Failed

[Janne]

When in Norway, we did two night 'out' as we always do. Same equipment, only a new Optimus stove/burner and new knives (of course!)


We use the self inflating sleeping mats, had those for years.

The first night I had problems sleeping, the ground was very lumpy (gravel) and hard. My hip bone hurt after a while.
In the morning, when I took out the mats and bags to gry, I discovered why. Mu mat does not keep the pressure!
No hissing noise, no apparent splits. A very slow leak I could not diagnose.

Two nights on gravelly ground is no fun.
My hip bone still hurts, and it is a week ago.

So, despite 5 decades of Scandinavian trekking in nature, I learned one thing.
Test your equipment before you go out.

 

[snappingturtle]

I have one and it also got a leak, had a look at replacements today, think I might go with the old foam type the last one I had was batted to hell and still did its job.

 

[Toddy]

Check your valves first. I thought my mat had a slow puncture too...turned out that the valve just wasn't properly sealed off. It needed a bit of effort to screw it tight.

Failing that, blow it up, even a bit, and put it into water with some detergent in it...where it bubbles when you squish it, there's your leaky bit.

M

 

[KenThis]

Around the valve is usually the problem on really slow pressure drops.
I've fixed a thermarest valve before now with some sealant.
Best of luck.

 

[Janne]

I tried the valve with my own spit, but no visible leak.
I think the mat is around 20 years old, I buess it went porous somewhere.
I will buy a new one, I would hate to experiencr those two nights again!

I used to sleep rough, with just a piece of plastic under me, but then I was young.
Getting mature is no fun when spending quality time with Mother Nature!

 

[Toddy]

Oh yes.
I slept on a shingle beach along a loch side, wrapped only in a plaid. And I slept well
We used to hollow out a scrape for hips and shoulders, put down a bit of waterproof fabric (waxed cotton worked fine) curl up and sleep soundly. We camped for weeks on end, and we were absolutely fine.
I don't think I could lie down on a shingle beach now without hurting
I'm getting old

M

 

[Hammock_man]

OR get a hammock..... get off the ground

So, despite 5 decades of Scandinavian trekking in nature

Like me you are too old for the ground, sir.

 

[Janne]

Yes, but I am not ready for the lofty heaven yet.....


I have a hammock, but the slightly bent position is not liked by my arthritic lower back.
Also where we go there are no trees!

Back and knees are a result of accident that ended my mil career.

 

[Hammock_man]

It was said mainly tongue in cheek.. I have moved over to a "fixed ridge line" which made a lot of difference such that I am buying a new hammock with one as standard. May I suggest you look at these style hammocks.
Not wanting to hijack the thread I will say no more on this.

On a more relevant note..........."But it where working when I put it away, 12 month ago!" would get zero sympathy I think.

 

[Janne]

No, please ‘hijack’ in the name of deep sleep nights!

I do not sleep outside much these days. To hot where I live, no nature to trek in...
The mosquitos are nice and gentle here though. Compared to the B-52’s we get in Scandinavia.

Most of my equipment is old. Vintage. Made in Sweden, most of it. Oldfashioned quality.
The tent I retired two years ago is a Fjällräven msde in 1970 or 71.
To small for us three.
The mat was a Coleman though.

 

[Toddy]

Try one of the Exped down mats It was a revelation to me and made camping possible when the RA was truly awful.

M

 

[baggins]

Swmbo has an Exped. Not cheap, but, wow! I'm a complete convert. Now just have to save some pennys.

 

[Flood]

I had the same thing happening to me this week. Moral of the story is: never go for an outing longer than one night without a repair kit.

I have an old Quechua inflatable mat I really like but already had to repair it twice (once around the valve, once on the mat itself). Last Monday, I slept in the mountains, thankfully with the mat in the hammock and woke up with it deflated. It was still plenty warm in the hammock at 5-7 deg C in the morning, but it would have been miserable on the ground

 

[Billy-o]

The thing is that airbeds are quite hot to lay on .. .the insulated ones. Maybe for carribean use, look into a lightweight cot, Janne. Carryable ones range in price from $70 to $250. You won't be surprised to find they can be heavy, but the Thermarest one weighs about a pound . Some are mesh.

You still might need a pad for super good sleep and the repaired Coleman could stand in.

Otherwise there are some ultra comfortable lightweight airbeds now

 

[Toddy]

Around the valve is usually the problem on really slow pressure drops.
I've fixed a thermarest valve before now with some sealant.
Best of luck.

A friend repaired his thermarest valve entirely. He said that it was really straightforward to do, and it worked really well. The new valve is easier for his children to use too.
It's this one, but he bought his from Amazon.
https://www.thermarest.com/mattresses/valve-repair-kit

M

 

[MrEd]

Try one of the Exped down mats It was a revelation to me and made camping possible when the RA was truly awful.

M

I have a thermarest that I lent out to my nephew for scout camp and it got a puncture, god knows what was done to it....

Been looking for a replacement. How does a expedite down mat compare to a thermarest?

 

[Toddy]

I haven't tried a thermarest. The down mat was the total upgrade from the roll mat and the plain airbed for me.

It literally was a revelation. It's not only comfortable, but it's warm beneath me too. It's not like sleeping on a cold rubbery old fashioned airbed....that even with a roll mat on top as an insulating layer (and boy did that lot slip about, long lengths of thin strapping with velcro ends helps to keep it all together though)...was not ideal. Besides, all that lot took up a lot of bulky space to pack. The downmat goes down into something like the size of a bag of sugar/flour.
With a little practice I can inflate mine in a couple of minutes now, but the ones that came with the snozzle and airbag seem simpler to use. I like the integrated pump, but not everyone does.

I think I'm the wrong person to ask, tbh. I went from a bit of oilcloth to a closed cell mat, then tried it with an airbed when the joints ached so much, to the Exped.
I don't have the experience of any of the other modern mats. I do know that if my Exped died, I'd buy another.

 

[Janne]

I look into Exped.
Oil cloth?
Posh are we or what???



I used a thick binliner, moss and leaves under.
I was (rather) stupid in those days. Wanted to be macho, all alone in the forests snd mountsins around Sweden and Norway....