ideas on alternate ways for quick and easy inflation of air matrass please

"I used BPL's wonderful search feature and didn't find anything like THIS, which looks as if it could be modified easily. I've used the same type of gizmo (although slightly heavier) quite a few times to inflate road bike/MTB tires and they work quite well."

I tried something like that and it doesn't work. After purchasing it and several CO2 cartridges I finally looked up the expansion rate of CO2. It doesn't expand enough to fill the volume of an air mat. If you use a small air mat you might get it inflated enough to top it off my mouth. But you would need a separate cartridge each time you inflate.

I recently switched from the ubiquitous yellow Thermarest to the Exped Synmat Hyperlite. I don't find any significant difference in weight or comfort between the two pads, but the Synmat valve type can be used with their SHNOZZEL inflatoor – which is awesome. WIth a little practice, I can now inflate my pad and pillow in two bagfuls of Shnozzel – and it's a fun challenge to get it in two, rather than the chore of blowing up my Thermarest 16 bagfuls of Lungs. Most important, no more worries about the disgusting mess of spittle and bacteria that were accumulating in my Thermarest from blowing it up with my breath every night. My Thermarest weight was increasing at a rate of 1.5oz per year, and I had not figured out any effective way to dry it thoroughly.

The weight penalty of the Shnozzel is small, because it doubles as an almost-packliner-sized drybag, saving the weight of a trash compactor bag.

I may not be as cool and resourceful as those improvising with trashbags, but I think this was the best upgrade to my gear in that past year.

I haven't reweighed my NeoAir for accumulation of moisture weight from lung inflation and I also haven't done more when I got home from trip then to wipe it down let it dry (externally) then pack it in my campgear storage bins. I am however thinking that it I hung it out nozzle up in the sun would it not dry out the interior? Have you tried this?

Ta

A few people mentioned the camp-tek/thermarest battery pump. I’ve actually been enjoying that. I set up tent while the mat is filling. It takes about 3 minutes for a regular neoair. If it takes longer, check your lithium batteries or make sure air isn't leaking out the nozzle.

“Also wondering why hasn't manufacturers installed LARGE deflating ports to make packing them up quicker/easier?”
For several nights I have used the Sea to Summit UltraLight Insulated Sleeping Pad. Holy Cow that’s the most comfortable pad I’ve ever been on! What was shocking is its deflation port. I’m lying on the pad; pull the deflation tab. I didn’t even count to 2 and all the air was out! It was like I hit the ground hard… with an oomph.

And for pumping it up I use their Jet Stream Pump sack (also mentioned above). It’s only good for Sea To Summit Products. But it is clever. I can pump my mat in a minute. The pump is multi-use. It holds my clothes and makes a nice pillow.

May everyone bring their home bed with them
-Barry
-The mountains were made for Tevas

Just tried the compactor bag method with the Gossamer Gear pack liner bag which I carry anyway, and I love it. Now it’s a multi-use piece of gear! Nice to finally have a fast way to fill my NeoAir with dry air. Weighs 1.3 oz, costs $5 for two.

The "How to Inflate a Thermarest NeoAir Camping Mattress with a Trash Compactor Bag" is a great video. Passed that on to a few friends when I got the forum post. Works great for external style valves.

If you have an Exped-style valve, you just need one more item. Take a wine cork, drill it out to 3/8" or so and then you can use it for the valve. You can use a trash compactor bag as shown in the video. Or use a lightweight shopping bag. Just cut a tiny hole in it (lightweight shopping bag) and tape it to the cork. I've tried this method and it works but takes about ten bags to file a UL7 MW. I will try the compactor bag (no need to cut a hole) later in the month but I'm sure that'll be faster. Basically the same thing as a Schnozzel but without the cost. I guess as long as you have the occasional bottle of wine and you have a drill and bits just about anybody could make the cork adapter.

Got 'em in the mail today and did a test fill — worked GREAT! My wife thought it was pretty neat. :^)

I think the material will be durable enough to last a while, and it would be easy enough to repair if necessary. Should remain quite serviceable anyway even if it got a couple of pinhole-sized punctures in it. Weight with the un-used adapters cut off is 41.2g on my scale.

A couple of farts, well-adjusted for altitude (ambient air pressure), do it for me.
This is with a Exped UL Downmat 7.

The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite I had before could not be treated this way due to its inferior valve design….

I do carry a schnozzel as a dry spare clothes storage, and as a spare inflator just in case I am unable to muster a fart, but thus far it's been greatly under-utilized. I am yet to experience circumstances where I'd be unable to produce two modest, hearty, humble, Downmat-filling farts in a row….
YMMV.