The Alpenblow Micro Inflator is an ultralight gadget for inflating air mattresses that weighs 8.1 grams (0.3 oz). That’s not a typo. It doesn’t have a really highly effective motor, so it could’t inflate an enormous heavy sleeping pad like an Exped Megamat, however it’s greater than enough for inflating the air mattresses that backpackers use. For instance, I’ve examined it out on the NEMO Tensor Elite, the Exped Extremely 5R, the Thermarest NeoAir Xtherm NXT Max, and the Sea-to-Summit Etherlite XT Insulated and it inflates all of them with ease. You continue to need to prime off the pad with a couple of breathes on the finish, however not having to blow it up from scratch or wrestle with an inflation sack is a aid after a tough day of mountain climbing.
- Weight: 8.1g
- Energy: 2.0 W
- Vitality: 18 mAh at 5V
- Anticipated Lifetime: 30,000 hrs
- Pad Adapters: NEMO, Therm-a-Relaxation, Exped, Massive Agnes, Sea-to-Summit
The Alpenblow is a tiny battery powered fan that comes with adapters that match totally different sleeping pad valves. It doesn’t have an onboard battery and even an on-off change, which is why its so light-weight. It has a USB-C port so it may be powered with an influence financial institution which most backpackers carry nowadays to recharge their telephones, headlamps, or satellite tv for pc messengers.
You merely plug in a USB-C connector and it’ll run till you unplug in. Inflation occasions will fluctuate relying on the scale of your pad, but it surely solely takes a couple of minutes to inflate most pads. There’s a desk of inflation occasions for various pads at https://www.alpenglowgear.co/pump-performance and when you submit a time on your pad, you get 20% off coupon!
If you happen to’ve stepped away in the course of the inflation course of, no worries. The fan isn’t highly effective sufficient to over inflate your pad or trigger it to burst. Whereas the fan will maintain working so long as it has energy, the air circulation with reverse route and circulation out the again of the unit.
The Alpenblow comes with 4 sleeping pad adapters out of the field the are appropriate with NEMO Layflow, Massive Agnes, Exped, Sea-to-Summit, and Therm-a-Relaxation Winglock valves. A further adapter pack is offered for Legacy Therm-a-Relaxation, Legacy NEMO, and Klymit air mattresses. The one draw back to this method is that the adapters are simple to lose though it helps that they’re coloured sizzling pink!
Whereas the Alpenblow is a neat and helpful gizmo, one of many issues I admire essentially the most about it’s that it does NOT have a built-in battery. Most backpackers carry a backup battery at this time (which is seldom drained fully) so having yet one more gadget with its personal battery would have added pointless weight. Intelligent.
Disclosure: Alpenglow donated an Alpenblow for assessment.
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