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Neoair Xtherm losing air snow camping… leak or effects of cold?
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Home › Forums › General Forums › General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion › Neoair Xtherm losing air snow camping… leak or effects of cold?
- This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 4 months ago by Kevin L.
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Dec 3, 2017 at 5:46 pm #3505314
My brand new neoair xtherm went flat TWICE in one night on my first snow camping trip. I started off with the pad inflated TAUGHT (as in as full as I can get it) at 4:30pm. It was dark and I was in bed by 5:45pm. By 9:45pm I was freezing because the pad was half empty and I was on the ground. I reinflated to TAUGHT and slept well until i awoke freezing on the ground with the pad half inflated. I could not tell you when this happened, but I estimatebefore 5am. I roughed it and did not bother reinflating again.
The outside temps were in the teens (F) and at worst in the high single digets. I was in a single wall/floored tent with a footprint. I packed out/shoveled a base so I was on ~6″ snow over dirt. in my living room (70*F) the pad goes from TAUGHT to still acceptably inflated but noticeably less taught over night.
Is my pad leaking or is the cold air just causing my PSI to drop through the literal floor? Would a CCF pad underneath fix this? Return the pad? I have never had this problem with self inflating OCF pads…
Dec 3, 2017 at 5:57 pm #3505319It’s leaking. Likely small pin hole. Time to find a bathtub or pool to dunk in to find the slow leak.
Dec 3, 2017 at 6:06 pm #3505325You definitely have a leak on your pad. You normally would need to top off your mat in cold weather specially if using your mouth to inflate it, as the warm air of your breath cools down it has less volume.  For winter I like to carry an inflatable summer pad (I use the Exped synmat UL7 which has a R Value of 3.1) and I also carry also a close cell foam (ie, thermarest Z-Lite which has an R Value of 2.6 ). This gives me the added R-Value 5.7 which is good enough for my trips. I also inflate my pad with a pump-bag (schnozzel) so the air that goes into my pad is pretty close to ambient temp.
I like the double pad setup as if one fails, the close cell foam will still provide me with some insulation, also it is great for sitting in the snow when taking breaks or when doing camp chores that require kneeling. (Much nicer to kneel on the soft CC pad than in the cold snow).
Dec 3, 2017 at 8:38 pm #3505349Thanks. Didn’t think this was normal but it was “acceptable” in my living room. I inflate with an air tap pump sack and top iff with 3-4 breathes since I am not jedi enough to get it super taught with the pump sack and two way valve. I will not repair and would rather return since it was just purchased.
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