FLTGear.com from United States, AR Public Profile

My standard sleeping pad is the Thermarest Trail Scout, largely because of it's insulation and ease of use. But I wanted to try one of the NeoAir's because I heard so much about the comfort. I bought the Venture and took it on a weekend ride on the Missouri Katy Trail to see how it worked.

The 2" loft really is great for side sleepers; at no time during the night did my hip rest on the ground. Which is good because the Venture doesn't have much of a R-value since there isn't any foam insulation like in a self-inflated pad (fortunately the ground was warm). That comfort does come at a price though - I have the large size and it takes me two sprints of blowing to inflate it. It wasn't a big deal since I was just out one night, but on a two week trip I'd want to invest in one of the battery operated Thermarest mini pumps.

The material is super tough and just feels like it'll last a long time. It weighs a couple of ounces less than my Trail Scout, and rolls up into a nice small package. Looks like it'll be a good piece of gear to take on weekend bikepacking trips.

Camp chairs really shine In circumstances where no other seating is available. I’ve camped in many spots (particularly RV parks) where even picnic benches weren’t around. And when an evening rain rolls in, forcing me to retreat into the dry safety of my tent, it’s a great benefit having a comfortable chair for reading or writing. It weighs less than a pound and it rolls up into an easy to pack 6"x21" bundle. I can strap this with my tent on a rack, or even stuff into a pannier.

It comes in two sizes, so you'll need to buy one specific to the size of your sleeping pad. It works with both my Trail Scout and NeoAir Venture, and I was even able to stuff an REI AirRail pad into it.

Hard to believe that a stove that only weighs 2.6 oz can put out so much heat. Considering that most of my other stoves are 10000 BTU's, and the PocketRocket is 8200, it still does a nice job. The wire loop flame adjuster is easy to reach and control. MSR says this stove can hold an eight inch diameter pot, which seems to be a stretch. I don't think I'd try that without adding a canister stand. You lose some stability by making the stove fold into a small size - my Primus Classic stove is clunky, but very stable. Also like my Primus stoves, you can't add a windscreen.

As someone else mentioned, the folding seems a bit clumsy at first. Probably because it does compact down into such a small size. The carrying case is a nice addition to keep the stove from getting damaged when stuffed in a pannier.

It's hard to beat this pad in terms of weight, R value (warmth), and durability. It doesn't look rugged, but I've slept on this pad for several weeks and used it extensively in my Trekker chair, with no leaks so far. And that's saying something since I weigh around 200 lbs. It's my go to sleeping pad for cycletouring. Would be nice if it was thicker than 1"; several other companies have thicker pads, including Thermarest, but of course they're more expensive.