Blowing up an air mattress can be hard work. If you do it by mouth, it introduces moisture which is detrimental to insulation and can cause other problems like fungal growth. Pump-sacks are great but can be cumbersome. This little pump is a good solution for NeoAir users. It only weighs 72g with two alkaline AAA batteries (51g minus batteries). It inflates my NeoAir short in just over one minute. To fully inflate it still requires one or two breaths.
The pump is simplicity itself, with an impeller at one end and an extendible rubber tube which attaches to the valve on the mat at the other. The pump starts working when the door to the compartment housing the rubber tube is opened. It’s an incredibly simple, yet effective device. I don’t know how many pump cycles one set of batteries will last, but comments elsewhere suggest a fair number. Obviously, it won’t appeal to the SUL crowd, but it’s light enough for most backpackers.
Additional: I’ve used it with my POE mats and it works with those too 🙂
Disclaimer: the NeoAir Mini Pump was purchased with my own funds and I have no relationship, financial or otherwise, with Thermarest
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