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Post by tipiwalter on Nov 22, 2015 5:45:02 GMT -8
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amaruq
Trail Wise!
Call me Little Spoon
Posts: 1,264
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Post by amaruq on Nov 24, 2015 4:36:19 GMT -8
Which brings me to the sleeping pad dilemma and replacement. I got this blowout on a recent 20 day trip into the Slickrock wilderness but luckily had a NeoAir All Season buried in a cache about 10 miles away. Point is, my sleeping pads are upgraded on a yearly basis with new replacements---to avoid such a delamination death as above. (This isn't my first delam parade---I've had about 10 such bladder blowouts in the last 40 years of using Thermarest. The engineers haven't yet mastered the technology . . . or glues). All I'm seeing here is a built-in pillow
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Post by Coolkat on Nov 24, 2015 7:10:34 GMT -8
All I'm seeing here is a built-in pillow Those were exactly my thoughts when I saw it.
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Post by tipiwalter on Nov 24, 2015 10:06:03 GMT -8
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Post by tipiwalter on Nov 24, 2015 10:14:01 GMT -8
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,685
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 24, 2015 11:20:16 GMT -8
I laughed because it does look like a pillow, but we have had that happen. To one pad, out of many over 30+ years. So I'm not thinking it's a common problem, but not good when it happens.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Nov 24, 2015 11:57:32 GMT -8
Odd looking for sure, early on in the days of metal valves I had a couple of those fail but never over maybe half a dozen pads have I seen that sort of delimitation.
Any chance they were stored with the valves closed? Trapping breathed in moisture would lead to trouble just like with a tent.
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Post by tipiwalter on Nov 24, 2015 12:04:33 GMT -8
My yellow example was about my 10th Thermy delamination. It's fairly common if you use a pad 24-7 for years on end, which I did when I lived in my ridgetop primitive shelter, and now on my backpacking trips. I can't put a bag night number to it, but I'd say around 400 nights on a single pad and the thing begins to peel apart. Wear and tear.
SOOOO, the solution is to pull 200 or 250 nights on a single inflatable and then retire it for backyard camping and replace with something new. Preventative maintenance. Leads to good mental health in the field. And no surprises.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Nov 24, 2015 12:09:55 GMT -8
"use a pad 24-7 for years on end", which aligns with the, in effect, "stored" with the valve closed trapping moisture scenario that leads to mold and delamination for many fabric items.
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Post by tipiwalter on Nov 24, 2015 17:53:00 GMT -8
I can't remember leaving my pads stored with the valve closed, in fact all my delaminations came from whatever pad I was currently using and therefore not in storage. Most of my "delams" happened when I had only enough money to buy a single Thermarest and use it to the bitter end. Currently I have several inflatables but they are all stored unrolled and flat with the valves open, so expecting no problems UNTIL I take them in the field and push their longevity limits.
Thankfully, these bladder fails are covered by a warranty if you feel like dealing with Thermarest---which doesn't mean squat on a trip in the middle of nowhere when a failure happens.
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BlueBear
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@GoBlueHiker
Posts: 3,224
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Post by BlueBear on Nov 24, 2015 19:04:32 GMT -8
I haven't (yet) had a ThermaRest do that to me, but I had a similar blowout on an Exped inflatable about 8 years ago while in Alaska. It's a pain when it happens in the field.
Most folks simply don't use pads that many nights before getting rid of them or replacing them with something newer/better/lighter. So I imagine it's not as much of a problem with 99%+ of the pads sold that see 2-20 bag nights a year. But I don't really have any reason to doubt Tipi's frustrating string of experiences based on his usage.
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amaruq
Trail Wise!
Call me Little Spoon
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Post by amaruq on Nov 25, 2015 5:15:07 GMT -8
I always pair my NeoAir with a closed-cell foam mat -- why not when the NeoAir is so small and light -- but that dinky mat won't do much through frigid winter nights. That said, I've never had this happen to me or anyone else I know (until now).
I've been giving the MSR Hubba Hubba a good, strong look lately. I appreciate how it is downright palatial compared to my solo tent for little to no added weight. Plus those UL setup options.
My eye has also been wandering onto Canon's 24mm/f2.8 prime, but we'll see how I make out with just the DSLR in the backcountry before I start thinking about too many lenses.
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Post by zipposdad on Nov 29, 2015 6:57:14 GMT -8
Z Packs Arc Blast 60L. Ive spent the money twice this year. Just have to pick the addons and Call in the order.
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Post by JRinGeorgia on Nov 29, 2015 16:02:35 GMT -8
After saying I was fine with my kit as is, I saw the Swing Trek Liteflex silver umbrella (same as the old GoLite Chrome Dome) on sale so pulled the trigger on that...
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 30, 2015 8:07:51 GMT -8
Noted around here that the spouse needs a new rain jacket for biking. And soon, given the winter forecast.
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