Sealing a leaking sleeping pad, silicone and mineral spirits?

[Mweber]

Just bought a Big Agnes Insulated Air Core sleeping pad from an REI garage sale... Learned my lesson here on this one. Tag said it had a slow leak but once I submerged it i discovered it had hundreds of tiny pin holes (probably a manufacturing defect, but Big Agnes won't warranty it since it came from the REI garage sale). I was thinking about using a silicone/mineral spirits coating on the whole thing to try and reseal it.

For those of you that have used this method for sealing tarps/tents/etc. do you think it will have enough strength to seal the tiny holes? I only spent $15 on it so I'm not too worried about what happens to it.

[Mweber]

Also, has anyone tried using spray polyurethane as a sealant? I feel like it would be too hard and brittle, but figured I would see if anyone else has tried and what there experience was?

[Slo-go'en]

You can try, but my guess is anything you try to seal it will with rub off or delaminate pretty quickly. That's why pin holes are fixed by gluing a patch over the hole. It sounds like you'd need a patch big enough to cover the whole mat and that isn't practical.

[Gambit McCrae]

The problem with these here blowup pads is that the 200 lbs of pressure is stronger when laying on it then what the adhesive properties can handle.

[Weather-man]

I repaired a Klymit recon with shoe goo ( the clear) and it's held up fine.

[Sandy of PA]

It sounds like someone slept on it with Deet on their body, I would chalk it up to experience.

[Malto]

I patched up a small leak in a Neoair with silicone. I know it held for 1200 miles on the AT and I believe a couple thousand more afterwards.

[MuddyWaters]

Sounds like the defects that were common in first generation neoair xlites.

[Mweber]

Just an update... I did do a silicone seal on the sleeping pad and it seems to have worked. When submerging underwater there are very few pinhole leaks and they are very slow. Planning to do another coat once the weather warms up and will update again once I've given it a go on the trail

[Casey & Gina]

We have 2 Big Agnes Q-Core pads that developed leaks at the I-beam welds, and without proof of purchase, Big Agnes is worthless, even if you are willing to pay.

Curious to hear how your experiment works out!

[MuddyWaters]

Just an update... I did do a silicone seal on the sleeping pad and it seems to have worked. When submerging underwater there are very few pinhole leaks and they are very slow. Planning to do another coat once the weather warms up and will update again once I've given it a go on the trail

But will you ever really trust it?
If not, then its just a challenge.

[Don H]

I wonder why REI would even sell an item at its Garage Sale that is totally unusable. You expect to buy slightly used returned items with maybe a minor repair needed or a part missing but not a totally unusable item. If the tag said "slow leak" but in reality it had hundreds of slow leaks I would make the case that the item was misrepresented as described. Did you contact REI about possibly returning it? And yes I know their policy is no returns on Garage Sale items.

I've been an REI member for probably 40 years and have never been to a Garage Sale, never felt like waiting in line for hours to get in.

[Hosh]

We have 2 Big Agnes Q-Core pads that developed leaks at the I-beam welds, and without proof of purchase, Big Agnes is worthless, even if you are willing to pay.

Curious to hear how your experiment works out!

Interesting, everybody has different experiences, but I sent back an Air Core that I had field patched to BA for a "professional" repair. They sent me a new pad, paid the freight, no receipt, no nothing.

[chknfngrs]

If it was advertised as having a slow leak in a garage sale, and in fact it has a slow leak, REI is not to blame but let the buyer beware.

[TNhiker]

Interesting, everybody has different experiences, but I sent back an Air Core that I had field patched to BA for a "professional" repair. They sent me a new pad, paid the freight, no receipt, no nothing.

likewise------i have sent back three and just shipped a fourth pad out to big agnes for repair......

the only thing ive paid for is the shipping to them.....

they have replaced and sent me new pads...........

[jefals]

any tips on finding these pin hole leaks when you're out on the trail? especially a trail like the pct, where there's not a lot of water to use for a purpose like this?

[Hosh]

I've been an REI member for probably 40 years and have never been to a Garage Sale, never felt like waiting in line for hours to get in.

Lines are one issue but the "hoarders" are worse. I went a couple of times looking for a family car camping tent. People would be surrounded by 4,5,6 tents and wouldn't let anyone look or touch them. I finally figured the extra 10 or 15% discount wasn't worth it and quit going to the sales.

[chknfngrs]

It's those danged preppers

[Casey & Gina]

likewise------i have sent back three and just shipped a fourth pad out to big agnes for repair......

the only thing ive paid for is the shipping to them.....

they have replaced and sent me new pads...........

Well when I called they said I could try sending them back but needed to fill out a request online, warned me several times that they don't fix REI Garage Sale items, guess they get a lot of those?? I then went online and it said proof of purchase (which I haven't got) was mandatory so I didn't try further. Maybe I will mail them in and see what happens; it's not like they are doing me any good now.

[Hosh]

Well when I called they said I could try sending them back but needed to fill out a request online, warned me several times that they don't fix REI Garage Sale items, guess they get a lot of those?? I then went online and it said proof of purchase (which I haven't got) was mandatory so I didn't try further. Maybe I will mail them in and see what happens; it's not like they are doing me any good now.

I don't recall what I did, but you should look at the "repair" process/claim form. It ask for a date, retailer, and if you have a receipt.

https://www.bigagnes.com/Home/WarrantyRepairsAndReturns