Any Ideas on How to Protect an Air Mattress?

Having a “floor”, polycro groundsheet, and/or thin foam mat for the underside can help.

Hikers who are out hiking most days of the year swear by Tenacious Tape to fix any leaks.

It’s more about protecting the bottom side of the pad, at least if you always keep anything sharp out of your pockets that could puncture it. I’ve gone to using 1.43 oz DCF groundsheets under all tent floors, bivys or when cowboy camping. Tyvek works great too, but it holds more water, is a bit heavier and doesn’t clean as easily as DCF. It’s way cheaper though.

Many backpackers place a 1/8″ evazote foam under pad to protect it and then only a very light polycro for groundsheet, however, I personally still like the heavy DCF groundsheet regardless because if the air pad moves off the evazote during the night it can be vulnerable to punctures.

And lastly just make sure no sharp thorns, sticks or anything else are attached to your clothing before laying down….especially in desert terrain.

I see Ripstop by the Rolls sells 1.43 oz DCF by the half yard.

Some might say the 1.43 oz is overkill and that 1.0 DCF is good enough, but I like the peace of mind 1.43 oz provides. It’s pretty tough. You could buy 3 half yards and double sided DCF tape to fashion your own groundsheet. I use an exacto knife with new blade to cut DCF.

I like 30″ wide for solo use. Of course for a 2P shelter you’d need 4 half yards to have enough material. If you have a sewing machine it’s best to do a single fold hem around perimeter but you’d be okay without doing that.

I’m wondering if an alternative approach would just be to buy a more robust air mattress. Either way you will be carrying extra weight.

FWIW, except for the UberLite, I haven’t had problems with inflatable mattresses, just taking normal precautions. I used to worry about punctures from my dogs, for example, but that hasn’t been a problem.

I have the NeoAir Xlite and have not had a leak. But, I am so dependent on that thing for a good night’s sleep it makes me nervous if it has a leak that I can’t repair in the field. I use a space blanket under it, but by morning there are usually small sticks and whatnots near the pad because I usually sleep under a tarp and I guess stuff just gets on to the space blanket. So, I was thinking of creating a pillow case for it made out of something hard to penetrate.

The chair kit I use covers the pad, top and bottom, which is the reason I got that one. +1 on the CCF pad, too.

I agree with Dan. Put weight into a tougher pad instead of a thin pad plus foam pad.

I’ve had I think 5 different Thermareast Prolite pads of various types. None catastrophically failed except one that had a knife dropped on it. After a lot of use one or two developed slow leaks but I could still get half a nights sleep before they were noticeably deflated.

I have used a Neoairs for 10+ years in the desert SW with all its sharp rocks and nasty thorns. No other pads, no footprints.  Had a few delaminate in the early days.  Only once had a leak when I foolishly rolled it up outside my tent on the ground.

1/8″ evazote foam is a multi-use item. Does far more than just protect the bottom of an inflatable. I double fold evazote to cushion the glutes for sitting around camp. Also serves as a backup in case air mat deflates in the middle of the night…folded in half it provides 1/4″ torso support under hips and shoulders. Not much, but way better than nothing. Many backpackers also like the foam to keep their inflatable pad from slipping on sil coated floors. And lastly the 1/8″ evazote adds about 0.4 R value…..20″ X 60″ only weighs 2.2 oz.

A 1.43 oz DCF groundsheet measuring 30″ X 80″ tips the scale at 2.65 oz, so not a big weight penalty really. However, can’t blame anyone for wanting a 40D – 70D pad to provide more durability and peace of mind, but the weight jumps way up over the NeoAir X-Lite. For shorter distances where I want more durability I pack a NeoAir Venture 50D (regular) that weighs 19 oz. It’s only 2″ thick with 2.2 R value, but it provides higher confidence. Very affordable too https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/trek-and-travel/neoair-venture-sleeping-pad/neoair-venture.html

“…but by morning there are usually small sticks and whatnots near the pad because I usually sleep under a tarp and I guess stuff just gets on to the space blanket.”

Another reason to use a tent. It keeps my bag clean too.

I use polycryo under the tent to keep the floor clean and give a first line of protection from sharp objects. Another advantage of Polycryo is that it’s clear, so you can see what’s beneath it before laying down the tent. And then I also use an 1/8th inch Evazote pad inside of my tent and beneath the bag. This adds a tiny bit of insulation as well as robust protection from  sharp pine cone needles, etc.

Despite all my best efforts, I’ll eventually make a mistake when laying down my tent (rain, cold, exhaustion, etc.). So the Ezavote especially is a worthwhile weight to carry to ensure a functioning pad. (2-3 ounces?)

is any air pad “robust” enough to withstand a prickly Ponderosa or Lodgepole needle? I wonder.

I mildly worry about a puncture, but I figure I’ll survive. I have other things to put under me if needed and if I’ve hiked hard enough, I’ll sleep. So far so good on some 80+ nights on my old Uberlite. It started deflating a bit on a recent trip, but not fully. The company sent me a brand new one to replace it. Whatta deal.

It seems like there are not a small number of “my mattress deflated” stories, even with protective ground sheets and extra pads.

I am not a person who knows how to sew, but I am going to try and make an air mattress pillow case out of some material and see how that works.

I also know very little about DCF, or any of the newer fabrics. Anyone have a fabric suggestion?

Thanks,

LK

It seems like there are not a small number of “my mattress deflated” stories, even with protective ground sheets and extra pads.

Not sure where you are seeing all these reports of punctures, but maybe you are referring to other threads or other forums.

Certainly, the more you put around the pad and the stronger the material, the more it will resist punctures. Frankly, I’m not sure where you stop, since the NeoAir Xlite is already very puncture resistant, IMO, but if it gives you peace of mind, maybe it is worth it. Everyone needs to find their own comfort level, and mine ended at the Uberlite. After experiencing my third failure, I gave up on that model, but every other pad has been totally acceptable to me.

Inflatable pads can fail in many ways, and in my experience, I’ve had more combined problems from delamination, baffle failures, or valve problems, which won’t be helped by a protective fabric layer. So if the pad’s integrity is a major concern for you, a lightweight back-up pad might be an alternative use of weight. From my perspective, pad failure is very uncommon, and while it can be an inconvenience, it’s not life threatening. So it is not where I would personally choose to add weight.

I see your point and appreciate your cumulative experiences with these mattresses. I do have a 1/8″ Thinlight foam pad that I carry with me as backup.

Funny story. I’m not sure if I can dig up the photos, but my wife once forgot her pad and we didn’t realize until we were setting up the tent. We ended up gathering a bunch of leaves and pine boughs and wrapped them in a poncho that we put under her side of the tent. It worked well enough that, the next morning, she decided to go on with the trip instead of heading back, so we did it again the next night.

If you don’t sew and you want to make a protective sleeve for your air mat, the lighter 1443R Tyvek (not the Home Wrap) might be something to consider. It’s flexible, durable, puncture resistant and can be bonded with mylar tape (or glued). It can also be sewn but the tape alone works fine. This is what people make breathable Tyvek bivys out of. Weighs 1.25 oz/sq yd. Wouldn’t be as slippery as nylons or polyesters either. https://www.questoutfitters.com/uncoated_fabrics.htm#TYVEK

A 15D Argon 90 or 10D Argon 67 would be lighter, but not nearly as protective. And of course you’d have to sew it in order to make a pad cover. https://dutchwaregear.com/product-category/fabrics/fabric-type/breathable/

Thanks for great thread. I took a look at Rip Stop. They have a LOT of choices including heavier DCF. So, question is 1.4 DCF *the* choice? Would heavier give any significant improvement in puncture protection? Any other fabric a better candidate? I’m guessing that someone would have mentioned it if there was a better candidate, but still thought I’d ask to be 100% sure

Regarding pad and tent punctures due to dogs in the tent. I put dog socks on them before settling in, been working well for years. There are many on the market and lightweight to boot! (sorry)

Lowell,

Klymit has fitted sheet covers for their regular pads that measure 23″ X 72″ (for 20″ wide pads). One is an 11 oz polyester/spandex and the other is a 14 oz 30D stretch polyester. They’re heavy but I believe this might be what you have in mind. https://klymit.gathroutdoors.com/products/v-sheet-v-sheet

I made a quilt liner/cover out of Argon90 quite awhile back to protect the down. Tried using inside the quilt as a liner and outside the quilt as a cover. Ended in total failure due to trapping excessive moisture inside and outside the bag depending on how I used it. Maybe I’ll try using it as a pad cover. I recall it being around 3-4 oz. Every time I find ways to take weight out of my base, I find other ways to bring it right back :)

I dare say many of the reoorted “flats” are from baffles that burst. 6-10 years ago it was a “thing”. It still happens depending on brand but there is not field repair. REI, Big Agnes Nemo (Tensor gen 1) and a few others quickly developed that reputation, often from AT hikers since Feb is a big start time. At least on the AT one is just a day or two from an outfitter most of the time. Manufacturing advanced and now blown baffles are rare.

I’ve had leaks, but never a flat. Mostly from my dog. There’s not much out there that’s going to puncture a good mat and if it does, it’ll go through a sheet or get stuck in the sheet.

Socks for the dog. Not a bad idea.

I’ve been using the NeoAir Xlite for 8 years now, never had a leak so far. I almost always use a tent, though I sometimes cowboy camp. I carry an 1/8 Thinlite pad for mattress protection, a bit of extra insulation, as a back up sleeping pad, as a sit pad, and as a mat to stretch on. Many uses for it at just under 2 oz.