After 11 days on the trail I notice a little moisture inside the foot of my Exped SynMat UL 7 sleeping pad. The moisture is from blowing it up. Does anyone have any tricks to drying out this moisture?

Aquarium pump and hose, rubber stopper and metal tube from hardware store works well for me but i had some unused pumps and hose and the stopper and metal tube were cheap I think the snozzel and inflation bag is a better idea

Mark,
Can you explain your set up a little. I get the aquarimum pump and hose to pump air into the mat, but how did you use the rubber stopper and metal tube? Is that to restrict the airflow out of the pad? Explain the snozzel and inflation bag.

IIRC, from the BPL sleeping pad state of the market Exped says you can stuff a rolled up rag/paper towel isn't the inflate hole and leave that there for a week or so to hold the valve open and wick out the moisture. I've tried it briefly but I didn't give it enough time to really work. Actually using a pump to cycle air would be even better.

You can also use a hair dryer set to cool. I agree with Mark that the pump bag with schnozzle is a better idea. The pump bag is a big silnylon dry sack and the schnozzle is a tube that connects it to your pad. To pump you just gather the air with the bag and squeeze it into the pad. Since you're not using your breath, no moisture is introduced into the pad. It's also quicker and easier than using your breath. In my case, there was no weight gain because the pump bag doubles as a pack liner and replaces my trash compactor bag for the same weight. (2.3 oz.)

Eventually I will get around to trying one of those schnozzle things. In the morning I just toss my pad out into the sun for for a few minutes to warm up and vaporize as much internal moisture as possible. Then squeeze the warm air out. May not completely solve the problem but surely helps minimize it.

I like the idea of the pump bag and schnozzle, but $26??? Is there a cheaper version or MYOG version that anyone has come up with.

I picked up a rubber stopper (cork) from the hardware store that fit the inflation valve then drilled a hole thru it and slid a piece of steel tubing thru the hole which the airline tube slides on. The steel tube also holds open the one way valve so the air from the pump does not damage it from vibrating constantly. It drove me nuts seeing the moisture in the pad and this was a quick fix

I saw a post some where that gave me an idea to try using a bag like the nylafume and a rubber stopper with a large hole drilled in it like 1/2" cut a small corner out of the nylafume bag then shove the stopper into the inside cut corner of the bag and then into the synmat inflation valve then inflate like the schnoz bag. Maybe some one can try this and let me know how it works. The thread I read I think the guy used a bag and a hose. He filled the bag with air then held the opening of the bag around the hose with his hand the other end of the hose was on or in the inflation valve then he squeezed the air from the bag to the mat

Check soon for a myog thread on a poorman instaflator

The deflate flap section on my SynMat UL 7 came free, and is now not attached. This happened accidentally, but I am now happy with this little snafu. My mat deflates quicker than before and that little flap doesn't keep the moisture in as much as it used to. It is still in there after a couple of days, but is a lot easier to manage.

As Dan mentioned earlier, I have also tried the rolled up paper towel trick and it worked, although arguably being a minor nuisance. I now am happy with my accidental mod and find it to be adequate in mitigating moisture inside my pad.

I liked that little flap if you wanted to release a little air while on the pad you could open the valve and it still held air and then push that flap with your finger till the air was just right. I also wonder if that didnt help abit with the seal

I've seen moisture in mine.

I get home, store it uncompressed with the valves open, forget about it, and it's dry for my next trip.

Seems like a non-issue to me.

You live in dry SoCal Craig. Up here in fungus corners nothing dries without an effort.

True enough Ken.

I've always wondered how NorCal hippies keep fungus out of their dreads.
Or do they...

Patchouli and smoke.

Back to pads. I blew into my T-rest for years, never an issue. Hang the pad up and let it drain out?

Edited by kthompson on 07/23/2012 22:52:13 MDT.

UL pads with thin/translucent fabrics allow us to "see the problem". Now we have to fix it.

Inflaters reduce but do not eliminate the problem. Given the right circumstances, ambient evening air will condense as temps drop or the pad sits on colder ground.

I imagine there are a Lot of older mats that wouldn't be very pretty to look at if you opened them up.