Flextail Zero Pump

Amazing small and light camp pad pump.

Until about 3 years ago I have always blown my camp pad up with my lungs. I do have one Exped pad that has a pump built into it, but admittedly it takes a long time to pump up that way anyway.

About three years ago I saw a small Flextail pump online and before taking the time to research it like I normally do for most gear, I ordered it unknowing if it was good quality and perhaps just a gimmick. It turned out to be one of the best pieces of gear I’ve taken with me.

No more warm moist air from my lungs getting into my pads to potentially create mold and no more time taken to blow the pad up that can now be used for other tasks. This is the newest idea/version of that initial pump from the same company. Even smaller and lighter.

One of the better aspects of this pump compared to the first Flextail I bought is they provide 6 different adapters for different common pads with it. They  fit so well on the pads I have that you can connect them and walk away while they blow your pad up.

The pitch of the pump changes so that if you are moderately close by you can hear it when it is done. I had never run out of battery power with my first Flextail pump and have not with this either.  To be fair though I have only used it to pump up a Nemo Tensor Wide 3 times on one charge. I have read from other people who say they’ve used it 5 times with no reason to believe it would run out of power any time soon. This thing weighs so little and is so small it's absolutely worth it in my mind to take it with you.

Also, I do not know if this is  good idea or not, but I am contemplating designing something that will allow me to focus the air coming out of this to help with lighting small campfires when the area allows for it.

So far the only real con, if any, is that it’s a little loud.  Not in volume but in pitch when running.

Background

Decades of using my lungs to pump pads up. Three years of using a similar battery powered pump

Don’t waste your money on this product! I think this product has been promoted by putting out false claims on its usefulness and reliability.

Useless piece of equipment. I followed every manufacturer recommendation to make sure the Flextail stays on until the pad is inflated, but it keeps turning off every few seconds. It simply does not inflate the pad fully no matter how much time you spend turning it back on.

At first use, it stays on for about 10 seconds and then the time it it stays on decreases quickly to a point that it will turn off every two seconds or so.

I have ended up fully inflating my pad by breathing into it every time. I think is product has been promoted by putting out false claims.

Don’t waste your money on this product.

Background

Weekend hiker.