NEMO Astro Insulated Sleeping Pad

Comments about NEMO Astro Insulated Sleeping Pad:

As a general rule, I consider myself a minimalist. My exception to this rule is my sleeping bag and pad. This pad is undoubtedly heavier than most because it is insulated, but the benefits outweigh the cost/weight. With my previous pad I always had a problem with pressure points, and lost heat through the ground. All of these problems were fixed with this pad, and it was well worth the cost and extra weight. While this may not be the pad for you, consider how you prefer to sleep at home, and then weigh the costs...

Comments about NEMO Astro Insulated Sleeping Pad:

Although I have only used it for car camping, I'm sure it would hold up great in the snow. If only deflating it and packing it were a little easier. I'm sure it will take a few tries b4 I get a good technique down on how to properly and quickly deflate and pack.

Comments about NEMO Astro Insulated Sleeping Pad:

This sleeping pad actually gave me a great night sleep! Much better than the traditional therm-a-rest. I owned a Big Agnes version before this and not only did it blow out after using it 4 times, it squeaked everytime I moved on it and it was difficult to deflate/pack. The NEMO is not difficult to blow up. It might be heavier than others but the sleeping comfort makes it worthwhile!

Comments about NEMO Astro Insulated Sleeping Pad:

Overall I enjoyed the pad. It was comfortable. I had difficulty opening and closing the nozzle. It took a lot of air to blow up, but for its size, that was to be expected when I bought it. I feel it's worth it to get the extra comfort.

Comments about NEMO Astro Insulated Sleeping Pad:

I have only one night on the pad and used the pillow-top so it was very "cushy" which I liked. But at 6'6" and 230 lbs. I would have appreciated a bit more width. I was surprised how quickly the pad inflated.

Comments about NEMO Astro Insulated Sleeping Pad:

I'm always working to reduce the weight of my gear but I can never fall asleep while camping. Camping and backpacking is usually an exercise in "sleep deprivation". I splurged on the Nemo Astro Insulated and it will never be on the "cut list" because it was comfortable enough to fall asleep and sleep most of the night.

Comments about NEMO Astro Insulated Sleeping Pad:

I can fully inflate this in 20-25 breaths. It is comfortable to sleep on and easy to adjust the pressure - the valve turns 1/4 turn to lock, and pulls in and out to allow airflow. It rolls tightly and packs easily. However, it is noisy - rolling over during the night produces rubbing noises that are quite loud. I imagine I'll get used to that; I've only used this pad on 3 trips so far.

Comments about NEMO Astro Insulated Sleeping Pad:

I've used Thermarest for years, but usually double them up to sleep well (car camping). Now I'm backpacking and this is nice and thick, very comfortable, integrated pillow is actually pretty decent, I supplement it with an Armadillo pillow. This is cheaper than Thermarest Neo--but is every bit as high-quality. I would give five stars if they could figure out a way to inflate it more easily without adding much weight!