Sleeping mats and punctures

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trevorcox
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Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by trevorcox »

I'm thinking of moving from a foam Karrimat to a thermarest neoair xlite for my next tour. I need something more comfortable. On tour, I use the Karrimat outside the tent (e.g. to lie down when reading, or to sit on when preparing food). How vulnerable are these lightweight sleeping mats to being punctured if I just use them outside the tent on camp grounds? Thanks
mercalia
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by mercalia »

wrong question as any inflatable mat can be punctured and have to be treated with care
right question is how leak proof are they.

cheap mats use materials that easily crease and develop leaks over time, under pressure. Thermarest use good quality materials,

I wouldnt use my mondo king ( £120) on the bare ground willy nilly
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LinusR
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by LinusR »

trevorcox wrote:I'm thinking of moving from a foam Karrimat to a thermarest neoair xlite for my next tour. I need something more comfortable. On tour, I use the Karrimat outside the tent (e.g. to lie down when reading, or to sit on when preparing food). How vulnerable are these lightweight sleeping mats to being punctured if I just use them outside the tent on camp grounds? Thanks


I have a couple of (old) Thermarest mats. Both have punctured, but when I bought them I took the precaution of buying a repair kit. The mats are lightweight and comfortable. Treat with care and carry a repair kit.
mercalia
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by mercalia »

one further point is that the mat will also be your sleeping mat? do you want to risk having to sleep on the bare ground should you puncture it out side? I used to have an very old Thermarest and the material they were made of was quite thick and heavy duty so could conceivably stand up to rough use outside. (It was so old that the foam turned to dust) My new Mondo King of 2 years old the material is much thinner and lighter. I would assume that the whole range of mats would be similar now ( the mondo king is really a base camp mat not a light weight one)
climo
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by climo »

Does anyone use standard tube patches to repair Exped mats?
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pjclinch
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by pjclinch »

I use a Neo-Air with a seat kit for general outside use as well as sleeping. You exercise a bit of care, but if you do that it should be okay.

My vintage '91 T-Rest got holed by a spark from a camp fire, so be wary of camp fires... I also have an old Ultralight (pretty heavy by modern strandards!) which got a hole from I don't-know-what, but two holes in over 25 years' use isn't bad. I fixed both with the standard kit. I haven't had the opportunity to try fixing it with a bike puncture kit... I know the standard repair kit works and I have one, so I'll not wait to get experimental on a trip!

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
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LinusR
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by LinusR »

climo wrote:Does anyone use standard tube patches to repair Exped mats?


No, that won't work. Small holes in a Thermarest can be sealed with just a dab of the special glue without a patch. Put otherwise you need the specific glue and patch and even some heat (bottom of a cooking pan of hot water) to cure it all. There is probably some generic glue and patch cheaper than the thermarest you can get but you need to check absolutely that it is compatible and will do the job.
mercalia
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by mercalia »

LinusR wrote:
climo wrote:Does anyone use standard tube patches to repair Exped mats?


No, that won't work. Small holes in a Thermarest can be sealed with just a dab of the special glue without a patch. Put otherwise you need the specific glue and patch and even some heat (bottom of a cooking pan of hot water) to cure it all. There is probably some generic glue and patch cheaper than the thermarest you can get but you need to check absolutely that it is compatible and will do the job.


is the Thermarest glue still that solid stuff that they used to supply? heat it up in a bowl of boiling water, apply and let it cool. I never understood how it could work as it made a rigid finish
tatanab
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by tatanab »

Rema Tip Top do a glue for non rubber applications. This may or may not work. I've been carrying a tube for a few years but yet to try it. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/rema-tip-top-sp ... 7548892536
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LinusR
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by LinusR »

mercalia wrote:is the Thermarest glue still that solid stuff that they used to supply? heat it up in a bowl of boiling water, apply and let it cool. I never understood how it could work as it made a rigid finish


No it was just a tube of liquid glue. I've just had a quick look at the two mats. Only one mat (not two as I said above) ever got punctured and it was a tiny hole so I just had to smear a bit of the glue on it to seal it. It was a simple fix. I have a spare patch kit and I think it is the same as the one I used before. I bought both the mat and the repair kit in Blacks about 20 years ago.

ImageP1010151 by linusrees, on Flickr
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andrew_s
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by andrew_s »

My Neoair Xtherm came with a small pack of Tear-Aid patches. Larger packs are available from Blacks, £8 if you run out. Note that there's also a "type B" Tear-Aid for vinyl - take care not to get that by mistake.
I believe that McNett Tenacious Tape is pretty similar, and may also work well.

My solution to out-of-the tent use finding a thistle or trailing bramble was to swap the Thermarest chair kit for a chair (Alite Mayfly), which also had comfort gains.
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sabrutat
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by sabrutat »

andrew_s wrote:My solution to out-of-the tent use finding a thistle or trailing bramble was to swap the Thermarest chair kit for a chair (Alite Mayfly), which also had comfort gains.


+1 for the Alite Mayfly. Having a comfortable chair makes a huge difference.
Woodtourer
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by Woodtourer »

I am in the US so not sure if this product is available in the UK.
It is called Tear Aid Type A. Just spoke with Big Agnes, tents and such, and they recommend it for small holes and tears. Appears it will also handle mattresses.
Jeff31
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by Jeff31 »

Hi Trevor
I still take my old Karrimat even with my inflatable mat. The inflatable mat and goes on top of the Karrimat, giving it some extra protection, and if It goes down during the night I will still have bit of padding and insulation from the Karrimat.
jacksonz
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Re: Sleeping mats and punctures

Post by jacksonz »

Jeff31 wrote:Hi Trevor
I still take my old Karrimat even with my inflatable mat. The inflatable mat and goes on top of the Karrimat, giving it some extra protection, and if It goes down during the night I will still have bit of padding and insulation from the Karrimat.


Yes, that's what I do as well. Gives a lot of comfort and versatility.
I had a Thermarest Neoair and it lasted about 120 nights before it delaminated.....I cut it open and had a look. A lot of durability has been sacrificed for lightness. It seemed more like a "toy". I recommend one of the Thermarest standard (self-inflating) products.

I tried all kinds of materials to patch mats, but a recommended product was always the best.......
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