Thermarest NeoAir All Season Review 2014/05/11
The Thermarest NeoAir All Season is by far the most comfortable
and warm roll mat I have used out and about. Oh and not forgetting its
small pack size! Read our full review and field test of this fantastic
NeoAir camping mattress.
Introduction
Thermarest started a range of roll mats called NeoAir. Using cutting
edge technology to provide the user with a tiny pack size, great comfort
and above all warmth. All of this with a trail weight we could only
dream of before. The NeoAir range has mats for super light weight
adventures, car camping and everything in-between. Our review will focus
on the Thermarest NeoAir All Season as its a great all round product.
The Thermarest NeoAir All Season is now the third NeoAir product I
have used. The first being the NeoAir XLite followed by the Trekker and
now the All Season.
Design
The NeoAir All Season is one of Thermarest's latest products and if you
are looking to invest in a ‘do it all’ roll mat then you may want to
give this one a closer look. The All Season is 540g (reg size), a very
comfortable 6.3cm thick. This thickness makes those little bumps and
lumps in the ground just disappear beneath you. Consequently why it’s so
easy to fall asleep on. Pack size is very respectable too, just a little
bigger than a 1 litre Nalgene (reg size).
R Value
The R value of the Thermarest NeoAir All Season is 4.9. The R value is a
measure of thermal resistance. Higher the number the less heat is
allowed through a material. Thermarest use a couple of cool bits of tech
in the All Season, first is the 'Triangular Core Matrix'. Basically
loads of small pockets of air which help break up the interior of the
roll mat into little rooms making it more stable and slows heat loss as
the air cannot move so freely inside.
Triangular Core Matrix. Helps to create
loads of tiny pockets of air instead of one large one. This helps
stabilise the mat and increase warmth. Some of these pockets are coated
in a reflective material, I'm guessing by the sound and weight of the
roll mat, its Aluminium. This is a much better solution than using a
synthetic or down fill inside a roll mat as condensation can build up
inside these and affect the longevity of the product. Using a fill also
increases bulk.
Optional Pump
So you find a lovely camp spot next to a remote mountain tarn, pack
comes off and tent goes up. What happens next depends on you, if you
decided to bring the little mini pump that comes with the All Season
then that can help you inflate the mat, however I like keeping things
simple. Inflating manually does take a little while but it’s more than
acceptable, what you gain from that small pack size and thickness of mat
more than outweighs the ever so slight inconvenience of it not
self-inflating, so much so, I do not see it as an issue for regular
camping. However if you get out of breath easily, take the pump.
Conclusion
One can be pretty rough with the Thermarest NeoAir All Season thanks to
its hard wearing face fabric, but always check your pitch spot for
thorns and sharp sticks etc. This is just good camping practise anyway.
When it comes to pack down the All Season, roll all the air out of it
first and close the valve. Then roll it up again but this time taking
care to make it nice and neat and since now most of the air is already
out it’s much easier. Thermarest have a lifetime guarantee on their
products, including the NeoAir series. This is a big deal as it gives
you the confidence in the gear and tech they provide. Highly Recommended
