By: Blonde One
My most recent exciting purchase of outdoor gear involves the sound of a crisp packet and a ‘light as a feather’ mattress. I am the proud new owner of a Thermarest NeoAir XLite camping mattress. It is a thing of beauty in so many ways. It has given me some good nights’ sleep: wild camping on Dartmoor, on a very rocky field next to a Moroccan river, and a soft grassy Welsh field. The best thing about it by far though, is how light it is: 340g. When inflated is is 6.3cm deep which helps with that restful night and has an R value of 3.9. The slight downside to this mattress (for Blonde Two, not me) is that it sounds a bit like I’m lying on a crisp packet, and it was quite expensive (please don’t tell Mr Blonde One)!
I have its predecessor, almost identical as far as I can see. It has provided me with many nights comfortable sleeping snd I regard it, as you seem to, with affection. Looks like you’re embracing the tools for lightweight backpacking?
Lightweight backpacking has to be on my mind at the moment Conrad, the knees are not behaving. Mind you, after taking a load of kit out of my bag and looking at lighter rucksacks I decided that loosing weight off me would be more effective. It has been… a stone and counting! Fi
The rucksack is the starting point that can easily be overlooked. A while ago I decided I could do without cooking equipment which made a huge difference, and now I think I have to realise that my days of crawling in and out of a one man tent are over – It is not really possible for me to kneel now having had both knees done, so I have a wonderful excuse for b-and-b only and not carrying much weight at all.