XTherm: use the included pump sack or lungs?

The X-therm stuff sack is utterly useless. I tried to inflate mine with it, but after 3 mins I gave up…it's way too small to be effective. I avoid lung inflation due to the risk of baffle delamination, as seen with the xlite. The instaflator works extremely well, is cheap ( i got mine off ebay), and works fast (2 rolls will inflate it).

I use the Microburst with mine. Like it quite a bit.

I use an Instaflator too. I cut its length in half and removed the other valve options, so now it's down to just over an ounce.

Usually, I fill it up about halfway through the fifth time, and I find the shorter length makes it more manageable.

I used lungs on my old Thermarest for 6 months, no noticeable effect. I'm using lungs on my Xtherm. Just store it open and deflated and unrolled.

Max,
Your Xtherm is a completely different animal than your old thermarest. There's anecdotal evidence that moisture leads to delamination of the reflective baffles…something that is not present in your old self-inflating thermarest.

I had the Neo-Air All-Season. Time to buy an instaflator?

I didn't know u had an all-season. But yeah, it might have been delaminating…you just couldn't see it. When they introduced the xlite and the semi-transparent fabric, people could see the silver baffling peeling away. Thermarests remedy was to make the fabric opaque on their subsequent versions. I don't think there's proven direct correlation between loss of reflective baffling and loss of r-value, seeing as how the r-value is mainly achieved by the architecture of the baffles and not b/c of the materials, but I choose to be safe. Here's an interesting read:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=63495

I was just about to post the same link… Based on what others have said about the "delaminating", I just decided to go ahead and use my lungs for my Xlite last year… especially considering that when I brought my instaflator on its first trip the thing was already defective.

I upgraded to the Xtherm this year and I see the same damn issue popping up again and am rethinking the entire thing… especially since Thermasrest sends you the "pump sack" along with the Xtherm, as opposed to the Xlite which just features a simple stuff sack.

Why do you suppose Thermarest made a "pump" for the Xtherm and not the Xlite? I feel as though I'm personally over thinking this.

(As a side note this has been my only frustration with these pads. They take the cake in all other ways IMO).

Xtherm was intended to be a 4th season pad, meaning used in sub-freezing temps. The xlite was intended to be a 3-season pad. Moisture from your breath + sub freezing temps would mean frozen condensation/frost inside of your pad = colder sleep. That's my understanding why they encourage you to use alternative inflation via a pumpsack and not your lungs. Too bad the pump sack sucks royally.

Intentions, intentions.

Thanks.

@Konrad "Too bad the pump sack sucks royally."
Yes it truly does, I tried it a couple times then bought an instaflator. I sleep really cold and the last thing I need is cold condensation in my xtherm, kind of defeats the purpose :-)

Thanks for all the good replies. I became frustrated with the TaR pump sack after a few tries.

I just got my XTherm in the mail today, the pump works after a fashion. Takes quite a few minutes, still did not achieve full inflation. I'll try somemore later. I'll have to check out the above mentioned pump/sack.
Duane

Also just received my Xtherm. Pump sack is far from great, but it does work for me. Slow, small, and heavy, but works. Probably use instaflator instead for deep winter camping.

The inflator that came with the Xtherm seems to work fine for me.(Just wish it was lighter.) ~10-12 bag fulls blows up the pad. Requires a couple manual breaths to get the pressure I want afterwards.

You must be a pretty patient dude. Didn't work worth a damn for me. This really needs something like a bellows. You need high pressure and no back flow. Honestly, even blowing it up by lung power is a chore with this guy to me, although the only other inflatable I've got is a torso length Kookabay proto admittedly..

Mine took tons of bag fulls. I even tried only unscrewing the valve cap one turn so air wouldn't escape around the valve, tried sealing the end of the bag good so air would not escape. Nothing helped. I have the regular. One good thing, it isn't as noisie as I thought it would be. It's just for winter trips and that season is about over, so I may not get to try it out this season.
Duane

"I use an Instaflator too. I cut its length in half and removed the other valve options, so now it's down to just over an ounce.

Usually, I fill it up about halfway through the fifth time, and I find the shorter length makes it more manageable."

Clayton, when I first read this I was wondering how little weight you could save by cutting the Instaflator in half. But you're probably right on the part about it being more manageable. I bought 2 because it had to be frail (you'd think) but I'm starting season 3 and still on the first one so I think I'll try cutting the original in half. I have a Kookabay DAM and it currently takes 1.5 rolls to fill it. 3 or 4 seems pretty good compared to the original gazillion with the BA Pumphouse.

I remember unraveling the thing on a trip with my friend who was laughing at what he saw as a toy. But he sure thought differently when he saw how easy and fast it filled the DAM.

This is what I use and it rocks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3ecMAIfkts

I'm guessing it could be modified to work with any pad. Or you could make your own. I also use mine as a stuff-sack for my sleeping bag.

Oh, and the Exped UL7 pad is frickin' sweet, too!

Thanks for the link Daniel! I have a neo air all season and also hate the inflation bag. I have long wondered why there wasn't something similar to the Alpacka packraft inflation bag, but scaled down, for these lightweight cold-weather mats. This is what the Exped Schnozzle appears to be. The instaflator seems a fine alternative, but as exped shows, no need to involve batteries and moving parts.

"The instaflator seems a fine alternative, but as exped shows, no need to involve batteries and moving parts."

James, the instaflator does not have batteries or moving parts. As a matter of fact, it's a very simplified version of the schnozzle. Are you confusing the camptek microburst with the instaflator? Keep in mind the schnozzle will likely not work with thermarests since exped uses its own proprietary nozzle.

FYI, this is the link to buy the real Instaflator that Konrad is referring to.

http://www.celestaire.com/vmchk/Cool-Things/Instaflator/vmj_estore.tpl.html

Randy,

I hope its the same one that I just bought off Amazon. They claim it to be the "new version". Whatever that means. The one I see in your link looks exactly like the one that I bought from Leslies Pool Supply last year.

Thanks Konrad! I was indeed thinking of the camptek microburst. And thanks for the link Randy. That instaflator bag looks larger than I hoped, but might do the trick.