If you’ve ever had a sleeping pad deflate while camping then you know the frustration of waking up in the middle of the night on the cold hard ground. With the prices of sleeping pads soaring these days, it can be a little scary to think that all it takes is a pinhole to ruin your pad. The fact is, however, that sleeping pads are fairly easy to fix. Below I will explain how to find leaks and permanently repair them.
Determine that there is a leak.
Now, if you’ve recently been camping and you woke up in the middle of the night to a deflated pad then there is little doubt that you have a leak. Still, its a good idea to make sure that the valve didn’t come loose or a change in temperature or pressure didn’t affect the firmness of the pad. The best way to do this is to check the pad at home in a controlled environment. Do this by fully inflating the pad, folding it one or more times, and setting a heavy bag or something similar on top. Note that some holes are so small that they required a substantial amount of pressure to “activate” the leak. Double check that the valve is properly secured. Allow the pad to sit for at least 8 hours (generally overnight). At the end of the sitting period, check if the sleeping pad has deflated a noticeable amount. If so, then you probably have a leak. If not, then the pad likely doesn’t have a significant leak.
Locate the leak.
If the source of the leak is obvious, say, a visible hole or tear, then you can skip this section. Otherwise, you’ll first want to check that the valve is not the source of the leak. You can do this by fully inflating the pad, putting pressure on it, and spraying the valve with soapy water in a spray bottle. If the valve is leaking, bubbles will be produced by the soapy water. Repair of valves is outside the scope of this guide.
The fastest and easiest way to locate a pinhole leak is by the submersion method. Fill a bathtub or other large container with enough water to fully submerge portions of the sleeping pad. As you submerge each portion, allow the water to settle and look for any air bubbles escaping. Be sure to apply pressure to the pad when submerging it. Leaks will also fizz and gargle when wetted. If you think you already know where the pad is leaking, you can spray that spot with the soapy water and look for bubbles.
When the leak is located, remove the pad and dry the area around the leak with a towel. Next, note the exact spot or lightly mark it with a pen or marker.
Once the leak is located and marked, allow the pad to dry by placing it outside or using a towel.
Patch the leak.
Holes, scrapes, and tears larger than a pinhole will require a patch and adhesive. Most sleeping pads come with a patch kit that includes patching fabric and field repair stickers. You will need to buy some type of adhesive to seal the the patch. I recommend Gear Aid Seam Grip.
First, you will want to cut the patch so that it will cover the entire damaged area and about a half inch around it. Next, apply adhesive to the patch using a brush. Be sure to cover the entire area of the patch with a thin layer.
Apply the patch to the damaged area, press firmly, and cover with a smooth, hard, and flat object.
Put a weight on the area and allow to cure for at least 12 hours.
For pinholes, the process is much more simple. All you need is the adhesive and a toothpick.
Coat the pinhole with about a 1/8 inch dap of adhesive and allow to dry for at least 12 hours.
Do a final test of the sleeping pad.
Now that the adhesive is cured, the sleeping pad is ready for its final tests. First, you will want to fully inflate the pad. Put some weight on it and spray the repaired area with soapy water. This will let you know if your patch is working. Next perform the same weighted test that was done at the beginning. With the pad inflated, fold it over one or more times and set some weight on it for at least 8 hours. If the pad is still fully inflated at the end of it then it is ready to go.
Enjoy a good nights sleep.
Breath a sigh of relief knowing that your sleeping pad is fully functional again. Now get out there under the stars.
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