I had some bad luck when I purchased my Therm-a-Rest ProLite 4.  FedEx dropped it off on Friday afternoon before a weekend camping trip.  There was no time to give it a proper back yard test before heading out on the trail.

The ProLite is so thin and compact when it’s still in the shipping bag I didn’t even take it out.  It went right from the FedEx package into my pack.  This is when I first learned the importance of always checking your gear before a trip.

The ProLite slept like a dream for about three hours that night; right up until I woke up sleeping on the ground.  I had to blow it up three times before the night was through.  A slow leak in my brand new, sate of the art Therm-a-Rest cost me any refreshing sleep that weekend.

Patching a sleeping pad is a skill every owner will need at some point, so I guess it’s just as well I had to learn right from the start.

The first step is too identify the spot of the leak.  The bath tub test works best for this.  Just inflate your pad and put it in a tub full of water.  Therm-a-Rests can be folded in half and completely submerged.  This makes spotting the leak quick and easy.

My Big Agnes Air Core is a little more unwieldy.  I have to use more of a dunk and rotate method to get every part of that big girl under the water.

In either case a tell tale stream of bubbles will let you pinpoint your leak.

Now to patch that leak.  This is where a trusty tube of SeamGrip comes in.  This stuff is pure magic.  In terms of multi-tasking, SeamGrip is just below duct tape and zip ties.

I’ve used it to fix the sole of a blown out boot, repair the buckle on my backpack, and even plug the leak in aluminum boat.  Its also the best thing for patching sleeping pads.  There is always a tube of this stuff in my pack.

Just put a few drops on the leak and give it a good 8-10 hours to dry.  After a miserable night on a leaky pad a few drops of SeamGrip can save the rest of your trip.

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