rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Oct 5, 2021 8:01:10 GMT -8
The NeoAir is noisy. But my own pad doesn’t bother me, only the people near me. With my BiL and SiL this summer, we quickly learned to put our tents a little farther apart. Problem solved. I have had not problems with NeoAir pads until they’ve seen 6 or more heavy seasons. Our 1st generation pads (3/4 length) are pretty much done, though if I could find the leak in one it would be good to go. The other is starting to break out baffles, so that’s toast. But in any case, now that I’m used to a long pad, it might be hard to go back. OTOH—those early pads were rectangles and so actually 20” wide all the way, which I liked. I also have 2 newer 3/4 pads, mummy shaped. I can’t sleep on them, and neither can my boys, so they are going up for sale. I just need to stay home long enough to run the ad and manage the sales I have a modest pile of stuff for sale or donation, after going through the gear closet.
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Oct 5, 2021 10:37:44 GMT -8
I guess I don't even hear the noise from my Neoairs all that much anymore. More possible solutions for the "problem": 1) hike (and sleep) solo, 2) grow older faster so your hearing gets worse. I just need to stay home long enough to run the ad and manage the sales :) Here's a huge problem!
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Oct 6, 2021 7:17:37 GMT -8
Not the latest version. Mine (used for the first time on a four-nighter this weekend) is quiet as a mouse. One of my hiking buddies has an old version; yes, it makes an incredible amount of noise.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Oct 6, 2021 9:17:18 GMT -8
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Oct 6, 2021 14:01:02 GMT -8
I guess I don't even hear the noise from my Neoairs all that much anymore. I don't really either. My biggest noise source is my sleeping bag. If my head is in the hood, it really amplifies the scratching of my beard against the nylon. I've also found that layering my "pillow" knocks down the NeoAir sound considerably.
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Oct 6, 2021 16:32:28 GMT -8
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Oct 6, 2021 19:14:10 GMT -8
Mine is the women's version of that, bought earlier this year. SO I'm pretty sure the new ones are noisy too. It's just a matter of what bothers you.
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Oct 6, 2021 21:09:56 GMT -8
Mine is the women's version of that, bought earlier this year. SO I'm pretty sure the new ones are noisy too. It's just a matter of what bothers you.
I don't know why my neuroses would make mine quieter than my hiking buddy's. :-) The difference between his and mine this weekend was huge. Colossal. Leviathan. I could hear his 30 yards away, but can't hear my own as I'm sleeping on it. Seriously, mine makes no more noise than any other insulated air pad I've owned (Pacific Outdoor Equipment, Big Agnes, Exped x2). Either Therm-a-Rest made a major change between our respective purchases, or the pads get profoundly louder as they age. Maybe there's some other explanation, but I can't think what it would be.
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Post by cweston on Oct 7, 2021 3:33:16 GMT -8
Either Therm-a-Rest made a major change between our respective purchases, or the pads get profoundly louder as they age. Maybe there's some other explanation, but I can't think what it would be. Maybe they just forgot to put the krinkly stuff in yours? is it warm?
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Oct 7, 2021 5:25:39 GMT -8
It seems kind of weird but in one of the reviews of the Xlite the person said that if they sleep skin directly on the pad it makes a lot of noise. But if they wear a long sleeve shirt or are in their bag it makes little noise.
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on Oct 7, 2021 6:32:24 GMT -8
Received my Exped Synmat HL Winter Medium Wide yesterday, and tested it out on the floor. The honeycomb textured surface is soft, non-slip, and quiet. R-Value is 5.2, and the 3.5" thick pad by itself weighs 19.2oz. Schnozzle pump bag weighs 2.1oz, and 0.5oz for the stuff sack with repair kit. Width at the shoulders is listed as 25.6" and 16.5" for the foot, but inflated the shoulder is maybe an inch less. This pad tapers considerably more than the NeoAir, but I don't mind the narrow foot end. I pretty much sleep on my back all night without much moving around. I wanted the wide version primarily to support my arms at my side, and this pad barely accomplishes that (I'm 6' tall with average build). Ideally the max width would extend at least to the elbows. I'm not sure when I'll really put this pad to the test, because I prefer sleeping in my Warbonnet Blackbird XLC hammock wherever possible. This Exped mat is a bit pricey at $189, but I got it for half price due to an issue with my previous pad which was a 2nds replacement for a Downmat 9 that was already past warranty. I definitely recommend Exped for customer service. They also threw in a closed cell sit pad at no extra charge, and didn't charge me for shipping.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Oct 7, 2021 6:39:00 GMT -8
It seems kind of weird but in one of the reviews of the Xlite the person said that if they sleep skin directly on the pad it makes a lot of noise. But if they wear a long sleeve shirt or are in their bag it makes little noise. I think the sound depends a lot on the texture of the surface in contact with it. Skin is probably the right amount of sticky and bristly to be problematic.
Physically, the NeoAir just can't be too quiet. It's a resonant chamber with practically no internal damping at acoustic frequencies. If you take that as a starting point, the best way to control noise is to limit the energy being coupled into it, which is to change its surface properties. Making it ultra-slippery would be one approach, but that has obvious disadvantages. You can also tweak the resonance by varying pressure, but I think the functionally useful adjustment range is small and varies with individuals in use.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Oct 7, 2021 6:49:16 GMT -8
I suspect the degree of inflation also plays a part in how noisy a pad is. Fully inflated leaves less room for crinkling.
BTW, those old pads I have are insulated differently (why they are heavier than the new ones) and are not noisy at all.
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Post by cweston on Oct 7, 2021 7:02:26 GMT -8
Sometimes, on nights that push my lightly-insulated 3-season pad to its limits, I will put a carefully folded foil emergency blanket under the pad. But then you really get a symphony of krinkly noises, between the "blanket" and the pad itself. I usually only do that if there's snow on the ground, because the noise drives me crazy.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Oct 7, 2021 8:55:45 GMT -8
I suspect the degree of inflation also plays a part in how noisy a pad is. Fully inflated leaves less room for crinkling. I initially thought so, but I think differences in starting pressure are negated by the comparably huge pressure created by a normal human body mass. What probably does change with inflation is the volume, which would affect resonance mainly at the lowest frequencies.
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