Mattresses / sleeping pads

AdrianT wrote:

Sabine wrote: The JR mattresses are at City Rock

No cities or Rocks where PapaD is

Some rocks, no Rocks

Thanks for the input...

I'll try that Decathlon pad, like Adrian said the reviews are good and the price is sweet!!

Review to follow after some use..

Papa Dragon wrote: Have been battling to find any JR mattress in stock, except for the self-inflating..

For the purpose of research, I have ordered this:
www.takealot.com/quechua-decathlon-forclaz-air-inflatable-hiking-mattress/PLID42973365

It's basically the same weight as my K-way compact self-inflating, if the manufacturer's weights are correct,
folds up smaller, and is a lot thicker.
Hopefully I'll get it in time for a hike on 16th, and I'll post a review after a couple of uses.

Anyone used one of these?

The mattress arrived in time for the hike on the 16th December, I have used it for 2 nights in December and 2 nights in January..
It weighs in at 570g including the bag, so acceptable compared to the advertised weight of 550g.

I didn't find inflating a problem, either in Little Berg or on the escarpment (2 nights of each). 18 to 20 easy breaths of just inhaling, and then exhaling into the valve, which is big, so no restrictions when blowing into it.

I found it to be very comfortable, with a lot less tossing and turning than I usually experience, 4 most comfortable nights in the Berg that I have had (except of course at Cambalala House )

After the 4th night I was concerned that I might have punctured it, it seemed a little flat. I always use a foamy under whatever mattress I am using, but had it packed in the bottom of my pack, Thought maybe grass or a thorn had punctured it, but I've had it inflated a couple of days here at home, and it seems fine, so maybe I didn't have the valve closed properly. Apart from this, I can't report on the durability of the mat after only 4 uses, but I will do so after some more use. I'll check it out with soapy water before I use it again though, and be sure to pack it in the middle of my pack..

It is a hassle to get it back into it's bag, but I suppose a bit of practice will sort that out.

So good comfort, acceptable weight, and good value for money if the durability is there, watch this space..

Hi All,

I have been using my JR gear mattress for quite some time, and it is still in a very good condition. I've never had any punctures or problems. It is light, packs very small, and sleeps comfy.

But around the valves the material is starting to wear. Where the plastic housing for the valves the fabric of the mattress is starting to wear and slowly leak. It is difficult to explain.

Any idea how to fix it? I tried a bicycle patch, a patch from my camping Intex inflatable mattress, I even added some pvc glue to the patches, but no luck.

GerritHuman wrote: Hi All,

I have been using my JR gear mattress for quite some time, and it is still in a very good condition. I've never had any punctures or problems. It is light, packs very small, and sleeps comfy.

But around the valves the material is starting to wear. Where the plastic housing for the valves the fabric of the mattress is starting to wear and slowly leak. It is difficult to explain.

Any idea how to fix it? I tried a bicycle patch, a patch from my camping Intex inflatable mattress, I even added some pvc glue to the patches, but no luck.

I loved mine too - both of them! The first lasted about 15 night’s worth of hikes and the 2nd one lasted only 5 nights. They are light and I particularly liked the fact that it inflated to a thickness only huge camping mattresses get to - which is great as I am a side sleeper. They also pack small but that is only because they are made of a thin material with no self inflating foam.

In term of fixing the worn areas, I have tried the supplied patches and glue. I have tried contact adhesive. I have inflated the mattress and submerged it under the pool to find leaking bubbles but they both still leak.

Long story short - these are to be seen as consumables with a relatively short lifespan which sucks given the price they go for these days. I won’t ever buy one again as I haven’t had any luck returning them to the supplier

Hi Gerrit,

I found a drop of super glue worked, where nothing else would stick to that JR Gear fabric.

However, I would assume you will experience the same problems a lot of us have had with those matrasses, as fast as you can fix the leaks, other leaks appear, and you just can't keep up with the repairs and have to replace the matrass.

Hi Gerrit and Tony.

I have a old green Klymit Static V, probably from 2011 or 2012. It's had a good life with many nights sleep on it and is still going strong at the moment. It is also I believe a bit heavier than yours at 537g without the stuff sack that you don't need. The valve placing is similar to yours in that it is diamond shaped and wedged between the bottom and top layer of fabric (think that design is asking for problems but they have since changed design to a value on the top layer of fabric with Static V v2).

Anyways, at a stage it also developed a slow leak where the material joins on the plastic valve that you couldn't really patch (random photo attached to see valve placement). So after getting gatvol the 2nd or 3rd night of having to blow it up a second time during the night I knew I would anyways have to replace the pad and in a desperate attempt the save the pad I decided I would clean the area as best I could and then just squirted the repair patch solution that came with it quite liberally around the whole area. And tada, it hasn't leaked in the last probably two years!

So that isn't a very scientific approach, but hey, it worked and if you anyways going to throw the pad away it might be worth a shot to try.

My wife's JR Gear mattress survived maybe 3 hikes, then it sprung a leak on the top of the mattress on one of the folds. tried super glue, the glue supplied with the mattress, Bostic etc. Even cut longer strips of material and glued them on as well (think by now I have a bout 15cm's worth of material ) but it still leaks.

Piece of rubbish gear if you ask me. Great in concept but badly executed, rather go for a Therma-est product. I simply use a Thermarest Ridgerest mattress, they can't deflate at all. They can even survive the full onslaught of the Ships Prow vegetation

The are, however, a bit uncomfortable. So what I do to sleep better is to take a piece of a really cheap sleeping mat (think MRP Sport or similar) which I use for a cushion (helps when the ground is cold, or wet, or muddy etc) and put it under my hip area. No more sore hips in the morning

If you had a hot air welder and the correct material you could weld a patch on. But it would be challenging, and risky. And the Leister handheld units are over R10 000. (for interest sake: www.leister.com/en/plastic-welding/products/hot-air-hand-tools/triac/triac-at ) I don't think a hot air gun will get hot enough. But again, without a proper nozzle and the skills you're probably going to burn it or waste your time. I've welded kayaks before with a gas cooker and a very hot screw driver. But there is less risk in that.

Maybe this will help? www.sportsmanswarehouse.co.za/product/pvc-seam-sealer

I've never used it.

This stuff I have used to good effect on a Thermarest: www.fruugo.co.za/seamgrip-outdoor-repair/p-15818704-33934073?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9LPYBRDSARIsAHL7J5kIR-OazdO_i7OwqOf0HTjz3oI4dALUaN6OTnmy420KgEDxwZIyvykaAskdEALw_wcB

Mmmhh, thanks AdrianT,

Think I should try the seamgrip solution - the write-up looks promising .