Pioneered by three bored engineers/mountaineers living in Seattle in 1972, Therm-a-rest’s game changing inflatable pads have been at the cutting edge of backcountry comfort for as long as they’ve existed. Though much innovation has taken place in the decades since—most notably the introduction of NeoAir, a patented design involving a matrix of air chambers that boosts heat retention by 50%. I recently had the opportunity to put the new SpeedValve equipped NeoAir XLite MAX SV mattress to the test over several trips in the Sierras.

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