under 20oz (like the ZPacks stuff, but be prepared to spend, and they are not as bombproof). Tarps can range from 5-19oz, depending on material, size, etc., but don't offer as much protection from bugs and weather.
   
4. Puffy options are all over the place. Most popular one here for weight to cost and happiness seems to be MH Ghost Whisperer. The hooded version rings in around 7.5-8.3oz depending on your size, and can often be found for $175-250 depending on colorway (MSRP $350, but they are always available cheaper year round if you price shop). That coat packs down to nothing in your bag and maintains decent resale value if you want to sell it later to grab something else.
   
5. For your clothing system, consider how much extra stuff you will often need if you just layer a few key items, and then you can trim down from there. That is why everyone will tell you to ditch X or Y from your packed clothing. Carry stuff that is multipurpose and works well layered together, and you don't need to carry much. The only duplicates that are worthwhile for most people are an extra pair of socks to rotate, and an extra pair of underwear to rotate if you're washing on the trail as you go. You can sub in something like a Patagonia Capilene Lightweight Long Sleeve ($50, 3.5oz, https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-capilene-lightweight-crew/45641.html), and then ditch the 2 extra shirts you're carrying, saving about a pound for example. That would allow you to have a shirt to rotate or sleep in, or layer up underneath your main shirt if colder (it also dries extremely fast if it gets wet).
   Those changes alone should drop you down to 3-4lbs before you do anything else to dial in setup more (like add in a small first aid kit with leukotape, ibuprofen, etc.), subtract camp shoes, possibly add trekking pole or two, etc.