The Philmont Forum

Last time I went my Scarpas left me with sore toes and blisters. I'm looking at the Salewa Mtn Mid's. Has anyone tried these at Philmont? Also I'm thinking of switching to the Big Agnes Q-Core SL pad anyone tried it ?

I broke down a purchased the Q-Core wide/long recently and love it. I'm a side sleeper and my Thermarest Trail Pro wasn't cutting it anymore. What type Scarpas did you use? I replaced my 1980's Scarpa Trionics with a new pair. They fit fine but wondered what your issues were. We are headed to PSR this summer and any info would be helpful.

I have been using a Big Agnes Insullated Air Core for the last several years which I think is similarly constructed. It is very comfortable but it is also very loud when you move around on it. When we went to Philmont in 2010 a few of the guys mentioned the noise the first couple of nights on the trail but, oddly, they had no trouble sleeping after that even with the noise.

Anyone tried the NeoAir - I like the weight and packed size - but it too seems very noisy in the store. Does it really make that much noise - does the noise diminish with use...?

Alan

I too have used the BA Insulated Aircore. Had it for two treks and some Appalachian Trail miles. No problems so far. From what I see in descriptions, the difference between the Q and the other pads is the Q does not appear to have the full-length channels that the Aircore does. Instead, the long seams are interrupted. Whether this makes a difference or not, I don't know.
Q core


The noise seems to diminish with use (It's never woken ME up).

I have used an 'original' neoair on both my treks and every other tent night since I bought it in late 2009.
LOVE IT!!
At first it was rather noisy, not sure if it got less noisy or if I just got used to it.
Plan to take it to SeaBase this summer.

The selling point on the Q-core for me are the interrupted chambers and the larger side tubes.

I started using the Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite last year. I, too, was concerned about the noise, but it's not an issue. Never bothers me and my tentmates haven't complained! The pad is very comfortable, extremely light, and packs up smaller than a Nalgene. Previously, I used the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core.

I used a NeoAir on my trek last summer - it is super comfy when you find your sweet spot for how much to inflate it. Everyone commented about the noise the first couple of nights but it didnt keep anyone awake. And it was a whisper compared to my tent-mates snoring!

I"m playing with this one: Klymit Inertia-X-Frame Sleeping Pad