Therm-a-rest NeoAir Mini Pump

Good things do come in small packages

I have been using this handy little item for over a year now. I was concerned about the price per utility factor when I first bought this, however I was also tired of inflating mattresses and was also concerned about putting all the moist air into my mattress from inflating by mouth. I now do not regret the price whatsoever as it has been such a positive addition to my pack. I liked this idea better than a "pump bag" as those can be hard to use inside a small tent when the weather turns foul.... Also, its hands free once running so I can walk away and start on other tasks. Since ordering this, it has become one of the items that truly brings a smile when I unpack it at camp. YES, it is a luxury but 2 ozs never felt so good! The valve will fit a wide variety of stem type inflation valves, its rather quiet and will inflate my 2.5" pad in minutes. I still need to add an extra breath or two for maximum inflation if needed but I am very happy with its power. I can not say exactly how many uses I get per set of batteries as I try and start a trip with all new batteries and use the half lifes when I get back home. I can say when I first bought it i used new batteries and the pump made it through multiple nights on the same 2 batteries. Battery life exceeded expectations, lets just say that. My only cautions! Pack it carefully so you don't dump it out on the ground somewhere (its small) and also so the lid for the nipple will not open by accident. The lid does not lock down tight and once it pops up, the fan starts running which is also a great feature for making this easy and simple to use, so just put a rubber band around it tight when not in use or remove the batteries until needed. Think of it as a useful place to store back up batteries. Also be prepared for a whole lot of "dude, can i borrow that?"

A Guilty Pleasure

I have been working real hard to get my base weight down to 10 1/2 pounds. But then last year on the John Muir Trail I was not looking forward to blowing up my XTherm at 11,000ft plus after 20 mile days. At 61 YO with blood pressure meds that can make one a little dizzy with exertion at low elevations, it was such a pleasure to set up the NeoAir mini pump and have my XTherm ready to hop on in less time than it took to get my tarp set up. At 65 grams, it easily powered inflations on my 11 days... on the JMT, adding a few extra manual puff myself for fine tuning. The same batteries have been in for a year and still blowing up pads for my family of three. The pack weight for this unit is offset by the dual purpose of being backup batteries that also power my Fenix LD02 flashlight. And my wife doesn't complain now when she gets the detail to blow up pads for us while I'm setting up the tent & my son is firing up the stove, which is almost worth the weight in gold. Yes this could be considered a little fragile but all my ultralight gear needs to be treated with great care so this hasn't been an issue.