Rab sleeping mat care

Our new sleeping mats offer warmth and protection wherever you decide to rest your head. For those that like to go ultralight, through to the enthusiastic camper, our mats offer comfort to anyone who wants to spend a night under the stars. Explore the full range here

Making sure your sleeping mat is in optimum condition is a key factor to having a good night’s sleep, so it is vital that you care for your mat before, during and after each trip.

The guide below has been put together to help make sure your Rab Sleeping mat is ready to be used time and again on any adventure that you have planned.

Storing your mat and pre-adventure checks

Proper storage of your mat will help to keep it in tip-top condition.

We recommend storing your mat in a dry area, at normal room temperature (away from pets!).

The mat should be rolled flat with the valve open as this helps to prevent any moisture from being trapped inside whilst the mat is not in use. If moisture is trapped this can help mould to form and affect the thermal properties of the mat, which is certainly something to try and avoid.

For our X-Core foam mats, keeping the mat flat allows the foam to find its natural shape and therefore helps to ensure that the mat will continue to self-inflate as quickly as possible and perform as it should.

Making a check list of everything you need for your trip is also recommended, as you don’t want to find out that you have forgotten to pack something vital, like your pump sac or repair patches, after a tiring day hiking in the back-country.

Finally, the most important thing is to check your mat over before departure and do an overnight inflation test. This is time well spent, so that any issues can be pinpointed before you reach your destination.

Please click here for our full inflation and deflation instructions.

Preparing for a good night’s sleep

In addition to preparing your kit, once you are ready to set up camp, there are a few things you can do which will help to enhance your well-earned rest.

Your sleeping mat is designed to be robust, but you should take care of it and treat it like the air filled object that it is, to avoid unnecessary damage.

If bivying, prepare the ground you are sleeping on by removing any rocks, sticks or thorns that may increase the chances of a puncture, or consider taking a groundsheet for maximum protection. If you have room, you could also look at inserting your mat inside your bivy bag for extra protection, with the added benefit of stopping you rolling off of the mat during the night. 

It is always tempting to over inflate your mat, but this wont necessarily give you the best nights sleep. After inflation, lay on your mat to test its comfort and make small adjustments with the valve until you find the perfect comfort level. You want your mat to 'hug you' rather than you simply resting on top of it.

If you are camping over multiple days in warmer conditions, we would recommend that you always open the sleeping mat valve during the day to avoid air expanding within the mat, which could put unnecessary strain on the bonded seams. This is especially important during extremely hot weather as the inside of your tent, car or camper will certainly be a few degrees warmer than the outside air temperature.

Repairs

Should the situation arise and a repair is needed, it is good to familiarise yourself with the process so that you can easily carry out a repair in the field. Initially, you will need to find the leak by inflating the mat as firmly as you can. Once the link is found, mark it, clean the area, and then apply the repair patch, which will have been supplied with the mat when you purchased it and you hopefully packed during your pre-trip check! If you struggle to find the leak, water can be used to help spot any air bubbles leaking out of your mat.

If you need to replenish your spare parts kit for your sleep mat, check out the spare parts section on our website where we have a wide range of spares available for you to purchase.

Spare Parts | Rab Service Centre Products | Rab® UK

For a full guide to the repair process, please click here

Rab Warranty

We trust that you will have a long and comfortable relationship with your sleeping mat, but, if something outside of the norm does happen, we offer our Rab Promise - If we get it wrong and your item fails due to a manufacturing defect during its usable lifetime, we will step in and make it right with a factory-approved repair. Where a repair isn’t possible, we will provide a swift replacement to keep you moving.

If you are unfortunate enough to accidentally puncture your mat, we supply easy to apply patches with your mat for application at home or in the field. If you struggle with a patch repair, or something more catastrophic has happened, please contact our Service Centre team who will be more than happy to try and help.

Service Centre Request – Rab Support (EU)