Membrane silpoly sleeve for 1/8″ Evazote foam pad

[Monte Masterson]

Quick and easy DIY project to protect your pad. This is for one that measures 20″ X 60″.

In the past I’ve had trouble with the edges of 1/8″ Evazote getting bungled and disfigured when it’s inside of my pack. What’s more if the pad is secured to the outside the thin foam can easily get scratched and shredded. So I cut out a 25″ X 13″ piece of .93 silpoly and did a 2 fold hem (1/2″) on one end. On the other end I sewed on a 1″ X 1/2″ rectangular piece of X-Pac and burned a small hole in the middle to thread shockcord through (for long term durability). Then I folded material together long ways, pinned and sewed a line 1/4″ from edge. After that I turned the cylinder inside out. Next I took 1 mm polyester cord and folded the silpoy over once and sewed. Topped it off with a ZPacks tiny cordlock. Total weight 7 gm. At only 3 1/2″ diameter the protected Evazote cylinder will also fit well in a lower side pocket.

On the bottom I simply took a 4 1/2″ piece of 1/2″ wide grosgrain and sewed it onto the hem in the middle. That’s much much easier than sewing on a solid circle.

[David Gardner]

Cool. Looks like there’s plenty of room for a longer pad too.

Was thinking that for a couple of grams extra a person could also make a bag for multiple uses by making it longer and sewing the end shut like a pillow case, or sewing in a circular piece of fabric for the bottom, and other ways.

[Jerry Adams]

yeah, you’re so close, may as well put a bottom on it.  Probably the same weight as the webbing.

but still, nice project, well done

[Monte Masterson]

You guys are absolutely right. Thanks for the honest criticisms. So I to decided make another pad cover, but this time I went with a #3 separating zipper and a solid bottom. Honestly the Evazote pad was hell to get in the first prototype (above) and if there’s one thing I hate is something that’s slow and tedious to pack up in the morning. With this latest iteration I can pack the 20″ X 60″ Evazote in about 10 seconds. It is 9 gm heavier at 16 gm, but well worth the extra weight penalty IMO. Pad and cover together weigh 3 oz.

And this is with the pad cover zipped up. I was in a hurry and made a slip cutting the silpoly between the 2 zipper sections with a rotary knife…dope!! Should have taken my time with an Exacto knife instead. Anyway, that’s why you see the patch. Not professional looking yet very functional.

On the top I sewed on 3/8″ wide flat elastic to the hem in order to keep the pad in.

[Chris R]

You could just make a wrap. Flat rectangle of fabric and a Velcro closure. Wrap it around the cylinder of foam and then tuck the ends into the open ends of the mat. I have something similar for the titanium stove pipe of my Ti Goat stove.

[Monte Masterson]

Great idea Chris. I’d love to see pics. It would be lighter than my creation for sure. Maybe not quite as fast and easy to pack up, but the weight savings could be worth it.

[David Gardner]

Excellent. Didn’t mean anything as a “criticism, just tossing ideas out there.

Like…if you made a simple tube with closed end/round base using waterproof material [edit: the membrane material is w.p., right?] and seam seal it, it could also serve as a large water bag, food sack for a bear hang, be stuffed as a pillow, etc.

Hang it from the drawstring, and with the addition of a tiny outlet nozzle you could dual-use it as a gravity feed water bag. Use dark material and let it sit in the sun all day at a base camp, and you have a hot shower. True backcountry luxury.

[Sam Farrington]

Monte,

If you are looking for a good SUL fabric to protect a foam pad, my experience with RBR membranes has not been good.  Some of that has been reported by Stephen Seeber on OPs.  Think a paraglider fabric like Skytex 32 from Extrem Textil might be lighter, yet more durable.  Just my two cents, as I use a heavier fabric for my pad that also accepts and protects the folded carbon poles. Come to think, maybe I will make something new.  It would cut out some weight.  Thanks for bringing it up.

 

 

 

[R L]

Nice.  Thanks for sharing.  ~RL

[Craig]

Really nice – but just curious monte, why didnt you just fold the pad flat? I do that, and it creates a thin padded layer on the back wall which is pretty protected and out of the way. I find the rolled way annoying to flatten which the folded version addresses. Im interested to hear what you see in the roll.

[Monte Masterson]

I’ve tried packing the 1/8″ foam the way you describe, but over time I’ve always had problems with the thin Evazote getting somewhat disfigured when other items push against it. The volume of 20″ X 60″ X 1/8″ is 2.5 L when flat and it’s about 3.4 L in rolled cylinder form, however, when inside of a pack the cylinder can be flattened a little to decrease volume to around 3 L.

And I can attach the pad to the outside of my pack when it’s in the silpoly sleeve, whereas without the cover I wouldn’t do it because I’ve learned the hard way that the Evazote will otherwise get shredded. I can place the pad on the outside when pack is full of food and water and then bring it back in when food volume decreases. Another advantage of the sleeve is how I can simply pull the pad out of the pack throughout the day to sit on, but when it’s just flat in the pack with other items against it, the pad can be a hassle to pull out or put back in. And lastly when going inside a frameless pack rolled up it helps stiffen up the pack and give it more structure.

Thanks for the good word Craig, but I was in a hurry and did a sloppy job of sewing on the zipper, hence the material is more wrinkly and wavey than it would be if I’d taken my time. I saw as it as being just another prototype really. Now that it looks like the pad cover is going to work I wish I’d done better job. A #2 zipper would cut more weight though.

[Craig]

Thankyou! And yes I can see if you had it outside yr pack, and yep it would be easier to slip it back it at lunch time.
And the job is functional and that is what is most attractive to me, so I still think you did a good job – if it works and holds up its good

[Monte Masterson]

Even with the smallest 30L SUL pack (17L main body) the 20″ X 60″ X 1/8″ Evazote rides great in a side pocket, as long as I’m not bushwhacking. Near the top of the pack I fashioned a 3/8″ wide flat elastic with biner to help hold the cylinder in. I would never put the Evazote on the outside without the zippered pad cover because it’ would be too limp and vulnerable to scratching, tearing and becoming disfigured. Of course with a taller larger volume pack carrying the Evazote on the outside works even better.

[Ratatosk]

I guess now you got to figure out what kind of whisky bottle will fit inside the pad.

[Author]

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