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) 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.HOW TO REPLACE POLE SEGMENTSTips and Tricks (PDF)STORING After each trip, make sure your tent and all its components are completely dry before storing. This is the most effective way to prevent mold and mildew from forming on your tent and to prevent damage to the waterproof finishes. If you are storing your tent for extended periods of time, keep the tent and contents loosely in a breathable storage sack; do not store it in its stuff sack. Store the tent in a cool, dry, and dark area, away from direct exposure to sunlight.If your tent is exposed to dirt, sand, etc., you can wipe it down with a wet cloth. For excessive dirt, remove any airbeams (if applicable) and hand wash the tent with a technical fabric wash like Nikwax Tech Wash® or McNett ReviveX® Synthetic Fabric Cleaner. Do not wash in washing machines with agitators as it can tear the fabric. Hand washing and air drying is best. Do not use bleach and do not iron.
It is also important to keep the zippers clean, so if exposed to dirt, sand, or salt air, wipe the zipper down with a wet cloth. In excessive cases, wash and then treat and lubricate the zippers with McNett Zip Care™ or a silicone zipper spray (popular in dive shops). For the tent airbeams, wipe down the excess dirt with a wet and/or soapy cloth. Make sure to keep water out of the valves (keep valves closed).Footprints do not need as much care as they can be exposed to more dirt and are more abrasion resistant compared to the tents. If they must be washed, follow the same steps as above for the tents.Pawprints can be washed with a standard detergent or with a technical fabric wash like Nikwax Tech Wash® or McNett ReviveX® Synthetic Fabric Cleaner in a washing machine with no agitator.DRYINGDo not machine dry your tent. Be sure to let your tent fully line-dry before storing loosely in a cool, dry environment. Make sure to dry your tent away from direct sunlight as extended exposure to UV is harmful to the fabrics.
You can machine dry your Pawprint on low to medium heat.REPAIRSIf you need to re-treat the outer Durable Water Resistant (DWR) finish, you can use a spray-on product like Nikwax Tent & Gear SolarProof® or McNett ReviveX® Spray-On Water Repellent after the tent has been cleaned. Damaged seam tape can be repaired by using McNett Seam Grip® over the damaged area, as well ensuring waterproofing by treating the exterior seams of the tent.Fix a rip by using a clear Tenacious Tape™ patch by Gear Aid™. Just clean the area and peel and stick the patch. You’ll have a durable, nearly invisible repair that won’t leave behind sticky residue like duct tape will. For extra strength or for repairing mesh, you can patch both sides of the fabric.Repairing a leak in your AST™ tent is as easy as changing your bicycle tube inside the tire. If the leak is small, the bladder may simply be repaired with a small sticker patch placed over the hole. Two of these patches are included with the tent. If the puncture in the bladder is large, the entire bladder will need to be replaced.
Fully deflate airbeam and remove the bladder through the Velcro® access panel to find the leak. Hint: Pull a spare bladder into place by tying it to the end of the damaged bladder. Or tie cord to the end of the bladder before removing to help get the bladder back into place once repaired. After determining the size of the leak, patch or replace the bladder. Reinstall the bladder, making sure not to twist it or snag it on the Velcro®. Close Velcro® panels evenly to prevent exposed Velcro® from causing damage to your new bladder.If a pole breaks when you’re out in the field, use the included pole repair sleeve and some duct tape to temporarily fix your pole. Be careful of sharp and jagged pole ends and slide the pole sleeve over the damaged pole sections. Tape (or wedge) the sleeve in place. The pole sleeve can be wedged into place with a stick or stake if you don’t have duct tape on hand.SEAM SEALING YOUR TENT Although most NEMO tents are fully taped and waterproof, three tents (Tenshi™,Moki™, and Quantum™ Elite) are sewn through certain areas for extra strength.