NeoAir Mini Pump

That looks pretty neat. I've often wondered why an electric fan pump for inflatables in this size didn't exist, as all of the small electric pumps I've seen weigh a ton and seem to take a dozen or so D-cell batteries.

Although comfortable and warm, the time and effort it takes to inflate my Big Agnes insulated air core mat often has me leaving it behind.

This looks like a rebadged Micro burst which has been around for a couple years. Yes, they work.

Mostly. I've found that they don't have enough pressure to fully inflate a pad, so you still need to top it off, but it does get it most of the way.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=53651

Diego is correct. They are an OEM version of the Camptek Microburst. I use one a lot in winter.

http://tinyurl.com/6rrefje

Works very well for my Neo Air X-Lite large. I would recommend.

Durwin

My camptek pump is probably my only namby pamby item that I take. Official reason is to not get moisture into the insulation of my xtherm. Real reason, I hate blowing up an air at at after a long day hiking.

for good feedback guys, I think this is a could be a really nice luxury item

I use this thing from Camptek on all my trips. Basically you run the pump for 3 minutes and then top off with using your lungs. I have tried running it for 45 mins and never got the pad fully inflated. I'm also impressed with their low battery consumption.

Weight? 2.3oz with or without batteries?

And as we learned at the GGG Wood Stove Burnoff this last weekend, you can dual-use it as a sweet forced air fan to turn your wood stove into a blowtorch… :)

but is it THAT bad inflating the NEO?

I admit I have a short version – but its pretty trivial – just takes a few minutes as I slowly but surly do it by mouth

and RE humidity – I thought TAR vehemently said that is NOT a concern for the NEO series

Mike

It takes me 11 deep breathes to inflate the regular neo air…I think the large is 34% bigger by volume…so 15 deep breathes. I suppose if you had lung function issues this might be useful.

Yes, according to their FAQ, humidity, even if it freezes, is not a concern. Just store the pad correctly when not in use; unfolded and valve open.

So people who can hike 20+ miles a day cannot blow up their air mat? What's up with that?

I can see the value for a DAM, but an air bag pump would be lighter.

I always thought a modified alpacka raft silnylon inflator bag would work great.

It is about blowing them up and introducing moisture day after day when it is below freezing. Not being a wimp. How much water do you think you add blowing up a large Xtherm? Now it collects and freezes solid in one of the tubes because it is -24 F (like I was about a week ago). Then you roll it up the next day and puncture your pad with the ice.

I really wimp out having to buy new gear when I didn't need to wreck it in the first place. ;-)

I am packing right now for a trip leaving early tomorrow that will never see the high temp get above 0 F. The Microburst is sitting right here waiting to get loaded.

But even in warmer weather some folks have problems blowing up large pads. I have a buddy that gets major dizzy blowing up his Q-Core. To the point he talks about going back to something with less volume.

Ray,

You have much more cold weather experience than I do. Coldest I have ever been in was 5F, and I was sleeping on foam. I do sleep in the 20's F and the past couple of years have been using a BA IAC.

It seems to me that if one is sleeping on a air mattress and the air inside of it is cold enough to freeze the water vapor from blowing it up, and there is still ice in it when you wake up, then one would lose a lot of body heat into the air mattress during the night? Of course if one had thick enough foam pads on top of the air mattress to stop the heat loss, then an air mattress would not be needed?

Not being argumentative or smart — just trying to figure all of this out.

P.S. Sleeping in -24F weather does not seem like fun or sane :)

It's bleeping boring to blow up a large air mattress….

I don't need whisky either…

No problem Nick. After I wrote that I realized it sounded like I was being snarky. Sorry.

Actually I am sure that the moisture will freeze more after getting off the pad, but where it touches the ground/rock/snow it could freeze while you are on it depending on the amount of insulation. Kind of like the way you get ice around the top of your bag except where your face is actually keeping it warm enough to stay unfrozen.

I'll be thinking of you in my old SoCal stomping grounds over the next few days Nick.

Having recently bought a NeoAir Xlite Large (transparent version), I've found it much easier to inflate than the Original NeoAir large, thus somewhat negating the need for a pump of some sort.

How big a deal is frozen moisture for the X-therm? I just ordered one, and I'll be using it this weekend. If I blow it up and then immediately use it, and then deflate it while I'm still on top of it in the morning, can I prevent freezing damage?

My initial reaction to "frozen vapor" is a thousand tiny ice-needles, but my actual experience tells me it's likely a layer of harmless snow instead, like you find on your sleeping bag.