Sleeping pad takes forever to inflate with bag. Any alternatives?

[rich y]

i have an xtherm pad. i could never get the hang of inflating it with the carrying bag. it takes about 20+ times for me to get it inflated. any other ways (besides just blowing into it which i do anyways)?

[Rick M]

del

[Konrad .]

The pump sack that comes with the xtherm is the absolute worse. I carry an instaflator which is just a lighter weight, more efficient version of the same thing. Takes about 1.5 tubes worth of air for an xtherm (less than a couple mins)

http://www.themillair.com/

There used to be an ebay seller that sold them with cheap shipping, so check there maybe (although none are on ebay at the moment)

PS: Hi everyone on BPL!

[Ian]

Welcome back.

[Franco Darioli]

The real Bear Grylls would capture the nearest large animal, slaughter it and make a larger version of your inflation bag from their bladder.
However if you are not up to this, you could look at the Instaflator or the battery operated gitzmo that Thermarest sells.
(the one HWC1954 has posted about)

Sorry I had not seeen the previous posts , I was busy shooting a video on the Instaflator, just in case :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMUP-H2RNko

but since you already have the valve,you might be able to make your own.

To add.
Yes of course another solution is to use Max's lungs.

[Max Dilthey]

I use my lungs.

Never had an issue in hundreds of nights.

[M B]

My xlite takes 18 breaths, and a total of 55 seconds to blow up.
Not a big deal to me.

30+ nights on it this year.

[Konrad .]

Lung power def works fine, but gets old on extended trips. Lung power also equals frost in the winter (when I use my xtherm the most). Then there was that BPL thread that showed how moisture (from lung power) degrades the mylar baffling. I choose to play it safe, while being comfortably lazy :)

[Rick M]

del

[hwc 1954]

If you can live with 2.6 ounces inc. the two AAA batteries, this tiny little ThermRest pump works OK with inflatable pads:

http://www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/accessories/neoair-mini-pump/product

I think Thermarest is just re-badging this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoOOOagmZOg&feature=player_detailpage#t=216

Takes about 3 minutes to inflate a NeoAir. Works with any Thermarest mattress and most other brands.

They claim up to 25 inflations on a set of batteries.

[Elliott Wolin]

We tried an Instaflator on a recent trip (6 or 7 nights, some in campgrounds), seemed to work fine. I almost always land up inflating both of our pads. It's a bit fragile, but if you are gentle and store it carefully it gets the job done and seems to last.

[Derek M.]

+1 on simple lung power.

It's 2 minutes of your day, but it yields a good night's rest. Seems like a good deal to me…

[Miguel Arboleda]

Get the Big Agnes stuff sack inflator (can't remember the name offhand). Attach it to the valve. Blow into it before quickly shutting the open end, and push the air into the sleeping pad. Only take a few times. I've been using it for about 5 years now. It's always worked great and keeps me from getting lightheaded in cold air.

[rmeurant]

Any tips on deflating?

[M B]

"Any tips of deflating?"

Open valve while lying on it. In 2 seconds its flat. Fold in half lenghtwise and rollup, expelling air, before exiting tent.

The xlite is the easiest to deflate /roll up of any pad Ive ever used.

[Anonymous]

Sweet tip Rick, thank you! I saw your post and made the conversion with my crappy Neo air pump sack the same night you posted. Took off the valve and put it onto a plastic lawn/leaf bag, and used some tyvek tape to reinforce.

Worked like a charm this weekend. Took about 3 to 4 cycles to completely fill up the Neo Air all season pads we used (each, not total).

Not sure how durable it will be–would like a more durable version as i dislike throw away materials on principle. Have a bunch of silnylon left which i'm not using, might make a long lasting pump sack out of it. Actually, have a couple of large homemade stuff sacks made out of it, and if i seam seal it, should work well.

[rmeurant]

Thanks M. B.

[hwc 1954]

The trick to deflating any Thermarest is to roll/fold it up while sitting or kneeling on it as you roll. When you get to the end, close the valve. Unroll it fully. Then, roll it tightly again. When you get to the end, open up the valve to release the last bit of air. Then, close the valve and pack the pad.

[Derek M.]

+1 to hwc's suggestion of rolling your sleeping pad up twice.

This is the only way I can manage to get nearly all the air out of the newer generation of air core inflatable pads (i.e. NeoAirs and the like).

[rmeurant]

Thanks for the various tips!

[Author]

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