An alternative to lung power was needed in order to keep the dreaded moisture from making a mess of the inside of my expensive sleeping mat, so….
Left to Right:
FlextailGear, Thermarest Mini-Pump, Thermarest Poly Bag Pump
Thermarest Polythene Bag Pump
The was first option I explored. The pump consists of a short section of very flexible tubing that has a large open-ended polythene bag on one end, whilst t’other end is pushed over the inlet valve of the sleeping mat.
The idea is that the poly bag is opened up to it’s max, then with the open end of the bag scrunched closed, the air is squeezed out, thus inflating the sleeping mat.
It’s good, it works, it’s lightweight, and the batteries never go flat. I paid around £10 for mine 6-7 years ago, quite expensive for a bit of tubing and a poly bag – but it does work well. I store mine in an old sleeping bag liner stuff sack, total weight is 68gms.
6-8 squeezes are enough to fully inflate my full-size NeoAir, taking a couple of minutes.
The bad news is that I don’t think it’s available any more having been replaced by Thermarest’s Blockerlite Pump Sack – a similar idea, but rather than a poly bag, it uses a stuff sack. Price is around £34.
Thermarest NeoAir Mini-Pump
I bought this on the recommendation of my friend Beryl the Peril (aka Margaret) who was, and still is, delighted with her pump.
The gentle buzz emanating from her tent as she enjoyed a brew and her sleeping mat inflated (whilst I was going cross-eyed trying to inflate mine with lung power) was enough to convince me to buy one!
This is an electric pump, powered by 2 AAA cells. Thermarest recommend using Lithium cells, presumably for longer life and maybe (?) their ability to provide higher current. I only had a quick look around but I couldn’t find the capacity of these cells. I store it in a small poly bag, total weight is 80gms.
I power mine with 2 Energizer alkaline cells, they seem to work well enough. The pump draws around 300mA, so batteries will be taking a bit of a hammering.
The pump is operated by opening an end flap that conceals a flexible rubber nozzle which should be connected to the sleeping mat air valve. The pump starts to run when the flap is opened.
Mine developed a fault earlier this year, it was only minor but it stopped it working. I repaired it at home (it was just a corroded battery connector) but it wouldn’t be repairable in the field. I stripped it, cleaned it, and soldered a copper connector in as a replacement.
I paid £32 for mine, a recent advert I spotted has them priced at £40.
It took 3 mins 40 secs to fully inflate my Neoair, not quick.
FlextailGear pump
I’ve only very recently bought this pump so haven’t had time to try it out in the field. Yet.
It’s larger, and at 159gms, twice the weight of the Thermarest Mini-Pump. It’s powered by an internal rechargeable Lithium Ion cell, presumably 3.6v. Capacity, according to the ‘manual’ and markings on the pump case, is 3600mAh. The electrical power rating of the pump is published at 15W. Charging is via a mini usb charger, not supplied – although a short lead is supplied. It comes with a stuff sack, plus a selection of adapters to suit different-sized valves. The pump has an one / off slide switch on it’s side.
The pump has inlet and outlet ports, so as well as inflating it can be used to FULLY deflate a sleeping mat – saves struggling to get every last bit of air out prior to trying to squeeze it into it’s stuff bag.
Where this pump scores is the time it takes to inflate my NeoAir: 40 seconds – rather quicker than the Thermarest Mini-Pump.
Assuming the power source is a single 3.6v Lithium Ion cell, and that the 3600mAh capacity is correct, the claimed 15W power rating = a current draw of around 4.2 Amps.
I don’t know much about the characteristics of Lithium Ion cells, but the sums, guesstimation, (and a smattering of experience of discharge rates) suggest a theoretical total pumping time of around 40 minutes.
Price: £24.99
Conclusion
Each pump has it’s own merits. Although it’s a great performer, I’m not sure whether I’d take the FlextailGear on long trips – weight and the non-replaceable battery being the main drawbacks. I’d be happy taking it on shorter trips of 2 – 4 days though.
The Neoair Mini-Pump is slow and fairly lightweight - but batteries are replaceable. I’m not 100% sure on reliabilty though.
The NeoAir Poly Bag pump is lightest, the batteries last forever, and it has no moving parts – although it’s a bit of a faff to use. For longer trips this is the one to go for.
