Gear is an essential part of our lives as canoe campers. Good gear can be a costly investment, which is why we want to be able to make it last. Today, Woody guides us through patching a leaky self-inflating mattress, a trick that will extend its life and keep it from “snowing” in your tent (see above). One essential piece of gear to make a canoe trip a bit more comfortable is a Therm-a-Rest (self-inflating) mattress. Not only is it more comfortable than the ground for sleeping it is also warmer which can be really helpful when canoe tripping, especially in the far North and even later into the summer season on a more local level. Regardless of time of year or temperature, sleeping on a Therm-a-Rest just makes good sense when on trip. It is the most comfortable way to go unless of course you bring a large blow up mattress – but we know that’s not the most practical thing for a canoe trip. What happens though if your sleeping pad develops a leak? What if you are only part way through your canoe trip?
The good news is that it’s generally a quick and easy repair in the field. If you are purchasing a new Therm-a-Rest it will come with a patch kit, if you have an older Therm-a-Rest and you’ve misplaced the patch kit you can easily get a repair kit at most outdoor stores. Bottom line having a small patch kit can pay you dividends when needed most. Here is a step by step guide for doing the repair from the people at Therm-A-Rest. – a glue dot repair kit or Universal Repair kit (adhesive glue and a patch) – an alcohol swab Step One: Identify the hole Fold your inflated sleeping pad in half and rub soapy water along the surface. The hole will cause the soap to bubble. Mark the hole and dry off the surface. Step Two: Prepare the surface Unfold the sleeping pad and open the valve. Wipe the area over and around the hole with an alcohol swab. Step Three: Patch the hole using a glue dot repair Newer Therm-a-Rests come with a glue dot repair system.
This is an easy method. Simply peel the white side of the glue dot away and centre the dot over the leak, pressing firmly with your thumb. You can overlap the dots if you need to cover more space. When the dot is secured, remove the clear film and cover with the self-adhesive patch in your kit. Patch using a Universal Repair kit Choose a patch that covers the puncture at least one inch in all directions. Add the adhesive right over the puncture. Use enough that it is soaked into the fabric and extends one inch around the hole. Let the glue cure for 10-20 minutes, until it becomes tacky. Remove the backing from the fabric patch and lay it over the adhesive, pushing it on with the palm of your hand. Leave it sit for 3 hours, with the valve open. So that’s how do we do a simple repair in the field……to see the above instructions in practice, or to see how to replace a leaky valve, please watch the YouTube video below:In my opinion no one makes a better canoe tripping mattress than Therm-a-Rest does.
Woody is the co-director of Wanapitei and master of all things gear-related. Tuesday Tip – Self-Inflating Mats Made Simple The ubiquitous inflation valve… you’ll need to use it for full comfort and some cunning tongue action may be called for… Nemo’s version however, has a cunning lock down feature plus two horizontal chambers mean you can have upper surface cush and lowdown ground protection. Most mats come complete with repair kit and stuff bag, but we’d suggest packing inside your sac for puncture avoidance. Newsletter Terms & Conditions Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy. Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.You are hereHomeMats - repair instructions Repair Kits & Acc
Finding a leak in your Intex air mattress or discovering your pump does not work upon arrival can be extremely frustrating. If you are on a trip in the woods, it is likely you will not be able to use your mattress. If, however, you find yourself at home with a defunct mattress, you can repair it with the right tools. While some air mattresses may come with repair kits for leaks in the air mattress, you may find yourself without a way to fix your broken bed. Thus, it is always a good idea to make sure you have an air mattress repair kit. The internet provides several outlets for learning how to repair a broken mattress and even Intex has even uploaded a custom video which shows viewers how to patch up small holes in an air mattress. Follow These Steps To Repair Your Intex Airbed Identify the hole and deflate the mattress completely. Clean off the area around the hole. Cut out a small patch of material to cover the hole. Add adhesive to the patch and place it over the hole.
Place a heavy object (such as a large book or cement block) over the patched area and leave for twelve hours. Once you have allowed plenty of time for the new patch to stick, inflate the mattress in order to make sure the new patch works. Note: if the patch does not adhere easily or effectively, you may have to sand down the area around the hole before applying the patch. If you purchased a mattress with a flocked cover–one that is covered in small fibers in order to mimic the feeling of suede for additional comfort while sleeping–you should sand down your mattress after step two as the likelihood of your makeshift patch adhering to the mattress is significantly affected by the textured cover. This one to the right gets great reviews and can be used on more than just an air mattress. If your Intex air mattress pump is broken, you can use alternative methods to inflate your air mattress. Some of these methods may prove convenient if you are out in the middle of the woods with no way to repair your pump or if you cannot make it to the store for any reason.