Uberlite Durability Survey

[Monte Masterson]

I swore I’d never buy any pad with a fabric lighter than 30D, but the low weight of the Uberlite is very tempting. So now that the pad has been out for a few years I just wanted to see what the experience has been like for those who’ve used the Uberlite. Not asking about comfort only durability. Approximately how many nights have you slept on it and how did it hold up? Thanks

[dirtbag]

Only used mine for 6 or 7 nights so far.. so can’t really give a fair review about durability.  However,  I will say that I am not gentle on my gear and I do USE it without babying it.. on that note, i always use my GG thinlight pad under my bivy and the air pad inside…

[Chad Lorenz]

I have used these for work (I’m in the field 4-8 months a year for NOLS) since they came out. For me, they’ve been a 40-60 night pad: I have to warranty them continually for delaminated baffles. I rotate through a size S and and size L depending on the trip. For reference, I’m 6’1 and 205lbs. The warranty process is easy, but always a bummer to have a ‘tumor’ develop on a trip. They are slippery, so a bit of seamgrip or a thinlight underneath solves the problem. I have had very few issues with pinholes in these pads, surprisingly durable on that front, used in a variety of shelters, and with a variety of groundcloths. When possible, I use a thinlight and my pack underneath the pads. For reference, I have gotten over 250 nights easily on my xTherm, with only pinholes to patch from desert trips. Prolites would easily get 500 nights with similar use for me, but I have’t carried them for years.

 

 

[Philip Tschersich]

The Ooberlite has been my main summer pad for the past three years, so I have a couple dozen nights on it so far. I did get one small hole, but I can’t remember what caused it. No baffle delamination for me. I’m around 200 pounds and don’t take any special precautions (i.e., ground cloth or foam pad) under my shelter floor, which is typically 1 ounce DCF. I’m happy with it.

[Dan]

I did get a pinhole after about 5 nights, and unfortunately I had trouble finding it in the field to repair it. I successfully repaired it at home, but haven’t used it since then, and went back to my xlite, which has been flawless for years.

[DWR D]

10 nights… no problems… I use a thinlight pad under it and in a tent…

only reason I don’t use it more is that it is not as warm as  my xLite

[Jerry Adams]

I finally gave up on my prolite and got an uberlite

7 nights without problem

ask me again in a year and I should have more data : )

[Justin Mckinney]

I’ve had my Uberlite for a few years, used on many  trips . I use a thin piece  foam under it as well as a Tyvek ground sheet under my shelter. It’s a great pad. Lightweight , comfortable and surprisingly rugged. I think the key to comfort in the pad, is to not blow it up to the max. I’ve had no problems with it.

[John S.]

“I use a thin piece foam under it as well as a Tyvek ground sheet under my shelter.”

The keys to longevity of any air mat.

[jj]

i have about 70ish nights with a small uberlite, no issues yet.

[Monte Masterson]

Thank you very much for the replies. I pulled the trigger on a short Uberlite from campsaver. They have them marked down 25% and then I got another 10% off using code BCE10. Total price including tax was just under $136.

I’ve been using a short X-Lite for years with no issues.

[jscott]

“I use a thin piece foam under it as well as a Tyvek ground sheet under my shelter.”

The keys to longevity of any air mat.”

Yes. When people report issues with any pad, I always wonder if they used it naked or with appropriate protection underneath. and no, I’m not talking about them, I’m  speaking about the pad.

Otherwise, HYOY etc.

[Monte Masterson]

I use a 1/8″ MLD Goodnight Evazote 20″ X 60″ under a short X-Lite, so basically the same as GG’s thinlight. MLD site says it adds 0.4 R value.

I also have a 20″ X 72″ MLD 1/4″ thick Evazote (6 oz) so double the R value. It’s twice as good for sitting around camp too and what’s more it can be folded in half and doubled up to make a 1/2″ thick torso length pad in case the inflatable goes flat. 2.8 R value when paired with Uberlite. Can also be used as a stand-alone pad for the most spartan of ultralighters. https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/1-4-foam-pad/

[Kristoffer Fredriksson]

Got one with the old style valve when they had good prices due to introducing the new valve. Mine had issues from the start. So far I only used it last year on a 12 night trip and it leaked very slowly. Not much but enough to be noticeable after a few hours. Checked for leaks when I got home and saw some strange production irregularities on the edges. It was very hard to tell if it leaked there – sometimes it looked like it and sometimes not but got it approved for a warranty repair. When I got it back they had fixed two small holes on the top (that I hadn’t found), but not the edge so it still leaked very slowly… fixed the edge myself with some shoe repair and now it seems fine.

Switched back to the old XLite this year which I’ve been using for years without issues.

 

[bradmacmt]

I have used these for work (I’m in the field 4-8 months a year for NOLS) since they came out. For me, they’ve been a 40-60 night pad: I have to warranty them continually for delaminated baffles. I rotate through a size S and and size L depending on the trip.

That’s what I call a real-world post. It’s reports like yours since its first year on the market that have kept me from buying one. Makes me think that perhaps the Uberlite falls into the “stupid light” category?

[Jerry Adams]

that’s like the old prolite

they delaminated after a while

then, they introduced newer models that were a little heavier, but didn’t mention it was because of delamination

[AK Granola]

Looks like you already made your decision but I’ll chime in anyway. Have had mine since March 2019, one of the early versions with the old type valve (which some people had problems with). I have used it a total of 63 times, had to actually go through and count! I might be undercounting by about 7 days; I can’t figure out what I was doing in August 2020 when I took a week off work. Senior moment or covid amnesia. Some of the 63 nights were in cabins on wooden bunks; most were out on the ground somewhere, many in the Sierra on rocky ground.

I have had no issues with mine, although it is slippery if your site isn’t level. I am not super careful nor careless with my gear; I just use it. I do use a 1/8″ foam underneath, although sometimes I’ve used it on top of the uberlite if I’m slipping too much. I put any extra gear next to my arms so they don’t flop off the pad onto the cold ground.

I like how light and small it is. If it gives up the ghost on a trip, I’ll make do and just choose sites more carefully. It’s worth the risk to me, to have the lighter weight.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

I’ve been using these semi-regularly since they came out. First one had a baffle delaminate inside (‘tumor’) so that was replaced under warranty (took 8 months). Second one has been going okay but also has delamination inside now. It’s formed a double baffle at my head that conveniently works as kind of a pillow so I haven’t bothered to warranty it.  Repaired one cut in it which worked for a while (10 nights) but it has a slow leak again now.

If they could fix the delamination I think it would be okay to use, but definitely is a trade off in durability. You want to be more willing/skilled at field patching since I have a hard time going 10-20 nights without getting a little hole in it. The weight is amazing though, which is why I keep using it.

[Jerry Adams]

maybe I’ll need to bring the little patch kit that came with it

given that my new one weighs 10.2 ounces rather than the advertised 8.8 ounces, maybe they made some changes to improve the delamination problem

that is the pattern I observed with the prolite – my first prolite delaminated after a while, my second one didn’t for a long time, and then there was a very minor bubble forming so I bought a third one.  The weight increased over time a few ounces

[Brad W]

Doesn’t bringing a thinlight pad almost negate the weight savings? Why not just use the Xlite?

[bradmacmt]

Doesn’t bringing a thinlight pad almost negate the weight savings? Why not just use the Xlite?

Quit interjecting logic. This is BPL.

[Mike M]

Probably 35-40 nights for me- no problems (knocking on wood).  I am pretty darn careful with it where I use it, much more so than my Xtherm.  My Xtherm gets the call 75% of the time just due to expected temperatures, but it is very svelte when I can use it :)

[AK Granola]

The thin light is multi use. I pull it out for breaks, naps, sitting on dirt or cold rock and if the main pad breaks at least I have something.

[Monte Masterson]

I use the MLD Goodnight (thinlight) under my X-Lite as well. You might be surprised to know that a 30D inflatable can in fact get punctured. And as Alaska Granola says, the Evazote is good for sitting around camp, enhancing R value and providing at least a little padding if the air mat goes flat. Greatly reduces pad slippage on a silnylon/silpoly floor too. And at 2.3 oz (20″ X 60″ X 1/8″) how much of a weight penalty is it really.

I see the GG thinlight is weighing a little more nowadays than for a same dimensions Goodnight. Seems like the thinlight used to weigh less. Maybe slightly denser foam with the new batch? I don’t know. Actually I found Ron’s Evazote to weigh a little less than what’s posted on the MLD website. https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/goodnight-eva-1-8-foam-pad/

 

[Bas]

I had blown top baffles on the first one after 4 days. The second one held up fine last seasons including a 10 day bikepacking trip in very challenging terrain. It developed a tiny puncture (hard to locate) the last night. It is a delicate piece of gear and it needs extra protection *I use a Tyvek layer beneath bivy or tent. But still little thorns easily pierce it.

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