This Test Proves the Flextail Zero Pump Is NOT the Best 😱

[@theoutdoorempire]

What gear should I test next? Comment below. 👇

[@cue881-yo7kz]

I think people would benefit from a review of the FEMA cots they sell at Sportsman's warehouse. It would save people a lot of money. I think more people would buy them if they realized how good of a deal they are.

[@theyetti8811]

Pee rags

[@professormarceloricci]

Budget lightweight sleeping pads?

[@rskite]

I am curious. If you are car camping and have a wood stove. Would it do a better job of heating the tent if it were on fire bricks rather than on the feet? Would lower to the ground increase the heat in the tent?

[@theoutdoorempire]

@@rskite I don't think so, or at least don't think it would be a noticeable difference. But would be interesting to find out for sure.

[@cocoblue012]

Have been rabbit holing reviews , this is by far the most comprehensive comparison I have seen and entertaining along the way. For the Flex zero imo, more weight should be put on it not fully inflating the mattress, that is its one job, I am not spending 40+ dollars to have to still blow my hot wet breathe into a mattress, it is odd that so many reviewers think a pump not actually fully inflating a pad is ok, it's to bad because its the only one that seems not to have a jarring high pitch sound.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Wow, thank you! Indeed the Zero Pump is great for weight but far from the best at inflating a sleeping pad. You might not notice that if you don't compare it directly to the alternative.

[@borobdin]

It fully inflates to the level I like my pad to be. I'm a side sleeper, so I like it to be slightly soft so my shoulder can push into the pad a bit. It's definitely inflated enough that I am not touching the ground through the pad. When I use the TinyPumpX, I end up tapping the valve a couple times to let out a bit of air to soften the pad, so the Zero is definitely a bit less powerful. Neither pump can get my pad super super firm. If that's what you want, I can get it very firm using a pump sack while also not needing to fill it with hot wet breath.

[@DiabloOutdoors]

Exact! And that's why when he said "The Zero is still a good choice" was wrong, very wrong. Also, the battery capacity of the 2X and X where off by a lot!

[@PaulGoodchild_PHD]

The humor with the scientific reviews is wonderful. Thank you.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Glad you liked it!

[@elisebrown5157]

Wow! You put a lot of time and work into this review, and I certainly appreciate it. I'd love to see you test portable backpacking solar panels (specifically the kind that attach to a portable battery bank), or chemlights (glow sticks) for luminosity and duration. I'd also really appreciate a small EDC style flashlight comparison that not only compares lumens, but how far the light throws (maybe headlamps as well). That is - if you haven't done any of these already. I'm off to check your other videos right now.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Haven't done those, but I love those ideas. Thanks for taking the time to comment and share. Cheers.

[@twloughlin]

Truthfully, I'm pretty sure that every piece of outdoor gear in existence has been tested by someone somewhere on KZbin. So my vote is - test whatever interests YOU.

[@theoutdoorempire]

I like what you're saying, my friend. Thank you.

[@rgrmaddog]

It is a crowded space, but I like your style OE and will keep watching.

[@cue881-yo7kz]

I've had a cheap x tail, w/o the light, for a couple of years and it has never failed me. I like the fact they gave me a bag to keep the nozzles contained.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Very nice.

[@BrokenBackMountains]

I have the same one. Shame the nozzles don't stay on very well.

[@vasdoc]

Nicely done. I'd say the inability of the Flextail Zero to fully inflate is a potential lifesaver. We all have 17 things to do setting up camp. This pump is self-managing. Say you get it going, and you go about some other activities, and you spill something, or can't find another thing and - oh, darn, I left that thing running! Run back, it hasn't burst your mattress, it still has at least two more mattress-blowing capabilities left on this trip (assuming you spaced out only 10 minutes, not 30!), and with a couple of breaths, your mattress is juuuust riiiiight. Perfect pump for the job, and one of the quietest. And I agree with another reviewer - do a few seconds really matter when I'm starting my Zen-out, or more in keeping with the purpose? I just got this little buddy and tested it myself. I have never seen a battery that purposely has a hole in its side. It sort of scared me when I found it after ten minutes of wondering what charger I was going to use. 600 charge cycles is probably about the same number of camping trips, so I'll be dead and buried before it is. And then the kid that inherits it can still buy a new one for under $15. I just had to add these thoughts to your excellent and entertaining review. There is Zero doubt in my mind that overall, for the minimalist that isn't still in hurry mode at the campsite, this is simply the best!

[@theoutdoorempire]

Glad you enjoyed the video, got a pump you love, and shared the clever insight. Cheers!

[@plmn93]

My Zero easily adds more air than I need. You should only be putting in enough to get your body off the ground. If you like it firmer than that, you may as well save money and weight and get a thinner pad.

[@matthewsinger]

I got lucky and ordered my Pump Zero when the promotion price was still $36. So far I find it worth the price. It pumps up my NeoAir Xtherm and my Q-core SLX with more than enough pressure. Can't beat the size and weight.

[@theoutdoorempire]

That's good to hear.

[@shaggyterrell8460]

Great comparison! I have a few pumps but the Zero is my favorite. I have a bad back and the fact that the zero stays attached to my pad without me having to bend down and hold it there makes it a clear winner for me. It’s also smaller, lighter and no lights unlike like my other pumps, which I never use anyways.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Great point!

[@jovanleon7]

Haven is the clear winner for me. Size is still compact but it's the most powerful and most long lasting. Great review.

[@theoutdoorempire]

I got lucky when that was the first one I ever bought before I ever thought about doing this video.

[@jovanleon7]

@@theoutdoorempire wow. It's good being lucky. May your luck continues with the channel.

[@andressa16]

That's what I also thought!! Still, ranked 2nd but it wasn't mentioned in the overall final review. So I came to the comments and found this. Why wasn't it highlighted and or recommended?

[@mattdignan8875]

Thank you so much man I was looking for a pump with the quietest volume so I decided to go with the Therm-a-Rest Micro Pump. I bought 4 of them for myself and 3 of my friends. Glad I can have a pump at only 39 decibels that won't hurt my ears. With the second best one being 47 decibels it's not even a contest and there is a clear winner

[@James-ke5sx]

Wow, that was a very thorough review. Besides the money you invested it must have taken you quite a while to do this review, you deserve a sub. I bought the Flextail 2x. I was not interested in the newer, smaller model because it does not have the features of the 2X. If you have a hard time screwing the cap on the new flextail maybe you could put some Vaseline on the screw threads or silicone. Or if you have Teflon tape, which you probably do because you seem to be a handyman like me. You could put one wrap of Teflon tape around the threads as a lubricant. Cheers from Canada.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Thanks a million for the sub and the compliment, much appreciated! And great idea to use Teflon tape for the threads, I'll give that a whirl.

[@kevinboyer6249]

I've been going round, and round on which pump to buy for my iKamper RTT air mattress. Your video helped me come to a quick decision. I was leaning heavily towards the Fkextail Zero, but not anymore. Flextail Tiny Pump 2 takes the win. Watched the entire video as well. Very informative in a quirky, humorous fashion that I greatly appreciated.

[@theoutdoorempire]

I greatly appreciate your comment.

[@barbarab202]

Super helpful video and immediately subscribed for the humor in the presentation. Now gonna binge watch this channel.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Oh man, you made my day! Thank you.

[@davidhawkins847]

Thanks for the review. I hadn't known that there were micro sized air pumps these days until I was seeing the reviews on that new Flextail. Given that I'm usually inflating two peoples pads when camping I thought something like it would be nice. Now having seen the selection available I may have to reconsider the model and features. That X2 and clone seem like a better fit considering they can also be used as a camp light, versus a single use item, for the size and price. Given all the electronics we deal with these days, keeping one of these pumps charged on a long trip wouldn't be difficult. I suspect the deflation mode on these may actually be kind of important since the biggest problem I have with my mat is rolling it up to put away while fighting to get the remaining air out so it packs down to its compact size. Something that is a little hard to do inside a 1-man tent.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Good analysis. I should do a deflation test. I had planned on it, but the video was already pretty long so I skipped it. Next time!

[@jameskeith753]

thanks for the info very good info.. I ordered the flex tail and I am anxious to see if it will inflate my air mattress.

[@theoutdoorempire]

I hope you enjoy it!

[@jimkirk41]

thanks for this informative video. you really put them thru the best 3rd grade science test i ve ever seen. winters in idaho are long so i understand the extensive testing especially throwing them off your roof. thanks for being a nerd. liked and subscribed.

[@neonsamurai1348]

I have to say, there was pretty much one reason why I got the Flextail Zero. I can easily replace the battery (I refuse to buy products with built in batteries, as they typically end up in landfill in a few years). Plus it does not have any other built in stuff I don't want (like a lantern/flashlight), and it is really small.

[@theoutdoorempire]

All good points and I definitely see the appeal. I like the replaceable idea as well and am just fine without the extra features. I was just a bit disappointed that it lacked pressure.

[@hoffmannbeck]

Same for me and we can replace the original battery with a bigger one which will last for more time. And it's pretty small and lightweight. This counts more points to me than fills the air mattress faster. I have more powerfull pumps but zero is my fav to be with me all the time

[@corchef007]

They will come out with another Zero pump with more pressure. The Zero pump 2.0. It may be better to get the Tiny pump 2 or wait until the 2.0 comes out...but if it is 5k pressure, I don't know. That's the pressure of the of the Tiny pump 2..

[@JahBlessd]

First time viewer and you did a great job. Thanks

[@theoutdoorempire]

Awesome! Thank you! Appreciate you stopping by and commenting.

[@nadineharrison-smith41]

Great review. I learnt things about my pump that I didn't know and found out that my purchase was reasonable. I have a Flextail Tiny Pump 2X

[@theoutdoorempire]

Good call!

[@rncommercial]

Thorough and relatively objective, but most importantly, highly entertaining. Subscribed based on the latter. Not a backpacker but still want to limit size of items. I want a pump to avoid introducing warm moist air from my lungs into the pad. Thanks for the review!

[@timothysands5537]

Thank you for the video. A suggestion for future things you test with air speed: You have to seal the output of each individual output port against the anemometer to get an accurate reading. Another reason the one that uses two AAA batteries did so poorly (aside from the fact that it just sucked outright lol) was due to the gradual curve of the output port. This allows the air to spread out quickly instead of being laminarized by a pipe like all the other units have in their designs. Edit: Additionally, if you were to measure the output port diameter of a unit as well as get an accurate air speed reading, you could easily calculate the flowrate given the density of air is essentially constant in this situation (this allows us to use conservation of mass equation VA = Q). V= air speed in m/s A= cross-sectional area of the exit port in m^2 (this will be a really tiny number) note that area of a circle is just A=3.14 x D where D is the internal diameter of the output port. Q= flowrate in m^3/S If you knew the flowrate of each unit, you could show how fast a mattress could inflate, however, air pressure matters to, so real testing like how you did to see how quickly it blows up a mattress is more useful to know than anything else.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Great suggestion! Thanks for the feedback.

[@faithintouch6426]

I have not checked to see if you have tested the inflatable tents yet, but I woild love to see how they rate. Thanks for the reviews on camping gear. I find myself checking Ur recommemdations before buying a new item. Plz link the video if you have tested the inflatable tents (canvas ones. l. appreciate how dedicated you are to the cause of camping, family and community.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Thank you very much for the support! I haven't done anything on inflatable tents yet. I'd like to, but it'll take some time to research what's decent and gather up a bunch of tents.

[@wolfman2702]

Nice comparison test. After hearing all the hype on the Flextail Zero I have been researching the Flextail series and this test sold me on the Tiny Pump 2X.

[@BigDawgCAM]

The Flextailgear MP2 Pro was 100% the way to go for me. Light and pump of course, but serves as a back-up battery bank if I need it since I only go on 2-3 day trips

[@theoutdoorempire]

Very nice.

Already bought mine pump, but it's very useful to know it's characteristics. Thanks.

[@winc06]

Thanks for saving me from the Thermarest which is the only one handled by REI.

[@theoutdoorempire]

They sell the Exped too, but maybe only online.

[@mrnoname6327]

Awesome review, thanks for taking the time to go through all that. I just purchased the thermarest so that I could throw it in the trash. Thanks again!

[@theoutdoorempire]

Bummer. Thank you. You're welcome.

[@ezequielraymonda]

Great review! I have the Exorux and I love it. Great battery and the fact that is solar saved me once. Really useful as a power bank as well!

[@theoutdoorempire]

Great to hear!

[@dwebberplank]

First time experiencing your reviews. Lot of fun and made it the whole way through. Tha ks for the humor AND thoughtful analytics. Consider backbacking solar panels please.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Thanks for the visit and the comment, much appreciated! Noted on the solar panels, that would be fun.

[@paulm4113]

Apply a little lubricant like silicon grease to the threads of the Fkextail Zero pump battery compartment. Takes care of the rough machining.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Good idea, thanks!

[@WayneTheSeine]

NAPA has a great synthetic grease called Sil-Glide...great stuff. I use it on almost everything.

[@MaxIsRetired]

I concur. Some suggest Teflon tape. In this case the root depth of the thread will be too shallow for the tape. Plus people use way too much tape and end up filling up the thread. Happens in industrial uses all the time.

[@cyphre]

Great comparison. Got some options out there! I have seen 'A' Thermarest airpump that seemed to work incredibly well (compared to the other Flextail pumps at the time), but maybe it was a different model.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment!

[@ManivanAdventures]

The Zero Pump will inflate some pads fully. I have both the REI Helix and a Nemo Tensor and it doesn’t have any issue with the Tensor, but struggles with the Helix. Regardless, it is still my favorite pump even if I have to add an extra breath at the end. Great comparison! 🤙🏼

[@theoutdoorempire]

Good to know. Cheers!

[@stanst2755]

Perfect and detailed comparison. Thanks. I will buy the GiGa Pump because of its speed, Flextail Tiny was my other a bit cheaper option.

[@taivec]

I use my zero pump with exped synmat 9 lw and no need for extra breath power. But it is weaker and slower, compared to larger noname pump. Also no problem with the threads on cap. Still, it is very good video and i loved many different steps of testing. Thank You!

[@theoutdoorempire]

Thanks for sharing and I'm glad to hear you haven't had any issues with the threads on the cap.

[@gerrygadget]

Surprised the Haven didn't get a shoutout. A few less features than Exorux, but less cost and much smaller/lighter (good features to have!) for as good or better performance. At least according to your spreadsheet, quite good bang for the buck. You didn't say much about it so curious why it wasn't recommended.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Indeed, the Haven deserves a shoutout. It's a good combo of battery capacity and air pressure. A bit bulkier than others for backpacking, but it doubles as a battery bank which is nice. I wouldn't not recommend it, just didn't end up calling out every option in the conclusion for sake of time and redundancy. It's actually the first one I got and I've been using it for a couple years. Great option.

[@wobblysauce]

Airflow is different to also providing pressure, but the time the Zero provides compared to the 'others' is considerable. That and it does the bulk of the work and a breath or 2 is not much to add. Though I use it for deflation as I pack my tent away, late sleeper getting that little bit extra in.

[@stargeezer8427]

I've been looking at these pumps, wanting one to keep in a 27' cruiser, and I'll be getting the Exorux on your recommendation. Thanks!

[@theoutdoorempire]

Awesome thanks for watching!

[@bdaley1976]

Awesome testing, this absolutely leans me to the Haven. Thank you very much

[@theoutdoorempire]

You're welome!

[@sleddy01]

I don't even know why I watched this but looks like the Haven to me. I like the light headedness of blowing it up the old fashioned way.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Hahaha. Your head for the win, then.

[@kristymoore7052]

I have a thermorest mini, because that’s what was available besides a pump sack. Also have the huge Exped pump for car camping. Thermosrest pimp Didn’t do me too wrong, but I didn’t care for it needing batteries. Now I have 3 versions of the flex tail including the latest. All pumps I have require self inflating at the end.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Interesting. What kind of pad do you have?

[@rskite]

Bought the Exo. Great review - Works great

[@theoutdoorempire]

Yes it does! Thanks for stopping by.

[@EvaNichols28]

Thank you for this information- you put a lot of time and effort into it. Very helpful.

[@renk5000]

looking for both inflate/deflate. is the flextail zero pump the only one out all of these options?

[@theoutdoorempire]

Nope, most of them do that. The Zero Pump, Tiny Pump 2X, Aerogogo Giga Pump, Exorux, Exped, Haven PowerPump, and I think even the Capnew will deflate as well.

[@renk5000]

@@theoutdoorempire sweet. thanks again. bought the Exorux and will test on my Inspired Overland air mattress. Used your link so again much appreciated.

[@norwescan]

Great video. How to measure more accurately, Air Velocity measurement does not reflect CFM. I would measure it in a duct with taped seal between pump output to the duct.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Good point. I thought a bit about how to get a better measurement, but then I moved on with my life haha. But that is a great idea.

[@gregjones8073]

Excellent thorough review. Thanks for posting.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Thanks for watching!

[@davefrancis7213]

Iv got a cheap aksoul one and it’s spot on. Tested it on a yawn air bed and an inflatable double sofa bed. Hardly used any battery

[@theoutdoorempire]

Nice!

[@username-mc7jw]

Finally!!! Someone dares to say it. Anyone interested in the Zero Pump would be interested for one reason - weight! From my perspective, I am concerned about how much weight a pump adds to my backpack as well, so I can instantly eliminate all of the larger pumps from my available choices. That basically leaves me with the Flextail lineup of pumps. I'm a backpacker. Weight and final pressure are really all that matter to me. While the Flextail Zero is the smallest and lightest pump available, it does not output enough pressure to adequately inflate a sleeping pad. You'll be left with a squishy, half-full pad, and end up finishing the filling process using your lungs. That adds moisture to your $300 pad, and moisture inside a sleeping pad is bad! I started out with the Tiny Pump X, which worked well, and barely weighed more than the inflation sack that came with my sleeping pad. The thing I didn't like about the X was the way the attachments fit on the offset output port. Attachments just weren't very secure, and often fell off. Along came the 2X, which resolved the attachment issues and gave me even more inflation pressure than the X.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Great insight, thanks for sharing.

[@francoispaquin9996]

This is a great video to compare. it's very useful. Thanks!

[@theoutdoorempire]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Funkteon]

Fun fact: 65db of the Capnew is 6x louder than 39db of the Therm-a-Rest. Which makes sense, given the fact the Therm-a-Rest does absolutely fk-all...

[@theoutdoorempire]

That fact is indeed very fun. Thank you.

[@Funkteon]

@@theoutdoorempire Another fun fact is that the 'Haven PowerPump' is just a very slightly modified 'Flextail Max Pump 2020 EPS' (Emergency Power Supply). In other words, these companies, as usual, are just getting Chinese factories to private label things they didn't even design, and then pass it off as their own... The Haven PowerPump even comes in EXACTLY the same packaging as the 'Flextail Max Pump 2020 EPS'.

[@danbump1616]

What an awesome review, thanks! Very well done and comprehensive. I would say at least as good as a 4th grader could do!

[@theoutdoorempire]

I'm flattered. And I believe my late Fourth grade teacher would be as well.

[@AirdrieRambler]

That's an outstanding detailed review. I was about to get one of the Flextail Zero pumps, but what's the point in buying a pump for a mattress that can't quite inflate the mattress fully. Flextail Tiny Pump 2X it is. Thanks!

[@theoutdoorempire]

Glad to help, cheers!

[@joemamamia1751]

I would love a test on the new Winnerwell Iron camping cooker stove. There's a few options like ThousWind Firedance oil lamp, and one I found on amazon... Personally, I think the winnerwell has a better build as its a cast iron vs a multi-piece base for the fuel, but I imagine they all provide the same result when it comes to burning/heat production... Anyways, would be a cool lil stove for car camping.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Oh yeah! That would be interesting. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@joemamamia1751]

@@theoutdoorempire Yeah, when I saw them become available, I thought it would be interesting to use the griddle plate and the heat-powered stove fan on top to better warm an area. Granted there will be moisture produced from the fuel and you'll need to ensure proper ventilation... But if this lil ditty can grill a stake I figure worth seeing if it can produce as much heat as a small oil stove?!

[@monsierlemaire8282]

very comprehensive! Thank you for the detailed analysis of these pumps.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Very welcome!

[@erickinder]

I love my Flextail Zero Pump. I upgraded my headlamp to the same battery used in the pump. They back each other up. 30 seconds makes little or difference to me in fill time since I’m unloading items from my backpack or organizing things until I hear the pump has max’s out the pad. I put two lung puffs it the pad and it’s just right for the night. ONE CAUTION: I dropped the pump in the sand and it would not operate again until I manually rotated the impeller to dislodge the sand. It’s easily recoverable but one needs to clear it.

[@jasonmcochran]

Thank you for the comprehensive review!

[@theoutdoorempire]

My pleasure!

[@flutingaround]

i can't believe you dropped those from the roof 😂

[@theoutdoorempire]

I got bored.

[@yvan2563]

FIY, since the Flextail Zero uses CR123-sized batteries, you can either bring spares or buy better batteries. He mentions 650mAh but Nitecore has two rechargeable models that are 950mAh, one of them has a built-in USB-C charging port.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Very good point. Thanks for sharing!

[@scottcerreta1724]

great review and funny as hell. I actually watched the whole thing because it was so entertaining. Thanks!

[@theoutdoorempire]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@pimacanyon6208]

wow. very thorough testing. many thanks!

[@theoutdoorempire]

Many welcomes!

[@chemawatersa377]

Wow, nice test. Wish more product could be reviewed like this.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Thanks for watching!

[@user-ul5yu5hk9k]

Excellent review

[@theoutdoorempire]

Thank you for taking the time to watch!

[@i11u5ion9]

What about most modern pads storage sacks double as an inflation bag. My sea to summit pad inflates with its stuff sack in just 3 breaths. No batteries or extra weight needed.

[@theoutdoorempire]

I recently found a pump that's lighter than a pump sack, the Pad-Pal. Check out my video on that one.

[@9thHouseSun]

Thanks for this comprehensive assessment! Just what I needed to know!❤

[@theoutdoorempire]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@robertarnobit5357]

Very good video, thank you 👍 loved the comparisons too❤

[@theoutdoorempire]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@patriceb26]

Bonjour so which one is the best ?

[@BrokenBackMountains]

I have an early flextail with no light. It only does one thing. I went back to a pump sack. It is lighter and also keeps stuff dry. I don't mind actual physical exertion at the end of the day.

[@theoutdoorempire]

That'll do the job!

[@tdata545]

I love flextail products. A little modding of one of their pumps, I'd have to look it up, and it makes for a decent and cheap canned air alternative. Next to say a MINI LEAFBLOWER. It was the Tiny pump x. I think I took a 1/4in ID vinyl tubing cut it to about an inch, then cut off the corner of it so it formed around the curve of the pump, and jammed a 3/8in ID hard tubing about 2-3in jammed it inside the vinyl flex tubing, which grips it at about 1/2in to 3/4in and stays on just fine. YAY FRICTION, and is a decent duster. Weirdly the one feature you didn't test, deflation. Since most of those also advertise deflation. Especially the Flextails.

[@theoutdoorempire]

That's a great hack, nice! And yes, I planned on doing deflation, but was concerned about how long the video would get and decided that's a feature most people probably don't use so if I was gonna skip one, it'd be the one to skip. I also assume the deflation performance would correspond pretty closely to inflation. But alas, point taken. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Cheers.

[@JohnGilmour-q7x]

Really nice review. I saw the XPED at REI and bought it. A couple things to note, the XP form factor isn’t round. I think that fact that it isn’t round is fantastic because who’s ever used a picnic table that was level. The round ones would get knocked over and just roll off the picnic table to do more impact tests . Also, the XPED has a polite feature it features two separate inflation speeds. And one of them the low one is much quieter. The light runtime is pretty good. They claim 72 hours which if you’re just camping for a day or two, and someone is insistent on having a nightlight that they wanna leave on all night. The light feature on high is still pretty useful because of the way it shines the light down when you carry it and the handle can be held in your teeth however, it’s still kind of blinding when it’s that close to your face. I do kind of wish the light was brighter on a high setting to really allow to replace a flashlight or function is more of a back up, flashlight. I believe anything you take on camping should do at least triple duty and that you should have things that have a little bit of overlap so if one device fails like a headlamp at least you got a back up, flashlight, or if a battery bank fails, at least you’ve got a backup battery bank and that helps justify the larger size and weight The clincher for me was that it was 10 dB more quiet than the zero which makes it seem like it’s twice as quiet. And it’s waterproof this rating because my experience is everything gets wet at some point. If the zero had more output pressure and was faster and had a light that would be great, but then it wouldn’t be so lightweight. The EXPED comes with a bit of tubing. I found that one of those pieces of tubing can be jammed into the air intake and it stays in there pretty good. That means you can stand it up on the little hose and it gives enough light to dine with if you put it relatively close to your plate And now that same bit of tubing can fit inside the deflate valve of the XPED Dura duo series 1R,3R,5R. To me that was very important because I really like to be able to get all of the air out of those mattresses or you’ll never get them back into their stuff sacks and also you’re talking about getting rid of a lot of air and there’s no doubt using it is a lot easier than trying to manually deflate and roll the pads on an uneven surface that might have rocks and sharp things Underneath possibly puncturing through your tent floor or the mattress when you’re putting a lot of pressure in a small place. I do wish the brightest light setting on the XPED was brighter. Because it’s not really the substitute for a flashlight I would’ve hoped for. When you lose something and it’s all hands on deck to try to find something, you really need to get as many good flashlights on the task as quickly as possible, and the XP just simply isn’t powerful enough to be useful for searching for things. Kind of disappointed that all of the round pumps never had a light with a possible focusing feature to go from spot to flood. I was also sort of bummed out that the XP didn’t have a magnet. So I’m contemplating using some Shoe Goo and sticking on a really strong, samarium, cobalt magnet, and putting a tiny skim coat of shoe on the surface of the magnet, so it won’t scratch any of the metal or painted surfaces. In my opinion, all of these pumps are way too loud. I do a lot of stealth camping in my Tesla, a lot of EXPENSIVE residential neighborhoods seem to be the safest. So I certainly don’t want anyone figuring out where I am from the noise of one of these pumps. I am sometimes you don’t realize that your mattress is really soft until you get there and you’re already set up for the night and crawl into the back and realize your mattress needs more air. For the most part I’ll use one of the manual XPED foam pumos to silently add 10 pumps of air as the Snozzle bag is a bit cumbersome when you’re in the back, those are the pumps that come with the Megat series. My favorite hack car camping is to use my Resmed Airsense 10 CPAP machine with cigarette lighter adapter power supply to inflate my Dura duo 3R mattress - because it’s completely silent- Uber stealth. Then the Exped pump for rapid deflate. The reason why the EXPEd beat the Flextail 2 was waterproofness. Because the Exped will do double duty as a light in a shower stall. Could you tell me if the Flextail has a true Exped fitting for inflate and has decent waterproofness? Thanks for your review. Again the dual quiet airspeed of the Exped and non tool form factor and bigger battery won for me … but I wish everything for camping used lithium CR123 rechargabkes .

[@CampWithMatt]

Absolutely loved this video, very amusing commentary. And, of course, useful to justify my previously made decision (Ft X2)

[@theoutdoorempire]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tommyg5095]

One of the most dramatic tests ( at 17:10 ) was the " Amazon Prime BOX DUMP "... This accurately depicts how FedEx delivers my packages, and associated damages...

[@theoutdoorempire]

😂

[@yourikurkiewicz9808]

Hi @OutdoorEmpire, thanks for this perfect overview, I do have 1 question though, would you also recommend these pumps (after seeing your review I’m thinking of buying the Flextail Tiny Pump 2x) but I would want to use it for a bigger 2 person inflatable mattress, should I look into the other flextail pumps that are advertised for the mattresses, or the pumps for sleeping pads will do the job? 🙏

[@pantherpaws1077]

I have the Tiny Pump 2x and it can inflate the thick 2 person mattresses surprisingly well.

[@theoutdoorempire]

I think the Tiny Pump 2X would do the job on a bigger mattress, it would just take longer and wouldn't do it more than a couple times probably. I assume you'd be car camping in that scenario, in which case I'd go with something like that Exorux that has larger battery and capacity.

[@pifle9471]

Did you have the opportunity to test the new Max Pump 3 by Flextail ? Looks like they ironed out some weaknesses from previous models ... (?but did they?)

[@davidf4897]

Bought an original Flextail mini a few years ago. Guess what? It's still pumping up my mat. It sits in its pouch and gets used for what was meant to be used for. Buy what you want, but don't overby for the outcome you need.

[@kasperpaisa4245]

Flextail Zero best pump ever. Love it.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Glad you love it!

[@deliciousfewd]

It's like Project Farm but funnier. Nice.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Glad you enjoyed it. Project Farm is the man!

[@TennesseeSlim]

Max pump pro 2 is my choice ATM from flex tail.

[@theoutdoorempire]

I bet it's got some oomph.

[@ike8236]

I'll stick to an inflation bag that doubles as a dry sack just incase anyone wanted to know my thoughts 😄

[@theoutdoorempire]

I did. 😉 Thanks for sharing.

[@zw7cj]

can these do a air tent for example...

[@theoutdoorempire]

Maybe that Haven or Exorux would, and some of the smaller ones might. But you risk running out of battery or burning up the motor in these little pumps. They're not really designed for that.

[@tallen3958]

I would like to know the pressure test. Ho much PSI does it out out before stopping. I want a small pump to use to inflate my pack pack flyfishing float tube. Without taking a K-pump. Anyone have suggestions.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Indeed that would be interesting. I thought of that but didn't have a way to test it. My gut says your best bet out of these would be the Exorux or maybe the Haven PowerPump.

[@elirobillard3451]

I strongly suspect you will never get the psi or duration you need from these to finish the job. A portable compressor that runs on a 12V auto socket takes ages and these don't have nearly that power. Personally I think the K-Pump is the best tool for the job, and it won't run out of juice when you need it most. Well, unless -you- run out of juice.

[@martinextejt3453]

Practical testing beyond the 3rd grade. Thanks!

[@theoutdoorempire]

4th grade is my jam.

[@ichallengemydog]

The Projectfarm of outdoor gear

[@theoutdoorempire]

I'm honored, but I'm nowhere close to being that awesome.

[@WayneTheSeine]

Great comparison.

[@austinmunn6836]

Outstanding job, subbed.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Thank you thank you.

[@alexlawsontas]

Great thorough review!

[@ThorsteinnK]

The Hengduan has a new pump called Nano Pump 2 with a 1600 mWH battery. I wonder how that one compares. Price on aliexpress is only 18 USD

[@ChrisWilliams-hm1nx]

Portable power banks would be great.

[@樂園-y9f]

Which one is your recommen product I’m not good for your language And just came into contact with this product

[@masterdfxLV]

@theoutdoorempire there is one unusual use of that pump, just throw in the boot and leave it on for some min and boot will dry out mutch quicker 🙂

[@theoutdoorempire]

Clever idea, I like it!

[@jeffstone28]

I have the thermarest pump and it works fine. Takes 3 to 5 minutes to fill up my 25-in wide maxtherm mattress, although I usually top it off with three breaths which is no problem. While it's filling, I do other camp chores so 3 to 5 minutes is no issue. Not sure why you dinged it so bad.

[@AdventuresInTheSky]

New exped mega might be most powerful for size, for car camping

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Well done!

[@theoutdoorempire]

Thank you.

[@TheAkashicTraveller]

There must be something wrong me my zero then. So far I've gotten about 1-3 inflations per charge from it.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Interesting. My math is just theoretical, I didn't actually run it under pressure that long, so it might be a bit less than I estimated. But 2 or 3 sounds off, unless it's a huge pad.

[@WowVital]

I need this test

[@bobwire9214]

That is a very interesting review, subbed to see more gear comparisons, thank you.

[@theoutdoorempire]

Awesome, thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Wild.cat.adventures]

Fun and informative review thanks 👍

[@theoutdoorempire]

Glad you enjoyed it, cheers.

[@user-xz4og4xo3j]

Cool never knew this form factor existed.

[@richardjohnson4052]

CR-123 batteries are really difficult to find in any but the biggest stores in a major city. AND, they are freakishly expensive. I never buy anything that uses a CR-123 or an 'N' battery. The problem with having a tool that does two thing is that it does neither well and once one of those functions dies, you still have to haul that weight and bulk. If I had a pump with a light, I would be tempted to leave my light home and when the light feature dies, I have no light. Also, the area dedicated to that light reduces the area that could be dedicated to a more powerful pump or fan or even a larger battery. I use a pump that requires an external power bank. I am carrying a bank anyway to charge my i-pad or phone so why not use it for the pump. Also, with no internal battery, the pump has room for a bigger fan and a bigger motor. My off-brand pump came with no accessories save a charging cord, I did have a bunch of fittings from other pool-pumps and I was easily able to modify one nozzle to fit my ex-ped.

[@BuckRogers2491]

Is this in reference to the FlexTail Zero? If so, you do realize it ships with RCR-123A/16340 (rechargable)? On top of that, the cell shipped with the Zero can be charged with USB-C. If you have a battery bank, charge the cell with that. If you don't want to charge, take a spare RCR-123A/16340.

[@lookoutlinn]

Thank you,

[@theoutdoorempire]

You bet!

[@Ray_Here]

Good review and enjoyable!

[@theoutdoorempire]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@calvin_E]

Is that a subaru?

[@theoutdoorempire]

I don't think so, at least I don't have one.