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Comment by ChicagoBoy11 | Hacker News Reader

Between stuff like this and the prototype NBA basketball, seems like fabrication techniques are getting us slowly to the point that inflatable-anything of all sorts will be things of the past, no?

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It's headed that way, I recently bought a "self inflating" air mattress for camping and I love it. Basically memory-foam, still has air pockets but no pump needed.

Nice, avoids the dreaded four day hike with a popped camping pad.

"Self inflating" means that the mattress will expand (and draw in air) without a pump or use of your lungs.

Lie on it with a puncture, however, and it will still go flat. Containing the air is still required to provide support.

So not like the space tire. Noted.

Self inflating mattresses are over 20 year old tech.

Not only that, but in my experience they usually kinda suck. They are super thin, and with age they start to take quite a while to inflate. For the tiny amount of air in the pad, you could fill it with your lungs in a few breaths at most. I've been happier with non-foam inflatables that roll up much more compactly, and blow up to be two or three times thicker.

My experience is similar to yours. I had to start blowing air or sucking air out of the “self inflating” port to sleep or pack the mattress/pillow.

Ok, now I'm sad! I hope the one I bought recently is a bit better than the old ones you guys tried, we'll see. I've only used it a handful of times so far.

Therm-a-rest stood my test. How often did you use it, or rather, how did you store it? I've put mine to the side of the some wall, inflated, not rolled up. Used heavily every few weeks or months for a few days from about 2008 to 2014, after that only about two times a year for a few days. Can't complain.

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