Flextail Zero Pump - Honest Review
Vložit
- čas přidán 13. 09. 2023
- Flextail sent me their Zero Pump for review. I haven't used it in the field but this should give you an idea if the new pump is right for you.
Check it out here: bit.ly/3SJbo5l
Connect with me: / kane_does_outdoors
#backpacking #hiking #wildcamping #ultralightbackpacking #gear #fastpacking
What do you think? I typically carry a cut down pump sack from Thermarest that weighs 1.6 oz. It takes about the same amount of time to inflate my Xlite and Xtherm using the pump sack as the Flextail pumps - but obviously more work. Sometimes when you're setting up camp you can be pretty exhausted, and honestly if I'm out with someone who has a pump I'm pretty envious... 0.4 oz penalty is hardly anything, but the pump sack won't fail!
The pump sack (my Exped one, at least), makes an excellent dry bag to put clothes in, or anything else I want to keep dry. I really like gear that pulls double duty for its weight
@@daven.7685 The pump sack won't ever fail either - something to be considered in the winter when it really matters.
Never used a pump but i hate using pump sack while its raining and im outside of xmid pro pumping the pad that is only half way inside the tent
Yup that’s one of the big drawbacks to 1P shelters. I used that pump with the 1P xmid this weekend and it was pretty nice to toss my mattress in the tent with the pump going and forget about it. Had the pump sack with me as a backup.
Just recently received a new Flextail Zaro. Tried it out on my Thermarest Neoair XLite regular wide mattress and it pumped up in just about a minute, maybe even slightly less. Deflating was just as quick. The battery is a rechargeable RCR123A. Also has a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, which should attach to nearly every battery brick on the market. Pretty sweet.
Thanks for your honesty. I wish I had watched this before I bought it. Hope that fix that before they send it.
If this weighed 1.2 oz WITH the battery, it'd be a no-brainer. My Flextail Tiny Pump 2 with nozzle for a Thermarest weighs 3.7 oz, so if the Zero Pump weighs around 2 oz, that's a 1.7 oz savings. Not too bad. The Inflation bag that came with my Thermarest weighs 1.8 oz, almost the same weight and can be a pain to use after a long day on the trail. So if I didn't already have a pump, I'd be all over the Zero pump. Taking the battery out to recharge it is inconvenient, but not a deal breaker for me, so long as I can charge it from a USB power bank. Also, I don't use the light on the Tiny 2, so I don't really benefit from that. I may just pick up one of these Zero's. Thanks for the review, it really helped me weigh the pros and cons.
I was out this past weekend - third trip using the pump and my last. While it was a bit of an oversight on my part, I didn't charge the battery before leaving since it only had one previous inflation. Died half way through inflating my Xtherm and I finished the job with my inflation bag. The inflation bag is 100% reliable.
I'm guessing that on trip before I let it run too long while I was doing something else and it drained the battery.
No charging port is a huge oversight. Also no charge level LED indicator. It should also have a 2 minute run time cut off or something like that. If it had a USB port I could have finished inflating hooked up to my power bank. But no. I would have had to take the battery out, let it charge up a bit, put it back in, then finish up. Not something I want to be doing in the winter and wet snow. It seems like they skimped a lot on the electronics. But hey, it is a "Game Changer", right?
@@KaneDoesOutdoors Thanks for the update, and I don’t blame you at all. They really should have put a charging port on it. My tiny flashlight has one so it can’t be that difficult and maybe .1 oz of added weight? That said, I’m older now and I had knee surgery a few years ago, so I have to go as light as possible. Also because of that, I find kneeling to use the inflation sack uncomfortable. At $38, I’m going to give it a try and see how it goes, not much to lose. I’ll just have to be diligent to make sure it’s charged before every trip, and charge it periodically on thru-hikes, etc. Again, thanks for the info, I’ll be careful in evaluating it for my use.
They have said the battery included in the production version will have a usb in the battery. Personally I love the design. You can carry spare batteries for it if you think you need it, and the batteries are replaceable. I also prefer not having a lantern built in, as I have a dedicated lantern I bring that is far better (and also has replaceable batteries), and I don't have to worry about the pump running out of charge mid trip because I used the lantern too much.
Being able to swap batteries is great - My fenix HM50R headlamp uses the same batteries and I can switch them out also - but they figured out how to have that USB-C port built in. For some people the lack of port will be a non-issue and it will be a great unit for them. I used it on a trip this week and it performed very well - Definitely quieter than the tiny x and x2 which are both very loud. For me the charging port isn't a deal breaker, but for some people it might be.
Im still rocking last years big model with the light 😂
Well done again.. been nice to see it compared to the model with a light.
New Brunswick Canada 🇨🇦
I put up a side by side image on my community tab for you. I don’t have the Tiny X2 but hopefully the Tiny X is a good enough comparison.
Kane
Good review, all valid points.
I bought this pump... shockingly, it's still in the mail. At any rate, you're right about your review - solid comments. Flextail sells a rechargeable USB-C battery for the Zero Pump... that's an added cost. I have the Flextail Tiny Pump X and 2X... I prefer the 2X for its better nozzle attachment. I like the light feature even though I almost always carry a headlamp.
Mine finally arrived two months late. I got the battery with the built in charger and it works great. The Zero doesn't have as much PSI as the 2X, so that's something else to consider, but it works on all of my mattresses.
The optional rechargeable battery has a USB-C charging port.
I just ordered one because my Tinypump X just died over the weekend. It wouldn’t take a charge anymore, so the whole thing is scrap. I only had it for about 18 months and used it around 60 times.
The fact that the Zero has a replaceable battery was one of the big draws for me. I also have a flashlight that takes the same battery, so that’s a plus too.
I actually never really liked the tinypump. I never used the light, but it was easily turned on in your pack. I didn’t like that you had to hold the pump and adaptor the whole time it was inflating because it didn’t fit tightly into the Nemo valve. And the plastic adaptors felt really brittle.
The Zero seems to address all these issues. I just wish there was a way to lockout the power button.
The power button is pretty well locked out. You have to do a double click to start.
I would have liked to see LEDs as battery level indicators and USB port for charging like almost every battery powered device on the market. My Fenix HM50R is a perfect example. I chose that light for those reasons - alloy body, replaceable battery, good build quality.
I was out in the snow two weeks ago and the Zero died on me - not sure what happened because I had only filled a single pad since my last charge. I needed my pad filled then, not later. LEDs would have given me a heads up to charge before. Sure, the battery from my light works in the pump but fiddling with swapping batteries in the dark and risking dropping it in the snow is not something I want to do in the alpine. Luckily I had brought my pump sack.
@@KaneDoesOutdoors the fact that it unexpectedly died after one use is not very confidence inspiring. I wonder if there is some parasitic draw that runs down the battery even when your not using it.
At the end of the day, I’ve never felt comfortable completely relying on the pump. Usually, my son or I carry the pump, and the other, the inflation sack, so we aren’t really saving or gaining weight, just convenience and keeping moisture out of the air pads.
I just got mine. Mine came with the rechargeable battery. It's pretty awesome how they got a USB C port on the battery itself.
Hey Kane, sounds like they listened to you. I just got my Zero pump and it comes with a USB-C chargable 650mAH RCR123 that is the exact same color and looks like the same label as that Phoenix one you have, but it is branded Flextail, so, thanks for your critique, looks like it worked!
I think they listened to a lot of people pretty quickly for that issue!
I love the Flextail , the last thing you wanna do at the end of a long hike is have to pump sack or blow a pad. Its so quick, I have an Thermarest Xterm and its blows it up in a pinch over a minute. As for the charging, its a USBC to USBA connection, which in today's battery banks is almost a guarantee that you'll have both these charging ports available. Eventually, I think all USB connections in electronics will migrate too.....Just my two cents, happy trail peeps!
i just got mine with the battery, and it is a usb-c rechargeable battery, but you do have to remove the battery
I like my Tiny pump because it also has the lantern. I love not having to expend the breath and energy on blowing up my mattress after a long tiring day. It's worth the weight to me.
There’s a reason why the tiny pump is so popular, especially the X2.
I also exclusively use Thermarest air mattresses and I recently switched from using their pump sacs to using a nylofume pack liner as a pump sac. The nylofume is wayyyy easier than the original pump sac and it takes me just over two bags to fill up a large wide pad. I was skeptical before I tried, but using the nylofume is far easier (and lighter) than working with original pump sack.
I don't think I could justify carrying a pump, as popular as they are!
That’s interesting, how are you connecting the pack liner to the mattress? The pump sack I use is the blockerlite version with all the extras cut off, it comes in at 1.6 oz.
I bought one recently.
The threads to open and close the battery housing were very rough and gritty. At one point the aluminium chips and dust generated from opening and closing the pump caused the housing to jam halfway closed, although there was still battery contact with the circuit.
Upon further inspection, opening and closing the device resulted in a huge amount of aluminium debris being generated. Aluminium dust is very flammable, and I am worried that generating a flammable material inside an electrical device that is blowing a lot of oxygen past it, while inflating flammable mats and pillows inside flammable tents is a recipe for disaster.
I know… quite a squeak when you unscrew as well.
Question here, I'm seeing everyone referring to their Thermarests, is there a fitting that is compatible with a Nemo Extreme?
If you look on the flextail website the n1 nozzle is for nemo.
Received my zero pump today. There is a rechargeable flextail 650CHT battery (USB C) and a USB C cable in the box.
Any thoughts on recharging options while on trail?
The only good option is a rechargeable battery with a built in USB port like the fenix one I show in the video. Flextail told me they will have a battery with a built in usb-c port available to ship with the pump.
@KaneDoesOutdoors Ok, thanks. Pump concept seems good, but as you eluded to charging seems wonky. Not sure many hikers want to deal with a battery charging scavenger hunt. I hope Flextail makes this easier for us simple-minded hikers to work through
1 oz wait saving but much better metal build quality and replacable battery... those 2 things alone are worth it....
Great review Kane. I agree, not being rechargeable is a big design oversight 👎🏻
I thought this would be great for future thru hikes but nope.
Ya I hear you. I have a CR123 battery with a built in port so it solves the problem, but you still need to take it out to charge.
theres a rechargeable battery that comes with it, its got a usb-c outlet on the battery
@Langor that was updated based on reviews.
I see a bunch of reviews on this thing but most of the people haven’t even taken it out or read up any info on it. I’m definitely getting one. I hate having to sit there stooped over with a hurting back and hold my tiny pimp to the bag to inflate it because it doesn’t fit. I also have a headlamp, don’t need the pump light, I never use it. It comes with a rechargeable battery and taking a battery out to charge it is such a small thing to cry about, especially when it supposedly lasts for 25 pumps, you should make sure all your equipment is ready and/or charged for a trip beforehand anyways. It’s also much lighter and space efficient than my Big Agnes pump sack. If you take care of your stuff like an adult and keep your shit together you shouldn’t lose it but that goes for all your gear.
Used it on two trips so far, including the most recent video that I posted last week.
The pump works well, as I said. It’s very small and it’s nice not to have to hold it while inflating. I still think that not having a charging port is important for people to know and it’s a big thing to gloss over. Some of the “big” channels don’t really mention that because they were essentially doing a sales pitch. Nobody mentions the metal on metal threading of the battery cap either…
You can easily leave the pump running for too long and that extra time with a full pad and load on the fan will drain the battery quick.
@@KaneDoesOutdoors Nice, I’ll check it out! Now, the metal on metal threading is something I didn’t think/know about. I’ll need to be careful with that, metal threading does tend to strip easily and that may end up being my biggest gripe, thanks. As for the leaving it on too long, I’m pretty attentive to my stuff so that shouldn’t be a problem, my back is the much bigger problem, the less I’m stooped over like the Hunchback of Notre Dame the better 😂
I just got mine the other day took a while to get it. The threads are terrible to open up replace the battery to charge it. The threading is terrible. It’s very easy to cross the thread.
You don’t find the squeak endearing??
Probably makes the most sense for those that use rcr1234a already in their gear but i just use aaa so not for me. They are selling it with the option of including a usb-c battery so there is your rechargeability for those who carry power banks and are going on a long trip but at that point why not just have it run off usb-c and skip the battery entirely? Not covered here is the zero is rated for less pressure than the x2 (2.5kpa versus 4kpa).
They are advertising as the "worlds smallest outdoor pump" but that isn't even close to true. That title is held by the pad-pal afaik which weighs 9g with the adapter.
@KaneDoesOutdoors lol, I filled up my sleeping pad, 16 times and I still had battery left… There’s no need to charge on the trail. That’s the advantage of it.
Delivery model has a 650 mAh rechargeable battery. Sucks they are misleading us on weight: 60g with 1 Thermarest attachment. No lanyard. No bag
how long does the battery last?
They say 20 sleeping pad fills so my guess is around 20 minutes. I haven’t tested until the battery what drained but I did fill 6 large mattresses in that video no problem.
So the next in ultra light is to add weight back to your gear. I never had a problem blowing into my pad since hiking has kept me in shape to do that. And I can always use my pad bag and pocket the $50 for my next trip. Just sayin. :o)
100% agree. I’m a pump sack guy myself. Start taking an extra ounce here and there and they add up quick. It’ll be a popular piece of gear for sure though and not everyone too concerned with pack weight.
Obviously works well but I cannot make myself use anything rechargeable.
They don't answer the phone, they don't return calls - The "Chat" feature does not work, it says they will email you, but they don't.
It's hard for me to send money to buy an item if a company doesn't have Customer Service!
I think they got swamped by the demand for this little pump. Success is a double edged sword!
Wish they had skipped the battery entirely. The whole pump could be run off a USB C port, it would be roughlyly 40% smaller in size, lighter weight, and would just run off a USB C power bank. The power bank I use can put out 120W and this pump definitely doesnt use that much so they made a huge oversight there in my opinion. Especially since they offer a repellant which has no battery. Clearly they know the capabilities of a power bank and are just choosing to ignore the option to avoid adding batteries to everything we carry. I wish more companies would give the consumer the option to run products corded when it comes to camping/backpacking because the individual batteries are waste of space, weight, and money. Had I known they would ship my Day1 indiegogo package without the necessary battery i would have bought the required battery beforehand or got an upgraded kit but I was under the impression all pumps came with batteries and upgraded kits came with 2.
For the amount of time you actually use it every day, that would work just fine for most people. Or have the option to run without the battery installed with a pawer bank. That way you can go either way - battery installed for a quick overnight or with a power bank for longer trips.
Holy shit, thanks for this review. How are they seriously selling this without way to charge it? Their marketing is seriously misleading IMHO. Thanks again, certainly will not be getting one of these
After looking into it i found rechargeable batteries of that size with a usb port. But they go for $25, nearly doubling the price of the product. Not worth it.
Comes with the battery
@@shaggyterrell8460 The other review videos I've seen (like this one) only found a regular rechargeable battery enclosed (without the UBS port).
תודה על הסרטון. אפשר לנפח כדור או אופניים. יש ציוד נוסף לחיבור.
Some say you need earplugs
Tiny, most space taken up by the battery
Man, you just know that they are going to send you a note on where the port is...I can't imaging that they actually designed a rechargeable item without the ability to charge it.
I asked Flextail because I couldn’t believe it myself. 100% confirmed that the battery needs to be removed to recharge.
@@KaneDoesOutdoors that’s crazy!
@BACKPACKERish yup
they are selling it with a battery that can be plugged in to usb-c
Just buy more stuff you don't need.
Flextail said the pumps are out of stock, but you'll find nothing saying so on their site. Probably nothing till 2024! However, they are still selling product they don't have. Not very honest 🤮
This is a pretty common tactic these days. A little transparency saying it's pre-sale would be nice.
Their site now indicates pre-sale. Don’t know if it did earlier. If you hadn’t mentioned it though, I would not have noticed
Thanks for the heads up. That's a deal breaker. I'd stick with a full featured tiny pump 2x for an extra 1oz in a orange colour. Black gear always gets lost
Thanks Kane 🏕️🇨🇦