It happened…the dreaded flat pad at 2AM (Exped SynMat UL7)

Ugh, I'm sorry. That sucks.

It's strange that it would cut the pad without affecting the tent floor!

I am a fan of a two mat system for comfort and durability, in case one deflates for some reason.

http://40yearsofwalking.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/current-thoughts-on-sleeping-pads/

thinking out loud here:

maybe folding a RidgeRest in half doubling it up for the torso area and using the pack for the legs might work and save weight without the need for the air pad and repair kit?

i carry a full length REI Lite-Core 1.5 self inflating pad. i'm a side sleeper and have tried many things and the 1.5" self inflating pad seems the best solution. in the winter i use a RidgeRest under the Lite-Core for added warmth.

i always carry the patch kit.

"It did not cut the floor of the tent just got the pad."

There are big bucks to be made with this technology.
Explain or duplicate this and the world will beat a path to your door.

Might not be a bad idea.

Andy – thanks

Yeah I thought that was weird about the floor too. The cut was basically where my shoulder was. Usually I try to kind of take it easy on the pad when moving around, being 255lbs and all. I was just flipping in my sleep this time though so not really awake enough to care. The floor was sil (TT Contrail).

I saw another pad on a thread here recently I think the same thing happened where it cut the pad but not the floor.

Oh well, live and learn.

(On a positive note, I loved the TT Contrail)

Bummer; I worry about this too. I carry the GG thinlight pad for protection from sharp objects beneath my synmat 7; also I suppose it adds a bit of insulation. The weight penalty is modest. Maybe I need to upgrade to a thicker version! Now that I think about it, I also carry GG's clear footprint material that is also ridiculously lightweight and, being clear, lets you double check for sharp objects after you lay it down. Hard to say if any of this would have helped in your situation.

…

There is an old saying in medicine:

"Nothing good happens at 2AM…"

agree with doubling up … you can get a cheap 1/8 pad that you can also use as frame cushioning in yr pack …

in colder conditions i just use a neo air with a cheap thicker foam mat …. i use it UNDER the air pad, while this isnt the most "efficient", it protects the air mat

redundancy is not UL, nor is bringing a repair kit … but as you found out, if something goes wrong, youll be glad to have it

"There are big bucks to be made with this technology.
Explain or duplicate this and the world will beat a path to your door." -Greg

Easy, there is a difference between something splitting and something being cut. My guess is that his pad "split" do to the concentrated pressure of the rock and his body weight.
Think of a balloon. You could cut it with a knife to let the air out, or you could squeeze it so hard that it bursts. No need to physically "cut" something to create an opening for the air to escape.

OK world, I'm ready! ;)

"It did not cut the floor of the tent just got the pad."

There are big bucks to be made with this technology.
Explain or duplicate this and the world will beat a path to your door.

I somehow managed similar with bike tires long ago. Well into an all day ride bucking a strong wind on the way home I made a snap decision to turn on a cross road to get a break from the wind. Promptly rolled straight over a sharp pyramid shaped rock with both wheels.

Tires undamaged but two pierced tubes.

But I had a patch kit! Found a shade tree, patched both tubes, reached for the frame pump … not there:-( (I had used it for something else a couple days before and didn't put it back)

Fortunately, it was "only" a 4 mile walking backtrack to the nearest gas station with a air hose. Unfortunately, I had a time critical commitment to make and I had promised that there was "no chance" that I'd return too late, ouch!

…

"redundancy is not UL, nor is bringing a repair kit … but as you found out, if something goes wrong, youll be glad to have it"

why is bringing a repair kit not UL?

there is a difference in reducing the weight by finding a multi-use replacement, lighter replacement, or omitting the item, but to say that not bringing a repair kit for an item that is easily damaged is rather daft. risking 3 nights of bad sleep are not worth the 0.40 ounces saved.

In case it matters, I inflated using a pillow pump not breath.

I think a thin foam pad would have probably protected me from the rock that did the damage. I thought about something like the GG 1/8" pad but ultimately my confidence in air mattresses is further shaken for several reasons.

(1) This particular rock that did the damage I should have probably seen/cleared away but when I went to pack up I noticed several other smaller rocks that could have been problematic too, so many that in order to really make this particular site safe for my air mat I would have really had to go to town on it. I don't like the idea of having to clear an area that thoroughly to not worry. Not only for the labor of it but throwing a couple rocks and pine cones to the side is one thing, having to dig up rocks with a tent stake, rake an area clean, that sort of thing kind of starts getting into a LNT question.

(2) I have never had an air mattress of any kind not eventually leak on me. I am not a super careful or small person, I usually have my dog with me, and for whatever reason any air mattress I have owned has left me on the cold, hard ground at one point or another. I thought this high dollar job would be different but the inherent flaw remains.

(3) Just the other day my dad gave me a self inflating two man mat he bought and had never used. It is not a thermorest, I think it may be REI brand, not sure. The other day my wife and I set it up in the bedroom to see how comfortable it would be for car camping. My 18lb terrier hopped down off the bed onto it and put his toenail through it. This is just one more failure in a long line of air inflated mattress failures for me.

My experiences with air mattresses as a whole leave my confidence shaken especially for backpacking where reliability can be so important. Therefore, for now, I am going to move into the realm of closed cell foam and find a system that works for me. I may end up eventually with an air mattress component to that system but I vow to never be 100% reliant on an air mattress in the future.

Is there a seam in the floor close to the Mystery Spot?

I agree, going with a lighter air mattress and carrying a .4oz repair kit is UL to me. The reverse would be carrying an air mattress that is bomb proof and weighs a ton more but was so tough you would never need a repair kit.

Having the patch kit would have solved my problem. The hole was easy to find, the rock easily removed (I unzipped the tent, reached out and did away with it immediately, it was one of those iceberg type rocks where the tip was only 5% of the rock, the rest was under the dirt).

However, I don't really want to repair anything in the field if I can help it. Also going forward there would be a HUGE worry factor for me with this mat. Paranoia every time I flip over or put any weight on it. I won't do that.

"Is there a seam in the floor close to the Mystery Spot?"

No, the floor of the tent has a seam but closer to hip area, the hole was at the shoulder area.

"…but I vow to never be 100% reliant on an air mattress in the future."

Yep, lesson learned. If you fail to bring a patch kit or some proper means of sealing up a hole you will inevitably get a flat. A torso length foam pad, such as a cut down ridgerest would have made a huge difference and would have likely prevented the incident altogether and provided minimum insulation and mild comfort. I think your 255lb frame warrants some diligence in preparing your sleeping area, even smaller folks should be cautious.

What's the denier on the Synmat? 30D? 70D?

"why is bringing a repair kit not UL?"

any extra gear aint UL so they tell me ;)

as said a thin foam pad that you use for yr pack support will help prevent the issue, though not eliminate it … it is always possible as well that a hole may not be patchable

you take a certain amount of risk when using a single air pad … not to say you shouldnt …. there have been many stories about pads deflating and people having to make do or bail … air pad failure IMO are one of the more common problems people experience with their gear

the trick is to assess the risk and know what to do should it happen to you …

…

If memory serves, the mat is 20d. I use a 1/4" pad under mine for protection and frame sheet for my pack that is 3/4 length.

A similar situation got me to cut a closed cell pad in half and buy a prolite xs to go over that and use my pack under my legs The 1/2 length cc foam gets used for a lot of other uses. It makes a great sit pad and kneel pad when setting up/taking down camp a wind screen, shower mat, kitchen table, fishin rod case. It is not near as comfy as my synmat UL. The Synmat Ul has never let me down but my old reg synmat developed a slow leak and was replaced under warrenty by Exped with mat of my choice. I was very happy with the Exped warrenty dept. Maybe my prolite xs and my synmat ul need to go on gear swap and get replaced with a shorter/lighter inflatable and pack the close cell pad cause sooner or later…

Years ago I went over to inflatable and I'm not going back! I'll take the slim risk of a bad night's sleep(or more)on a good inflatable over the CERTAINTY of sleeping agony on anything else. For years I used the original Exped downmat 7 short which is heavy but tough as nails. No leaks. Comfy! Last year I went with the Synmat 7. Knock on wood. It clearly feels flimsier that the downmat. I do go through a pretty rigorous routine checking/clearing the ground before pitching my tent. Also, I never use my pad in a chair kit–just the GG thinmat–because I'm worried that it'll get ruptured.

I once was able to provide a repair kit to a backpacker that had sprung a leak on his first night out on the JMT; it worked and made me feel great. Perhaps I've been living on Karma-time, which has just run out now that I've written this!