My inflatable sleeping pad failed at 10,000 feet in the Sierras last October

I was camping near Bishop Pass after a long day of hiking when I heard a slow hiss around 2 AM. Turned out a tiny rock had punctured my pad through the tent floor. Spent the rest of the night on a cold hard ground with my jacket stuffed under my hips. Has anyone else dealt with a pad failure on a multi day trip and what did you do to fix it?

3 comments

3 Comments

wilson.joseph1mo ago

Oh man, that's a rough night. A little patch kit and some field repair tape can save a trip, but you really need to find the leak first. Always carry a spare foam pad as a backup, they just don't fail like that.

amy_anderson1mo ago

You mentioned always carrying a spare foam pad as a backup. In your experience, do you find that foam pads hold up better in really cold weather versus inflatable ones? I've had mixed results with inflatables popping in the middle of the night when temps drop, but I haven't tried a foam backup myself. Also, do you swap the foam pad out for a different type of sleeping arrangement, or do you just layer them together for extra warmth? Curious how you make that work on a trip without carrying too much bulk.

ray3561mo ago

Always carry a spare foam pad" yeah I learned that the hard way when mine froze solid like a tortilla chip.