Mysterious leak in Thermarest.

[Franco]

For some people the decision would be take the risk with an inflatable or stay home because there is no way they can sleep on 1.5 cm of foam.

[puredingo]

Contacted the company who repaired it and they have asked for it to be sent in for assessment, they think it could be a failure in the fix site...see what happens?

[Neo]

F it off.
Try the STS.

[puredingo]

That's the next step. I actually do have a STS ultra light, the yellow one. Its never let me down?

[Franco]

That's the next step. I actually do have a STS ultra light, the yellow one. Its never let me down?

If you want down in your mat, get an Exped.

[crollsurf]

That's the next step. I actually do have a STS ultra light, the yellow one. Its never let me down?

If you want down in your mat, get an Exped.

Have Exped addressed the issue re baffles blowing out? I've got used to staying on top of the Neo Xlite but something that helps keep you on the mat would be better.

[Franco]

Mine was a lame joke about the word down . (are downmats letting you down ?)
This was the last time the question was asked here : viewtopic.php?f=15&t=31130

[skibug]

I have had many mats with leaks - I guess they're like tyres on cars - expect to replace at intervals.

I Wii note, however, that some hiking sites (eg. https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice ... g-pad.html) warn that deet based insect repellants have solvent properties, and pyrethrin or other alternatives are better. Perhaps some deet rubs from skin to mat, or drips onto it during application, causing micro holes, and may explain why multiple holes develop close to each other, when there was little possibility of physical puncturing.

Skibug.

[puredingo]

So the autopsy has come in and there is 3 new holes bunched together near the decal. And NOT a delamination of their previous fix site as he assures me.

I’ve given the go ahead for repair at $33 plus the $15 postage both ways. Last time though ford it become totally uneconomical...it’s actually already at that point but I simply can’t bear waste.

[Moondog55]

I'd argue with them for a discount as they should have picked up all the leaks on the first test.
It has happened like that to me but I wasn't charging people to find leaks and test etc.

[slparker]

It is very frustrating to have a slow leak. My original thermarest in the 90s I think had a leak every second trip - although it had a hard life.

Miraculously my exped synmat survived a mauling from a GSP puppy before it had even been unrolled. The base of it has a patchwork of silicon and patches from this unfortunate incident but it survived for 5 years until it had the dreaded slow leak at Cleve Cole hut a few weeks ago.

When I came home I did the bike tube trick -covered the base with soapy water until I saw a few bubbles rise. I repatched the existing patch and it is as good as nearly new again.

I note that the mat comes with its own silicon and patches - anyone tried repairing a mat in the field? I imagine you'd need a creek or river to submerge the mat in.

[Orion]

After I counted eight tiny holes I gave up. It was clear to me that the mat was hosed. It couldn't have been punctures. It was just "wear", as in only used in a clean tent, rolled up carefully and kept in a stuff sack when not used. Not really that many nights, a few dozen at most. She treated it like one would any very fragile but expensive item. Like a fine porcelain vase.

This isn't the first time I've had this experience with these particular mats. I think they are simply not at all durable and should be considered disposable, kind of like an inexpensive plastic razor. Except that they are most definitely NOT inexpensive.

I have since reverted to using the previous generation technology: my old Thermarest Prolite Plus. It's half as thick, twice as heavy, and about three times the pack volume, but I can sleep without the anxiety over whether my mat will still hold air in the morning. As a bonus it's a lot easier to make a pillow that works with it.

So what to do with the old, leaky Neoair? I thought about sending it to Thermarest but never did. Into the trash? Yeah, but wait. First I thought I'd paint on a urethane solution that I'd bought years ago to try and refinish a tent floor. Why not? I gave the Neoair two full coats, covering every square centimeter of the thing. And... drum roll... it doesn't leak anymore! It's been a couple of days and it's still filled with air, tight as a drum.

I haven't tried sleeping on it yet. Maybe my weight on top will spoil it. Or maybe the repair isn't durable. It's like sleeping on a house of cards.

[GregG]

Good work Orion. It will be interesting to see how long this repair holds out. Dunno about you but I get a lot of satisfaction in seeing how much use I can wring out of stuff, it must be the "old bushie" coming out in me.

[Orion]

Dunno about you but I get a lot of satisfaction in seeing how much use I can wring out of stuff, it must be the "old bushie" coming out in me.

I totally get that. I'm in the process of revitalizing some ten year old gear. A tent I made in 2011 -- still fine! I just added a little loop to hold the door open better. The quilt I made in 2011? The down is sagging, big time. So I bought another 12oz of 900 fill goose down and I'm going to empty it and re-stuff it. My Gossamer Gear backpack, vintage 2011? The fabric is UV damaged to the point that it tears like tissue paper. So I've taken it apart and I'm replacing the damaged fabric with new, strong, stronger even, fabric.

I could have just bought a new tent, pack, quilt. In 2021 that would have been so easy, click click click.

[Biggles]

Hello, My Thermarest has a slow leak that, for the life of me, I just can’t find.

I can sleep on it but have to re-inflate two or three times through the night. I’ve tried the soapy water thing and listened intently at the valve to no luck.

Any tips on fixing it or even a repair service in Australia would be good, I can’t find anything?

Thermarest have their own repair patches.
Fully inflate the mattress. Then fill the bath sufficient to submerge the mattress, pushing one end down, then the middle, then the opposite end. A leak will be very obvious done this way, with slow and steady bubbles. Some older Thermarests also were known to leak around the vulcanising that secures the inflating valve. If camping, you can immerse the mattress in a creek or river — slightly more difficult to spot the leak. Bicycle puncture repair self-adhesive patches (e.g. PEAK) work a treat if you are not up to forking out the ridiculous proprietary repair patches.

[Orion]

Fully inflate the mattress. Then fill the bath sufficient to submerge the mattress, pushing one end down, then the middle, then the opposite end. A leak will be very obvious done this way, with slow and steady bubbles.

If only it were always that easy...

[Erniec2]

I had an exped develop a leak.
Inflated and checked in a very clear clean cold river.
Couldn't find leak which was done by our cat.
Slept hard for a few nights until I hot home.
Filled spa bath which is a reasonable size.
Eventually found leaks but wasn't easy.
I was on the point of giving up and taking it to Bivouac to find repair.
The tiny ones are tough.

Sent from my SM-J530Y using Tapatalk

[puredingo]

This MOFO has leaked on me for the last time!!!
Now its doing a weird thing where it deflates almost instantly upon inflation but only to about 2/3 of its capacity and retains that much air?. So essentially you can kind of stay aloft from the ground but not enough for your hips if on your side.....Annoying, I give up.