My $25 sleeping pad patch kit failed after one rainy night in Asheville

I mean, I bought this cheap patch kit from a gas station near the Blue Ridge Parkway, figured it would hold up for a weekend trip. After about 6 hours of rain, the patch peeled right off and my Therm-a-Rest turned into a puddle balloon by 2 a.m. The instructions said to rough up the surface, but I only wiped it with alcohol, that was probably my mistake. Has anyone else had luck with a specific brand of patch glue that actually sticks to the slippery fabric? I'm debating just buying a new pad instead of trusting another kit.

2 comments

2 Comments

dianaanderson2d ago

Honestly, are we really this torn up over a $25 patch kit? You already know you skipped the roughing step, which is like the whole point of the instructions. That's on you, not the glue. And you're talking about buying a whole new Therm-a-Rest because a gas station kit failed in a downpour? That's a big jump. Most of those cheap kits are just for tiny holes you find at home, not for fixing a pad mid-trip in the rain. I'd say dry the pad out, rough it up properly with sandpaper, and try again with the same kit before you drop cash on a new one. If it fails again after you follow the steps, then yeah, go ahead and blame the kit. But right now, this is just a user error story with a dramatic headline.

lucasschmidt2d ago

What if the kit's glue is just bad, and roughing it won't save a cheap fix?