Neo Air Competitors: Peak Elite AC, Ether Elite 6, and SynMat

Don't have the money for the listed retail value for Therm-a-Rest's new NeoAir? It's $150 retail price and guess what Cascade Designs forgot to do again? They forgot to include a bag to put your NeoAir in. "That'll be $15 extra, please," says Cascade Designs in their ongoing low-blow marketing scheme. Come on guys, who sells an unfinished product? And we all know that's what an inflatable mattress without a stuff sack is: incomplete product. And if you haven't read all the bogus reviews, the frequency with which the internal baffles "pop" on the NeoAir is absolutely unacceptable for a mattress with a $150 price tag. Overall the NeoAir is too expensive, poor insulation, and terrible durability.
I'm going to do all of you NeoAir freaks a favor and expose you to a few more economical choices that rival, or surpass the features of the NeoAir. Here they are.


Pacific Outdoor Equipment Peak Elite AC
The POE AC has got the NeoAir beat hands down. It should be available early spring 2011. Here's the quick and dirty:

• Peak Elite AC = 15oz (L) --->  NeoAir = 19oz (L)
• Peak Elite AC has vertical baffles ---> NeoAir has horizontal baffles

        *Horizontal baffles allow the pad to conform to your body shape better and hold you in place

• Peak Elite AC R Value is 4.4 under the torso and 2.5 on extremities ---> NeoAir R Value is 2.5
• Peak Elite AC pad size 20"x78"x2.5" ---> NeoAir 77"X25"x2.5"

        *Peak Elite AC is narrower, however the vertical baffles help hold the sleeper on the pad, thus
          allowing the pad to be smaller while still being effective. Plus the shaved down size also shaves  
          weight.

• Peak Elite AC and NeoAir are both manually inflated, meaning you must blow them up like a ballon.
• Peak Elite AC pack size 4"x12" ---> NeoAir 4.5"x11"

Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Elite 6
Extremely similar to the POE Peak Elite AC, the "old" Ether Elite 6 has all the same features except it lacks the new "Radiant Heat Return" technology. So a slightly lower R Value. However the Large EE6 was priced at only $69 versus the NeoAir's (large) $169. That's a huge difference! And guess what? Pacific Outdoor Equipment didn't try to cheat us out of a stuff sack, they sell those with their products. Wow!



Exped SynMat Basic 7.5
Is now available for purchase! It's heavier than the others we've talked about but it's 3" thick instead of 2.5". Exped boasts an R Value of 4 for this mat which they rate down to -11º C (12º F). It comes in at 9.5"x5.7" packed and 71.5"x19" as a mat. It's narrower, yet, than the POE AC, and 6" narrower than the NeoAir.
Exped's sister series; the SynMat Pump is a bit heavier but has higher R Value and, you guessed it, an air pump to fill them up.

Cheap Adventure Travel: Top Five Ways to Save

1. Book Early and Compare Rates:
    If you're flying, book early and compare rates at ALOT of different sites. My personal favorite is Expedia, they're cheaper (in my experience) even than "student booking" sites. Spend some time comparing prices, as this could save you hundreds easily. Your five minutes spend surfing other sites translates into a hundred dollars saved... that's worth it in my book!

2. Get a Student ID:
    If you are a student, hook yourself up with an International Student ID Card. Especially in Europe, these cards are often the key to saving ten percent or more on everything from dining, travel, or lodging. The most common mistake to hamper the success of these cards is forgetting to use them! So always ask if there are student rates available. Even here in the States, a lot of venues and local businesses offer student rates, use these to your advantage!

3. Pack light:
    Using an airline or not, the more you carry the more it will cost. Often airlines will let you take internal frame packs into the passenger compartment as carry on (I've seen people board with 5000 series packs). Road tripping or local travel is always easier and less expensive the lighter you pack. Plus, having only one backpack with all your worldly possessions in it just gives your heart that spirit of adventure!

4. Be Frugal:
    This might seem obvious, but most people fail here the hardest! Decide early on what your budget is. Is your goal to spend nothing at all? Or are you going to be free with your money. Chances are, if you're reading this you'll want to be saving that pocket change! Do you really need that ice cream cone, or how about that souvenir t-shirt? It should go without saying, DO NOT BUY BOTTLED WATER! Find the stuff at a free drinking fountain and fill up your own bottle, people. Don't even think about being frugal if you can't stop yourself from buying the pathetic bottled waters. A good way to practice this is every time you catch yourself eyeballing something, or starting to consider purchasing it just slap yourself. If you don't already have it then chances are you don't need it!

5. Use Free Resources:
    These include but are not limited to local hospitality and friends, a bench in the park for a bed (be careful of the neighborhood), free transportation I.E. freighthopping. Other common online resources to help you plan adventure travel include:

Workaway - A work exchange website for free room and board worldwide.

Couchsurfing - Most of you probably know this one, a website to find a free spot to sleep.