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I've been running a PadPad V5.1 for about a year now with zero issues. Its a great little pump with all of the functionality without any fuss or extra weight from a separate battery.
The guy is a genius! I just ordered it from Garage Grown Gear. Can’t wait! I wonder if future iterations will have higher pressure so that I don’t have to blow my own breath and introduce moisture into the pad. I would easily buy the next iteration if he gets the pressure up.
Amazing story of innovation. This guy sounds like a real stand up guy and I wish him the very best. This is a classic example of the great positives of capitalism, free markets, and the incentive it offers. I jumped on Amazon real quick and found some perfect sized clamshell cases for less than $10. There is an earbud case that is perfect. I know ultra-lighters can improvise multi-use storage, but if I had one I would indeed throw it in a nice secure home. Great of you to review this pump and a job well done.
Final pad pressure is all that matters to me. The Zero Pump was a huge fail in that department. I didn't catch the spec on the Pad-Pal, but I suspect it won't fully inflate any of my pads either. Adding a breath or two is not an option for me. When you spend $200-$300 (or more) on a pad, adding moisture to the inside of it is a REALLY bad thing. I'll stick with my Flextail 2x until someone can come up with something better.
@@vapor1380 Wish that was true, but you'll have to that to the mold growing inside my old pad. Nobody cares it happens to a $50 pad, but when you start spending upwards of $300 on an insulated UL pad... it matters!
@@vapor1380 LOL you ever cut open an old inflatable pad and see the mold? I have. Very funny to think that repeatedly putting your mouth on that valve, breathing into a mold filled sack, and sleeping on it night after night could never hurt anyone.
Padpal is my go to pump! It’s not let me down yet. I plan to try using it for a whole thru hike of the AT in the fall. It works great for me so far. It’s a pretty innovative design.
Wow...thanks for the review. I'm not ultralight but trying my best to save weight on everything possible. Plus, I love supporting cool awesome humans and gear made in the good ole USA.
I ordered a pad pal thanks to you. I was one of the early buyers of the flextail pump zero, and ever since I’ve been battling battery life issues. Flextail wants to go back and forth with troubleshooting videos. I would have expected better customer service from an established company. Oh well. Hope pad pal fits the bill
I too had the flextail zero pump.. 2 in fact and they both failed within a week. The replacement took 3 weeks to get and that was while I was hiking the AT and it never worked. They did refund my money. I’ll be ordering the Pad-Pal when they are back in stock.
i like the sounds of this tyler guy. sounds like hes doing what he loves to do as a hobby where hopefully hes making a few bucks too. knows his target demo and isnt trying to be anything but what he made it specifically for. a nearly lost art these days.
As an ultralight backpacker, the real question in my mind is when does the weight saved of using the power bank outweigh the zero pumps separate battery? On a thru hike with frequent charging opportunities I think this wins, but my concern is on longer sections with no charging opportunities, will this be the needle that breaks the camels back and means I can’t charge my inreach mini or my iPhone. Or I have to carry an extra power bank to make sure I have plenty of power.
Great question, I hadn't thought of that. One could do the math. On the highest speed it took about 40 seconds to fill my long wide sleeping pad and runs at about 2.85amps according to the manual. That's about 2850 ma consumed in an hour, or about 30% of the juice from a 10000mah battery bank. And that would get you as many as 90 inflations. So it consumes very little electricity and I bet you'll get a chance to charge your batteries within 3 months. 😂 10 inflations would only consume less than 5% of a 10000 mah battery bank.
I feel like if you're going to weigh the zero pump with the battery and the nozzle since that's what's needed for it to work, you should include the nozzle and the weight of the battery bank with the pad pal, since it also doesn't work without them. Yes, you're probably already carrying a battery bank and a charging cable, but it still seems like weighing all the necessary components of both, including the battery bank, would be a fairer comparison. Personally, I prefer the zero pump because I have a tiny battery bank and don't want to waste extra power on yet another electronic item. I also hate how loud other air pumps are.
I only ever inflate pool toys of various sizes, so this would likely not do much for that (correct me if i'm wrong) but this is absolutely something I would consider if my FlexTail 2X ever dies.
Wow… Very cool! If I didn’t just buy the zero pump, I would definitely go for this. I imagine that it might inflate a Nemo Tensor almost all the way. I noticed that my zero pump has a little more trouble with my REI Helix, but get’s my Tensor inflated right where I want it. Regardless, I don’t mind having to add a breath or two and I think either of these pumps are totally worth ditching the pump sack for!
IMO the pin depression on the inflate keeps the diaphragm open, so it's likely you'd do the deflate from the inflate opening. I don't think either of these really does the job. If you have to put breaths into it to finalize it you defeat the purpose of keeping your breath out, and that means you're using a pump sack which could have done the job to completion anyway. I think the original Flextail pump is the correct answer, plus you get a battery bank and a lantern.
This is awesome, thanks for highlighting a very innovative and clearly passionate creator. I have two questions. 1. The 4 speeds seem a bit overkill but is it possible that lower speed may produce more pressure? 2. I use the same REI pad in your video. Couldn't you use the inflation port to deflate with the pump ? Great video, thanks again.
1. Not sure, haven't tested but according to the manual the lower speeds put out less pressure as well so I don't think so. 2. I don't think so on this as well. There's a rubber flap in there that prevents air from escaping while you plug the cap. I think that will also prevent you from sucking air out. Personally I don't care about this because I never use these pumps to deflate anyway.
That's great. I had that Idea a couple of years ago, of why don't they just make the pump off the battery and usb-c chain it to other batteries. But I wasn't as ingenuitive as this guy!
Very interesting and good that it isnt doubling up on weight by having a battery that would need recharged anyway. I have an early flextail but went back to a schnozzle as it is also a dry bag. Noise at level 4 is louder than any flextail but the other levels are comparable. I do think supporting the cottage manufacturers is a good way to go but I dont think Id be able to get it in Europe and as you say, blowing it up at the end makes me just keep using the schnozzle.
Wow please please please this thing will be so good for My DJI mini 4 pro drone because it heats up. They all do when they stood still and you are uploading new software. This will keep it nice and cool and anyone who has a mini 4 pro drone or a mini 3 pro Drone will tell you it does overheat, so it can 2 uses to cool one of those two drones and to inflate I’m in the UK if there’s any way possible that I can buy one from somewhere please let me ?know. I hope what I’m saying makes sense as I’m not good at writing.
Designer of that pump should do also some attachments for hat tent or hammock fun, also made some splash or even full waterproof USB port or whole device
I have got the zero pump for 25€ on Aliexpress. From the original flextailgear site. Because its like you said a Chinese product. But 50$ for a 3d printed product. I don’t know. Whats the laws in the USA when its broken? Can you return it to the producer? Or when you put it on the battery pack and the battery pack get broken because anything of the pump doesn’t work exactly?
Interesting question. We definitely don't have consumer protection laws like in Europe, so it's pretty much whatever the manufacturer promises. However, in my experience, small businesses like this are usually better at taking care of problems without a hassle anyway.
I still think that using the bag the pad comes in to inflate the matt is the best option,only takes a minute or two and no need to carry anything extra
Wow please please please this thing will be so good for My DJI mini 4 pro drone because it heats up. They all do when they stood still and you are uploading new software. This will keep it nice and cool and anyone who has a mini 4 pro drone or a mini 3 pro Drone will tell you it does overheat, so it can 2 uses to cool one of those two drones and to inflate I’m in the UK if there’s any way possible that I can buy one from somewhere please let me ?know. I hope what I’m saying makes sense as I’m not good at writing 👍🏿💨
If you think the padpal is awesome you should see what Tyler Reeves has done with the ultralight cooking pot and cooking system. It's beyond next level...
@sabrinahammond5475 you can't buy it... he makes them only for himself and closest friends. It's a 3D printed heatexchanger bonded to carbonfiber pot. Search joule bandit.
if this thing sells less than 20 dollar, i will buy and support the idea. But at the price of 48 dollar, it immediately reminds me of the neck training hat or the COVID helmet kind of "design", a bit scammy ngl~ but hey, it was sold out, who am i to doubt the market~😉
I really don't get how few ounces could bother or hurt anyone, just like stressing over chopping toothbrush handle. The UL community has weird race to flex.
I'm going to say it, the noise these make are shocking in the wilderness. The fact these don't actually achieve the job ie. fill it fully makes them redundant to me. The objective is to fill my mat without me contaminating it with moist air. I'll stick to a pump sack. Regarding the weight, I'll head to the toilet on the trail head before hiking to match the difference.... Sorry to be direct and blunt...
the moist air concerns are overblown (see tests by gearskeptic on youtube) but i agree on the noise. I have own a flextail mini but i don't bring it backpacking it is for group camping or tubing.
@@ryan92084 to be fair I've not had any issues with moist air. I also own a flextail tiny pump 2x and a flextail mat. But prefer to use a pump sack with an adapter. Even this model struggle to fully inflate.
Lmao the flextail is arguably crappier with is pathetic cheapo aluminum threads that are ready to mis-thread. This device is actually thought out and the guy(yes the one guy) that makes it obviously cares about his product and can ensure better quality control than flextail with their outsourced Chinese manufacturing. Don't let cheap capitalism fool ya.
Definitely not a high end fit and finish, but it's functional and other than crushing it, I don't think it'll break. It's so light that gravity gots nothing on it.
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Hah, I wasn't expecting the shoutout. I'm glad you enjoyed my suggestion! Tyler is way to humble about this product imo.
You bet! Thanks for the idea, I was happy to find this.
He is being honest about its limitations, I think it's a good thing. It is 50 bucks without battery, after all.
I've been running a PadPad V5.1 for about a year now with zero issues. Its a great little pump with all of the functionality without any fuss or extra weight from a separate battery.
Good to hear!
Nice to see someone showcasing the pad pal! Such a cool little gadget and the guy that created it is a good one. 10g is insane 😳
Couldn't agree more!
Tyler is awesome. His continued iterations on the pump have been fun to watch!
The guy is a genius! I just ordered it from Garage Grown Gear. Can’t wait! I wonder if future iterations will have higher pressure so that I don’t have to blow my own breath and introduce moisture into the pad. I would easily buy the next iteration if he gets the pressure up.
Amazing story of innovation. This guy sounds like a real stand up guy and I wish him the very best. This is a classic example of the great positives of capitalism, free markets, and the incentive it offers. I jumped on Amazon real quick and found some perfect sized clamshell cases for less than $10. There is an earbud case that is perfect. I know ultra-lighters can improvise multi-use storage, but if I had one I would indeed throw it in a nice secure home. Great of you to review this pump and a job well done.
Thank you! And great idea about a little case for it.
I have one on the way and after watching this review that states it’s on the delicate side…I’m gonna find something to protect it in my bag.
Final pad pressure is all that matters to me. The Zero Pump was a huge fail in that department. I didn't catch the spec on the Pad-Pal, but I suspect it won't fully inflate any of my pads either. Adding a breath or two is not an option for me. When you spend $200-$300 (or more) on a pad, adding moisture to the inside of it is a REALLY bad thing. I'll stick with my Flextail 2x until someone can come up with something better.
Then ya, I don't think this Pad-Pal will solve that problem for you.
That moisture is not hurting anything, all in your head.
@@vapor1380 Wish that was true, but you'll have to that to the mold growing inside my old pad. Nobody cares it happens to a $50 pad, but when you start spending upwards of $300 on an insulated UL pad... it matters!
@@vapor1380 LOL you ever cut open an old inflatable pad and see the mold? I have. Very funny to think that repeatedly putting your mouth on that valve, breathing into a mold filled sack, and sleeping on it night after night could never hurt anyone.
Thank you for making it clear that this is what us folks with a fully functioning brain are after with these inflators...
Padpal is my go to pump! It’s not let me down yet. I plan to try using it for a whole thru hike of the AT in the fall. It works great for me so far. It’s a pretty innovative design.
Very cool, glad to hear from a real user like yourself. Thanks for the comment.
Okay for the weight that is pretty amazing.
Agreed. Hard to believe it's a fraction the weight of my pump sack.
Wow...thanks for the review. I'm not ultralight but trying my best to save weight on everything possible. Plus, I love supporting cool awesome humans and gear made in the good ole USA.
omg, it's an FPV motor and propeller! it even sounds the same when it turns on! genius!
I ordered a pad pal thanks to you. I was one of the early buyers of the flextail pump zero, and ever since I’ve been battling battery life issues. Flextail wants to go back and forth with troubleshooting videos. I would have expected better customer service from an established company. Oh well. Hope pad pal fits the bill
I too had the flextail zero pump.. 2 in fact and they both failed within a week. The replacement took 3 weeks to get and that was while I was hiking the AT and it never worked. They did refund my money. I’ll be ordering the Pad-Pal when they are back in stock.
@@maverick7541 I would contact them. They did end up sending me a new one free of charge.
i like the sounds of this tyler guy. sounds like hes doing what he loves to do as a hobby where hopefully hes making a few bucks too. knows his target demo and isnt trying to be anything but what he made it specifically for. a nearly lost art these days.
As an ultralight backpacker, the real question in my mind is when does the weight saved of using the power bank outweigh the zero pumps separate battery? On a thru hike with frequent charging opportunities I think this wins, but my concern is on longer sections with no charging opportunities, will this be the needle that breaks the camels back and means I can’t charge my inreach mini or my iPhone. Or I have to carry an extra power bank to make sure I have plenty of power.
Great question, I hadn't thought of that. One could do the math. On the highest speed it took about 40 seconds to fill my long wide sleeping pad and runs at about 2.85amps according to the manual. That's about 2850 ma consumed in an hour, or about 30% of the juice from a 10000mah battery bank. And that would get you as many as 90 inflations. So it consumes very little electricity and I bet you'll get a chance to charge your batteries within 3 months. 😂 10 inflations would only consume less than 5% of a 10000 mah battery bank.
Thanks for the review and sharing this little gem! I love that it doesn't have a battery as that never made sense to me.
Thanks for watching!
I feel like if you're going to weigh the zero pump with the battery and the nozzle since that's what's needed for it to work, you should include the nozzle and the weight of the battery bank with the pad pal, since it also doesn't work without them. Yes, you're probably already carrying a battery bank and a charging cable, but it still seems like weighing all the necessary components of both, including the battery bank, would be a fairer comparison.
Personally, I prefer the zero pump because I have a tiny battery bank and don't want to waste extra power on yet another electronic item. I also hate how loud other air pumps are.
Met the creator of this on reddit. Great dude
Very good dude.
I only ever inflate pool toys of various sizes, so this would likely not do much for that (correct me if i'm wrong) but this is absolutely something I would consider if my FlexTail 2X ever dies.
Wow… Very cool! If I didn’t just buy the zero pump, I would definitely go for this.
I imagine that it might inflate a Nemo Tensor almost all the way. I noticed that my zero pump has a little more trouble with my REI Helix, but get’s my Tensor inflated right where I want it.
Regardless, I don’t mind having to add a breath or two and I think either of these pumps are totally worth ditching the pump sack for!
Great point!
Amazing review on an amazing piece of gear!
Thanks for watching
IMO the pin depression on the inflate keeps the diaphragm open, so it's likely you'd do the deflate from the inflate opening. I don't think either of these really does the job. If you have to put breaths into it to finalize it you defeat the purpose of keeping your breath out, and that means you're using a pump sack which could have done the job to completion anyway.
I think the original Flextail pump is the correct answer, plus you get a battery bank and a lantern.
Good observations.
I loved your big review and got a pump I ended up returning cause it just seems like too much of a pain. But THIS...this is really cool.
My battery bank died but I used my phone to operate the pad pal. Great device.
Wow didn't know that was a thing. Good idea.
This is awesome, thanks for highlighting a very innovative and clearly passionate creator.
I have two questions.
1. The 4 speeds seem a bit overkill but is it possible that lower speed may produce more pressure?
2. I use the same REI pad in your video. Couldn't you use the inflation port to deflate with the pump ?
Great video, thanks again.
1. Not sure, haven't tested but according to the manual the lower speeds put out less pressure as well so I don't think so.
2. I don't think so on this as well. There's a rubber flap in there that prevents air from escaping while you plug the cap. I think that will also prevent you from sucking air out. Personally I don't care about this because I never use these pumps to deflate anyway.
That's great. I had that Idea a couple of years ago, of why don't they just make the pump off the battery and usb-c chain it to other batteries.
But I wasn't as ingenuitive as this guy!
It's a good idea for sure.
Very interesting and good that it isnt doubling up on weight by having a battery that would need recharged anyway. I have an early flextail but went back to a schnozzle as it is also a dry bag.
Noise at level 4 is louder than any flextail but the other levels are comparable. I do think supporting the cottage manufacturers is a good way to go but I dont think Id be able to get it in Europe and as you say, blowing it up at the end makes me just keep using the schnozzle.
Schnozzle for the win! This definitely isn't a necessity, but a cool tiny gadget.
Does lower speed setting also affect max inflation pressure?
Bonjour so which one is the best ?
nice find. i bought into the zero pump hype but when i received it, didnt really care for it! i think i wanna try this one.
Hope you like it!
Wow please please please this thing will be so good for My DJI mini 4 pro drone because it heats up. They all do when they stood still and you are uploading new software. This will keep it nice and cool and anyone who has a mini 4 pro drone or a mini 3 pro Drone will tell you it does overheat, so it can 2 uses to cool one of those two drones and to inflate I’m in the UK if there’s any way possible that I can buy one from somewhere please let me ?know. I hope what I’m saying makes sense as I’m not good at writing.
Very cool. I don't even backpack and I want one.
Charging, discharging, converting voltages wastes energy. So in the long run you will Save energy compared to a device that has a build in baterry.
Designer of that pump should do also some attachments for hat tent or hammock fun, also made some splash or even full waterproof USB port or whole device
Good suggestions.
What valve option do i need for a zenbivy ultralight mattress?
Not sure
How do they fare when you sit on both those pumps?
I still prefer my Nemo pump sack. It also serves as clothes bag.
Why would you sit on a pump?
I have got the zero pump for 25€ on Aliexpress. From the original flextailgear site. Because its like you said a Chinese product.
But 50$ for a 3d printed product. I don’t know.
Whats the laws in the USA when its broken? Can you return it to the producer? Or when you put it on the battery pack and the battery pack get broken because anything of the pump doesn’t work exactly?
Interesting question. We definitely don't have consumer protection laws like in Europe, so it's pretty much whatever the manufacturer promises. However, in my experience, small businesses like this are usually better at taking care of problems without a hassle anyway.
I'll stick to pumpsacks, but nice to see competition in this segment 👍
That is literally a drone ESC, I recognize the tones it makes 😂
Same! I used to work for a drone company.
This is way cool!
I still think that using the bag the pad comes in to inflate the matt is the best option,only takes a minute or two and no need to carry anything extra
Now put your battery bank on the scale with the PadPal. Because it doesn't work without your battery
Yeah the same thing coming trough my mind.
That’s not a correct comparison.
For a single night you don’t need a batterybank. But you have to carry it.
I always carry a battery bank. Maybe I’m the only one.
Even better Tennessee😊
Great job with the experiment. You made it past 6th grade.. lol. Appreciate your humor too. Keep going.
Barely. Mr. Jones was brutal.
Wow please please please this thing will be so good for My DJI mini 4 pro drone because it heats up. They all do when they stood still and you are uploading new software. This will keep it nice and cool and anyone who has a mini 4 pro drone or a mini 3 pro Drone will tell you it does overheat, so it can 2 uses to cool one of those two drones and to inflate I’m in the UK if there’s any way possible that I can buy one from somewhere please let me ?know. I hope what I’m saying makes sense as I’m not good at writing 👍🏿💨
This guy should be sure to have a patent. He should put it on kick starter
If you think the padpal is awesome you should see what Tyler Reeves has done with the ultralight cooking pot and cooking system. It's beyond next level...
Share link or information please. I only seem3 products available on the above link.
@sabrinahammond5475 you can't buy it... he makes them only for himself and closest friends. It's a 3D printed heatexchanger bonded to carbonfiber pot. Search joule bandit.
Sweet!
Very!
NEXT a thimble sized air pump !!
You could clip it onto a hat and attach a small battery too for a portable cooling fan
I like that idea.
yeah, if you're deaf.
@@-COBRA lol
@@-COBRA💀💀💀
I love your reviews just saying
I like your views just sayin
Hope the gain was set a little lower on other videos.
Thanks for the feedback, still figuring this gear out.
this is a cool gadget but im still sold on pump bags.
My dog would not be happy with the high speed noise!
Interesting but think I'll just keep using the pump I've got
Good on ya.
I think it’s genius that it doesn’t have a battery!
Agreed.
wow!
I bet someone will mod it onto a baseball cap to cool down at baseball games.
good gadget, sadly not enough pressure
Wow, that's a noisy little thing. 🤣
My kids in the background or the pump? 😂
@@theoutdoorempire The pump. 🤣
if this thing sells less than 20 dollar, i will buy and support the idea. But at the price of 48 dollar, it immediately reminds me of the neck training hat or the COVID helmet kind of "design", a bit scammy ngl~ but hey, it was sold out, who am i to doubt the market~😉
The zero can make it easily, when you let it sit for longer. No Problem!
I've let it sit for several minutes before and it just won't do any more pressure with my pad.
I’m really happy with the zero pump - it inflates my Neoair Uberlight to exactly the right pressure for my preference.
Good to know.
If I have to add breath to my pad, it completely defeats the purpose of carrying a pump.
I really don't get how few ounces could bother or hurt anyone, just like stressing over chopping toothbrush handle. The UL community has weird race to flex.
I purchased the Flextail Zero and my exsperience with the device has been garbage. Stay away from it. Perfect name (Zero).
camping hacker🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'm going to say it, the noise these make are shocking in the wilderness. The fact these don't actually achieve the job ie. fill it fully makes them redundant to me. The objective is to fill my mat without me contaminating it with moist air. I'll stick to a pump sack. Regarding the weight, I'll head to the toilet on the trail head before hiking to match the difference.... Sorry to be direct and blunt...
the moist air concerns are overblown (see tests by gearskeptic on youtube) but i agree on the noise. I have own a flextail mini but i don't bring it backpacking it is for group camping or tubing.
@@ryan92084 to be fair I've not had any issues with moist air. I also own a flextail tiny pump 2x and a flextail mat. But prefer to use a pump sack with an adapter. Even this model struggle to fully inflate.
Meh
That looks like crap and build quality and durability seem suspect as hell.
Lmao the flextail is arguably crappier with is pathetic cheapo aluminum threads that are ready to mis-thread. This device is actually thought out and the guy(yes the one guy) that makes it obviously cares about his product and can ensure better quality control than flextail with their outsourced Chinese manufacturing. Don't let cheap capitalism fool ya.
Not bad for something 3d printed by a cottage industry.
Not bad for a random guy on Reddit with a 3D printer.
Definitely not a high end fit and finish, but it's functional and other than crushing it, I don't think it'll break. It's so light that gravity gots nothing on it.