Is it reasonable to expect a 500 g (1.1 lbs) inflatable sleeping mat to last?

bake_betty

I recently changed from a foam to inflatable sleeping mat. I try to keep weight at minimum. I prefer a light hiking setup, so the inflatable mat weights 400 - 500 grams (1 lbs). The problem is that I need to inflate it multiple times during the night. It leaks. The leaks are tiny so there is still air inside. I poured water into it and so I located the leaks (the area where water comes out). The method with air bubbles did not work. The problem...

Originally asked by Alex J. on Stack Exchange (outdoors) (CC BY-SA 4.0).

uphilltech

Great question — answering as the UphillTech team:

It should be possible. Mine is 400g. I use it for bike touring and bikepacking, either with a tent or a tarp. If using a tarp over me, I use a smaller one as a groundsheet, but it's not unknown for the mat to slide off that in the night. The groundsheet tarp probably takes the total weight up to 500-550g Quickly counting up nights, I've probably only used it for a couple of dozen, but I've never needed to patch it, or had it deflate on me, and that's still longer than yours has lasted. With these light mats you do need to be quite careful about the ground underneath. On the other hand pitching in the dark it can be hard to avoid all sharp stuff, and I've certainly had a couple of nights...

Full answer by Chris H: https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/28883 (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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