The Flextail Zero Pump Scam - You MUST Watch This Before Buying
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ค. 2024
- EDIT: Flextail have given me a full refund, not sure if they saw this video, I am guessing sending the edited version of this scared them into doing that, not everyone would have a full demo video on tap...now not sure I want to risk their other pumps now?
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Ooh boy...
After a disastrous trip I came home to find my Flextail Zero Pump had arrived, after much faffing and bad AWOL customer service....let's just say, if you want one of these, you NEED to watch this video before you do. Like...it's not 'hey it's actually great, fooled you!' clickbait, you will NOT be happy with what you receive if it's anything like mine. BE WARNED!
To say I'm feeling a bit ...deflated is an understatement ;--)
First video using post-synced sound, mostly OK apart from the ending didn't record. I wouldn't be surprised if a jet liner hadn't crashed on me during recording, that's how well my 2024 is going. How's yours?
Gear used or reviewed in this video:
Flextail Zero Pump - if you are mad enough to still get one: www.flextail.com/products/zer...
Windhike/Naturehike/Light Tour R5.8 mattress www.aliexpress.com/item/10050...
Therm-a-rest Trail Pro Pine
amzn.to/48YdfIA
00:00 Intro
02:23 Windhike R 5.8 Mattress
02:41 Inflation Test 1 - R5.8 Mattress
05:40 Deflation
06:02 Inflation Test 2: - Therm-a-rest Trail Pro
07:17 Conclustions and Red Flags
13:05 My 2024 So Far...
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More gimmick than useful kit, which is a shame as their larger pumps are excellent.
I have the MP2 plus which is a pump, light and emergency powerbank and it cost about the same as the Zero.
I wish I'd known that!
So many glowing reviews on Hiking YT - makes you wonder what deals are being made. Definitely returning this (which might be a saga in itself) and either will get a better pump bag - hard to know which ones will fit my mattress - or one of the cheaper larger ones. Kind of burned on Flextail atm tho.
Agreed, I have the same pump as you and it’s excellent. With my large Exped duo pad the deflation facility makes it worth the money alone, it used to be a nightmare and hard work deflating that pad.
Of course inflation of the same pad and my Sea to Summit camp pad is very rapid and if anything I need to sometimes let some air out to get the desired comfort level.
The pump is an excellent fire bellows as well, no more huffing and puffing down a metal tube. Light is useful as is the power pack option although I have never had to use that facility thus far.
I’m not a super light hiker but the extra weight of something that does four things well over something that doesn’t do anything well seems to be worth the extra weight.
The other thing it can do is Vacum bags, very useful for long term storage of clothes and bedding and I have used smaller ones to compress socks etc when travelling to reduce the size of my bag.
The price also seems rather elevated for what it is.
@@harduphiker I honestly believe that Luke from 'The Outdoor Gear Review' here on TH-cam isn't being honest when he says "A viewer sent me this item" - It happens far too often in his videos for it to be legitimate, as I just don't believe everyday people are posting expensive items to a TH-camr when all they get is a brief "Thanks [Name]" during the video. He reviewed this pump on 18th March 2024 and raved about it after saying a viewer sent it in, fully boxed up in brand new, flawlessly presented retail packaging without a single scuff from the usual postage trip... Yeah, me thinks Luke is doing paid reviews but doesn't want people thinking he's sold-out to low-end manufacturers for money... He also reviews thousand/s of dollars worth of gear every month, and based on his subscriber count, there's no way Google would be paying him enough from views to pay for that gear himself, or even half of it (based on viewer 'donations'), especially given the fact that advertisers who show up on hiking channels don't pay much per ad impression, compared to, say, a finance-centric or personal care product-focused channel.
@@Funkteon I have also noticed the shift from hating Chinese companies to advertising Temu etc stuff, oddly stuff that no-one else can get - like the link is dead by the time the video goes up.
That is strange. I hope that isn't the case, he is one of the good ones....
@@harduphiker For context, I work in advertising with a focus on the tech industry, so whilst I don't work in outdoor/hiking/lifestyle marketing, some of my colleagues do, and we're all hyper aware of the economics of the TH-cam Partner Program (YPP) for 'influencers', i.e. creators who do paid reviews, and TOGR's 612K subscribers just isn't enough on a hiking channel to pay for even half of that gear himself. Now, I recognise that he makes around $1,500 to $2,000 USD per month from his 668 Patreons and perhaps up to $1k USD per month from views on TH-cam, however, he has highlighted that TH-cam is his full-time job, and I'm acutely aware of the fact that is not enough money to pay the bills at home AND buy all that gear... So, in closing, I don't think he's a full-blown sellout like some folks on TH-cam, but I also don't think he's being completely honest about those gear 'donations', either.
Not filling up all the way is just because it has a low static pressure, lower than most people like filled. It works as advertised, it's just that the advertised spec is low. This also explains why some folks are OK with it, because they don't mind having the pad a bit softer. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a scam.
So glad I watched this prior to laying out the money to buy one of these rather pricey little pumps. I read one other review where the guy liked his pump, but admitted it didn't quite fill up the pad all the way. If you have to finish inflating it by mouth, it defeats the purpose of having it. Earlier today I sprang for a new Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm XLT Sleeping Pad, another rather pricey item, and I wanted to avoid introducing moisture and the potential for mold inside, but if a Flextail doesn't do the job, then I might as well just blow it up manually, the way I always have. Thanks for the video
It seems according to a Gear Skeptic video that the mould thing is really overstated and there is no proof that mould can form inside a mattress. But the pump bags on the XTherm are apparently very good, so I would say you might not need one. Also I'd trust Thermarest's own pump much more over this, even though I've not tried it, I'd expect it to work better. But yes... Pumps are a bit of a scam
@@harduphiker Regarding the pump sack, I discovered that it was included as part of the kit when I bought the pad. It only weighs 53.9 grams. I've never used one before, but now I'll be using it with my new pad. Also, I watched the Therm-a-Rest video and was glad to see they say that blowing it up by mouth doesn't do any harm. All good!
@@rkatrails good news. Regards pump sacks... I was told by a commenter on my review of my Flaming Creed Light Tour mattress that I did not know how they worked... Just spent another 10 minutes trying to use it, I think mine is faulty!
@@harduphiker Ah man, you got hit with a double whammy! First the pump, now the sack!
I have the tiny and the zero and really enjoy them both no issues for me with either one, awesome review and well done.
Glad you enjoyed the review and glad that it works for you.
I do use the Tiny pump 2x but yes I have to top it up with a breath or two but not as much as this! I use a pump sack too, depends on the trip. I use Vango sleep mats but the Robens pump sack uses the same valve so it works perfectly,
Yeah I was surprised, I expected 1-2 breaths at max, not 10-12!
Thanks for doing this testing for us!
Any time!
I have one of the older ones and it works fine. It also doubles as a light . I think everyone worries too much about all the ultra light BS too. Quit worrying so much about the grams and go out and hike already ! I`ll never understand why everyone makes such a big deal about carrying things like a belt knife, a multi tool or a chair. Train a little bit and you can carry a little bit more.
I said in the video that the older ones are more poweful, more PSI. I think they dumbed this one down too much to 'save weight' but if it doesn't do the job, then it's pointless
To be fair, the UL approach to any air mat pump is to simply not bring one! It’s a completely unnecessary item. If you can hike 25-30 miles per day then your lungs are fine, and 20-25 more deep breaths after literally 1000s of deep breaths over 14-15 hours of hiking is no huge hurdle! Just go slow and there’s no getting out of breath or getting dizzy and all the other supposed drama of - wow - blowing up a small mattress!
@@dcaudwell I wish I could hike 25-30 miles. I can barely do 8-12 with a full pack and my health issues. I have asthma, so actually deep prolonged breaths, vs walking can be a bit of an issue.
Nice review 👍 I'll be sticking with my tried-and-true pump bag
Yeah...shame my pump bag doesn't work - it's the annoying thing about the Windhike, which is mostly good (bar one night when camping, and the R value is super optimistic)
I recently bought mine to fill my One Tigris Obsidian and it seems to do a decent job. I do have to top it off with the bag though, but only two times with the bag. It saves me a lot of time trying to fill it with the bag and not my lungs, but it's definitely not perfect and is underpowered to fully do the job.
It does seem random which mattresses work with it...
Works great with a Big Agnes Rapide SL. I think the problem may be that lower volume pads require a bit more pressure than the 4"/10cm thick pads to be acceptable.
Could be. It is strange how it didn't work with what is basically a XTherm copy (Light Tour) , even down to the valve though.
I have probably the first version with no light and the adapters that fall off easily. Yeah, it pumped up 2 mats each say on a 10 day hike on one charge. Great!
However, I went back to a pump sack as the flextail did only one thing but the pump sack is a dry bag and a pump sack and a pillow (stuffed with a jacket) and weighs less.
The main advantage of the pump is being able to do other things while it pumps but what else do I need to do? And the bloody nozzles kept falling off anyway
As for deflating....Not on an exped downmat...
Yes I've found my current pump sack and XTherm combo to be far easier, lighter and quicker.
Good luck getting one...been waiting forever for it to arrive
Mine did take a long time, over a month to turn up. I will be selling mine on eBay though, so that will be easier to pick up!
I love mine and I have both Flextails. I didn’t have a problem receiving it so I can see how you could be salty about that but calling it a scam isn’t right. Works great with my Big Agnes Rapide SL 75x25, pumps it up really almost completely full, I don’t need my pad rock hard though. I never tried the deflate because my pad doesn’t need it but it does save me from a lot of back pain which is its best feature for me.
So it works for you, so must work for everyone right? Your one experience is universal, and all the others in the comments who also had issues are lying?
Strange logic there.
Glad I bought the Flextail 2x one now. Works perfect & its a good tent lantern.
Yeah...I wish I'd gotten that one now!
I honestly believe that Luke from 'The Outdoor Gear Review' here on TH-cam isn't being honest when he says "A viewer sent me this item" - It happens far too often in his videos for it to be legitimate, as I just don't believe everyday people are posting expensive items to a TH-camr when all they get is a brief "Thanks [Name]" during the video. He reviewed this pump on 18th March 2024 and raved about it after saying a viewer sent it in, fully boxed up in brand new, flawlessly presented retail packaging without a single scuff from the usual postage trip... Yeah, me thinks Luke is doing paid reviews but doesn't want people thinking he's sold-out to low-end manufacturers for money... He also reviews thousand/s of dollars worth of gear every month, and based on his subscriber count, there's no way Google would be paying him enough from views to pay for that gear himself, or even half of it (based on viewer 'donations'), especially given the fact that advertisers who show up on hiking channels don't pay much per ad impression, compared to, say, a finance-centric or personal care product-focused channel.
Just seen that review pop up...disappointing that Luke raved about that....maybe he didn't have problems, but I am not alone, and as you say, it's an underpowered pump.
I got one all the flextail zero pump what's the Nemo quasar 3D insulated sleeping pad I don't recommend this pump but I still use it with a pump suck
I have used it to fill up my Nemo pillow
Good point, I didn't think of trying it with other things like pillows.
Purchased on Amazon for AUD $79.95 and returned next day. Even though I had read and watched reviews regarding the poor threading, and even though I was super careful unscrewing the cap to access the battery and wanting to grease the threading, it was cross threaded to a point that I was unable to open the cap. I really want one but I don't understand why it went to market with this issue. Very disappointed. Any recommendations ?
Some people have had good results with their TinyPump / X2 - I couldn't comment as I don't really trust them now.
But I see that some of the mattress manufacturers make them -Thermarest, Exped etc - I'd trust those way more than Flextail.
I'd check valve compatibility though..looks like say the NeoAir pump doesn't work with my older valve on my NeoAir, for instance.
The Pad Pal looks interesting...again not tried it, but seems like the person isn't overpromising and has specific mattresses in mind (it seems like the Zero fits none that well, trying to fit 'all'', even the classic twist valve adapter is a fail) rex-creations.com/products/pad-pal-v5-1-early-release-phasing-in
I find that even if it doesn't fill it up really really firm, it still saves me a lot of blowing. I can sit back and let it inflate while I unpack my sleeping quilt. I use a Big Agnes Rapide Wide Long pad. I carry the pad rolled inside the include pump sack, just as a backup. The pump weighs so little, I find its always worth taking. Cheers.
Gadl you had a positive experience...personally I'm trying to avoid having to breathe into my new pad, but if I have to do it 12 - 1/3 of the time, it's not worth taking.
Great video, finally someone who speaks the truth instead of trying to sell hikers some more junk. Personally, I use the Tiny pump 2x instead, and the pumping pressure is way higher than the zero pump, enough so that I don't have to use any breaths to top up the pad afterwards. Also its strong enough to stoke a fire. And it has such a huge battery which makes the lantern on it last for hours and hours. I would often leave the lantern lit up in my tent and when I come back in the dark, the light would still be on and allow me to easily find my tent. All these features for 44 grams more than the zero pump, its a clear win for the Tiny pump 2x.
Yes I really wish I'd bought that one now! Might have worked better....
Mine works just fine. I've gotten maybe 15 full inflations from it on one charge. Did you ensure you charged the battery? Could also just be a faulty battery or unit. These are made in china so anythings possible.
Yes it was fully charged, and not shown is the first 2 attempts at home, so it did this all the time, and I recharged it fully before the video. So not sure what is wrong with mine....
Works just fine with my Big Agnes Rapide SL Long and Wide pad... 90-100 seconds and it's good to go. MAYBE needs 1 or 2 breaths. The deflation is useless though. I've also had zero issues pumping up a self-inflating pad, Air Core pad, and Outdoor vitals long mummy pad. Sorry you've had a bad experience. that sucks..
Well it doesn't suck...nor it blows! ;-) Y
eah...it's weird this pad does not work at all then? See what Flextail says, but I don't think I am alone here...
Which nozzles do you use for that pad? The instructions are terrible and I'm frustrated with the thing so far.
@@Talentedtadpole I tried several that were the closest size fit... All had the same problem, even the one that was a really tight seal. The ones that fit over the valve... The smaller ones on the right that were connected together - seem to be for older valves, the newer ones for the circle hole type were on the left in mine.
@@Talentedtadpole but yes the instructions ARE terrible!
@@harduphiker thanks!
I bought a Flextail Zero Pump 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.
Yeah I found the machining made it hard to open as well
And yes good point re:flammability. I know how explosive aluminum dust is, they used to use it as stage flash powder/magic tricks
Aluminium behaves like that, so you can grease the threads. Nitecore puts grease in their battery covers because of that. Also, they even sell that grease. It is basically like clear vaseline, so I use my girlfriends lip balm for that. :)
Don't have that problem with the tiny pump x on the rapid sl
Yeah the bigger pumps have more PSI - so I suspect they'd be OK?Not sure I want to give Flextail more money to check though. Like they are 3-4PSI, this is around 2ish. This Zerp pump is underpoiwered and I think badly designed...
I was sent a free example of the zero but really disliked it, my big problem with it is was the weight. Yes it weighs 1.2 oz but only without the battery and attachments. The 2x is different all together though. Powerful and with a light , not an incredible difference in weight either. Enjoying the channel but the way. Hardy
Thank you! And yes...I think if I do go back to these I will totally get the original or the 2x. But this experience put me off...also my new/old mattress has the old valve like my Trail pro, so not sure if it will have the same half inflated problem.
I never inflate my mattress all the way, I like it a bit cushy.
Same, although not half way or a third not full... I only slightly deflate (also that doesn't work with the diamond baffle style, you start touching the cold spots)
Interesting review, but not sure if you are using it properly?
First off I can’t comment on the Lite-Tour pad as I have never heard of that particular model, but I have had experience with other Chinese Bargain models (Naturehike, MountainView, or the famous Costco Cascade Mountain). As a budget, low cost alternative, they may be okay, but you get what you pay for. You cannot compare them to more mainstream brands such as Thermarest, Nemo or Big Agnes.
I have both the FlexTail Tiny x2 and the Zero Pump and have used them both on the Nemo Astro Insulated 25 and Thermarest XTherm NTX. I was able to inflate both mats to about 90-95% firmness. The problem I ran into is my Nemo is an older model with the twist valve and (Boston style) dump valve without the secondary one way valve. Only the adaptor for the Boston valve would fit as the twist valve being an older (10 years ago) design is smaller than most valves made today (including by Nemo where they use these types). The Thermarest uses a wing lock twist valve.
With the Thermarest, I was able to attain sufficient firmness (no grounding out) with about 2-3 short blasts of air. The Nemo needed more (about 6) due to air escaping from pulling the pump and closing the dump valve.
I am sure you can find an air pump that will fully inflate your mat just as quick. If you have STOP using it as these pads are not designed for fast high pressure inflation. It will damage your pad. Went through two Big Agnes pads using an old school Coleman pump, the kind designed for the larger thick poly blue airbeds we all use to use.
Don’t believe me? Try a Thermarest NeoAir pump. You will get similar results to the Zero Pump and Tiny Pump. You will also see the warning in the instructions not to use to fully inflate. You will also find similar results with the stuff sack type pumps. You will need to use your breath to finish off and adjust firmness with these as well (I have both a Thermarest and a Big Agnes stuff sack pump and they both will inflate to about 80-90%).
As far as deflating, both the Tiny x2 and Zero pumps can assist in deflating, but it is a hands on experience. Not due to any fault with the pumps, but due to the inherent design of these air beds. Their thin flexible material will suck to the valve opening unless you physically hold it away from the valve opening (easier to do with the twist valve than the Boston/dump valve).
The Thermarest inflated to about 95% in 1.39 minutes (smaller wing lock twist valve) while the (larger) Nemo Astro inflated to about 95% in 1.05 seconds, but unfortunately dropped to about 85% while trying to unplug the pump and plug the valve seal.
Not sure how many uses you can get from one charge. I was able to inflate and deflate both my Nemo and Thermarest three times (6 cycles) and was able to run the pump without load for about 20 minutes (to drain the battery before recharging it).
I have used a NeoAir pump with similar results, but unfortunately it is designed specifically for Thermarest valves and not quite compatible to other brands.
One advantage the Pump Zero has over the Tiny x2, Thermarest NeoAir and similar mini pumps is the fact it uses a replaceable lithium battery. If going for a longer trip you can always take a spare battery. You may even have a spare compatible battery in your headlamp (Fenix, Olight and NiteCore all make CR123a compatible headlamps). And yes, they do take somewhat longer to charge. I have similar batteries from Lumintop, Fenix and NiteCore and they all take upwards to 45 minutes to an hour to charge. This size of cell/packaging charges slower to avoid heat/exploding. Think of it this way. It takes about an hour and 20 minutes to fully charge an Apple Watch (1.8W) but only an hour and 5 minutes to charge an iPhone 15 pro max (25W).
I am definitely using it properly, I got a refund from Flextail when they saw part of this video, I didn't show the other times I tested this before that (people already complain this video is 'too long!'). Also did you miss that one of the mattresses is indeed an older Thermarest? iIt didn't pump that properly either. But anyway, the pump is advertised as being universally compaitble, not just for a few big brands. Also I'd expect a Chinese product to work with Chinese mattresses....that's rather odd.
Also I see you say that you don't know the Light Tour mattress in question, but then say these mattresses are somehow defective or not fit for purpose. How can you know that?
Actually the Light Tour is made by the same Chinese compamy that does mattresses for Vaude, and although personally I think it's a little overrated in the R-department (even though it unusually has a proper ASTM rating), I've been using it for months with no problems so far. It seems very similar to the XTherm if maybe slightly heavier and not as warm; but £90 vs £250 I'll take that. So maybe don't dismiss mattresses you've never tried...and a lot of other UK YTers are now using that matt as well.
Because frankly, unless you are rich, you can't afford the import and VAT let alone the crazy prices of the big US-based mattreses. I am guessing you are in the States, because the 'bargain' gear they get is high price here, and they wonder why us Brits aren't using it. It's cos after import and taxes, we have pounds for dollars, so what's a affordable or a bargain item there becomes $100-150 more here. Hence it's either Chinese stuff or nothing for many of us without major bank accounts, unless you accidentally find something s/hand or imported here on sale. Big Agnes, Nemo, Therm-a-rest are all big bucks here, usually around the £200 mark for anything UL or insulated. You can find cheaper summer mattresses, then again you could just use a Trekology matt for that!
I don't seem to have the problem you are having. I've used it on a Big Agnes Q-core SLX, a Thermarest neoair, and a Thermarest prolite plus. All exceed my desired firmness, allowing me to adjust down to my preferred comfort.
It didn’t fully inflate my STS pad, but my older Flextail tiny pump does. He’s correct, scam…or at least should state it doesn’t fully inflate.
Exactly - the fact they refunded me immediately after showing them a bit of this video makes me really suspicious. In one sense...good, but in another, they didn't even query anything. Makes me wonder how many have had similar.
This pump would have been somewhat better had they used a 21700 battery instead of the pithy little 650mAh RCR123. Sure, the pump would have needed to be 3mm more in diameter and an inch longer, but most people would be fine with that so long as they had a pump that worked. Another reason this pump barely works is because unlike their other pumps which have a side-port entry for the air to be pulled in, these are trying to squeeze all the air past the RCR123A battery, which is a tiny sliver of space around the diameter of the battery. In their attempt to create a streamlined tubular device, they've strangled its ability to do the one thing it's meant to do... What you're witnessing here is the result of Chinese university graduate engineering prowess (or lack thereof). It's why you never see Chinese university-educated designers or engineers working in high-end western companies. They just don't have the required level of physics or material design knowledge to be of any real help. An example of a Chinese company making high quality gear that pushes air around and uses DC motors is DJI - But when you dig a little deeper, you learn that their design and engineering and QA teams are full of western-educated Chinese nationals who returned to China to work.
Exactly. I was surprised they didn't use the 21700 or one of the more standard short (well getting to be) batteries like the 18350 I don't know why....seemed an odd choice.
Weird. Works great for me. Pumps up my Big Agnes SL more than I like so end up deflating it a bit after. Must be Mat dependent then. Guess I got lucky with my combo 👍
So glad I watched this prior to laying out the money to buy one of these rather pricey little pumps. I read one other review where the guy liked his pump, but admitted it didn't quite fill up the pad all the way. If you have to finish inflating it by mouth, it defeats the purpose of having it. Earlier today I sprang for a new Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm XLT Sleeping Pad, another rather pricey item, and I wanted to avoid introducing moisture and the potential for mold inside, but if a Flextail doesn't do the job, then I might as well just blow it up manually, the way I always have. Thanks for the video
Does it deflate the big Agnes? And which nozzles do you use? I'm annoyed with the pump so far.
@@Talentedtadpole for me it does. One of the bigger included fittings go in perfectly if a bit snug. Not sure if there is specific name on it. When the pitch changes to high I stop it and it’s perfect. I’m slim and 70kg not sure if someone heavier would need more air. If so then yeah it probably won’t inflate enough. For me at my weight etc it’s perfect. Mines the Big Agnes Rapid SL. Used both this weekend in freezing temps camping two nights 👍 edit: the MW version of the Mat. Super comfortable.
@@Talentedtadpole sorry didn’t read the deflate part! Never used it for that. Didn’t know you could 😅
@@patrikfranzen4535 thank you I will persist. Can't leave pump to inflate without holding it up!
I just got my Day1 indiegogo order today. The order was placed 09/14/2023 and arrived January 26th 2024, a full 134 days later. It arrived without the battery so I cant even use the damned thing.
Ouch. To give them credit I did get a refund really quickly after I showed them it wasn't working, so maybe email them. But yes, that is not good.
I just wonder if you let it run a little longer if it'd do a little better? Feel like youre removing it as soon as it hisses and I bet you could get a little more air in there after watching couple other videos. 🤷♂
I did try that, I didn't stop it, the pump auto-stops. And if you try it again (double click to start), it stops again shortly after. Like it won't allow any more air into the pad.
Gotcha, I'm just wondering if should I send mine back and get the stronger one? I don't have a sleeping pad yet, so I can't even test it out. Is it worth the weight savings itself just to do 85% of the job or would getting the bigger stronger one make more sense 🤔 they only offer 7 day returns and it's been 2 days so far since I've got it. I also figure how much are they going to charge me to return ship it..
@@mrjones8256 I am doing the returns process atm, they immediately wanted video of the problem, which I found hilarious....
Absolutely spot on
Thank you.
I bought one and it absolutely does not deflate. Very disappointing. Also I bought a very expensive mattress from Decathalon (Quechua model) and of course none of the adapters work to blow it up.
Lesson learned I guess.
Sad to hear that...seems some have no problems, others have issues. We are in the issues camp!
You can get a refund and I encourage you to contact Flextail, and show them - you might need to provide a video clip of the problem. They refunded me.
I will reach out to them. Guess they can’t make adapters for all mattresses. The deflation issue is more of an issue. Like their products though. Might be another unit I could get from them.
Most TH-cam reviewers are either getting paid or hoping to get paid which is why you don’t really see truthful refuse like this which you’re saying is what I’ve been thinking for a long time
Thank you....it's a lonely thing though. TH-cam and the infrastructure is very much setup for those shilling gear with 'glowing' reviews, and you get a lot of pushback if you go against the 'narrative' even though I know I'm not alone in having these problems.
Mine works fine to inflate 4 different pads. Who inflates pads that full? You should only put enough in to get your entire body off the ground.
I don't think only inflating it 1/2 or 2/3rd full is too much - it would not keep me off the gound that under inflated. Flextail agree with me, they gave me a full refund after showing them that part of the video. Did you even watch the video I wonder?
What a shame, thank you for your review.
Thank you!
Well I am not sure but y needed to auto shutoff and it may only use special connections. A few hikers have cut open well used air pads and there’s no mold growth with on any air pads. But I do not think I would use it so I hope if you try it again a new review there’s also others co who offer. I do want to say thank you. JoP
I did let it auto shut off - you can see that in the video? I tried it repeatedly, it shut off way before it was even 2/3rds or half full everytime
the fact that people buy crap like this, is because they have no idea what a compressor is or how they work. Ask someone who knows and they will tell you its a scam.
@toejamr1 Calling me 'a big baby' in other comments, and 'a baby and dramatic for his video.' tends to lead to all your comments being hidden and basically being told to not darken my channel again.
I don't take kindly to personal insults and such negativity and rudeness...Go back to your 6 subscribers and leave me alone.
My pump is a robens 3i1 for 60€ best thing i got this year but sadly my robens pump is allso a exorux pump but cost 20€ so now I feel cheated
Not heard of that one....solar pump, interesting. I am taking a solar panel for my Scottish trip most likely, as I can linger (I don't take one for wild camping in the UK, even though solar does work here, but unless really sunny it takes many hours so you need to stay in one place)
I will stick to my reindeer skin, as it is simply perfection by mother nature. Lots of air in it, but no inflation is needed.
Reindeer skin?
Yes, as in skin from Santa's furry helpers. Best material to use if you want to stay warm in the Arctic.@@harduphiker
Reindeer skin? For real? 😯
Absolutely. It is an excellent material to use in cold weather, and the Sami people of the North (me included) typically use it for bedding/mattress, winter shoes (goikkehat), parkas/jackets (beaska), and winter hats (gahpir). I use it all the time when I go ice fishing on the lake.@@CampingRulesOkay
Sounds very cool. And sustainbale!
i've used the zero to even inflate big water matresses, no problem. sure, it cant build up much preassure but i didnt expect it to be capeable to do that, its only a tiny fan after all. the deflation also works very nice _after_ you deflated most of the matress. its not intended to deflate the whole thing from the start, its just to get the tiny rest of air out of the matress, and that works really well and safes space.
Ultralight has allways been kinda Rip off, my pump fills my pad a little to hard and have a 4000mah powerbank a light and solar to recharge, but 265grams is not ultralight, so most ppl dont evin look at it
Agreed, UL is a weird one - a great idea, but I've for example been struggling to find a cheap decent light 60L-ish pack as all of the packs are going downwards in size, but not all of us have dyneema tents and gear that small or light! And a lot of the UL stuff is fragile or sometimes bordering on dangerous....it's for weekend hikers, not thru-hikers or long distance hikers like myself.
Great video! Nice review. New follower. Crow
Thanks and welcome!
I really tried to like it. The valve attachments are terrible - they don't work
Going back to the Giga pump. Has good air, light, recharges w/o taking apart, and, the attachments actually work.
@@davidlarson1399 yes...that's what I found with trying to blow up the old valve...it was worse. Not tried it on the new/old Xtherm I've just bought...maybe that might work better?
Don't worry about getting mould In the sleep mat. It's been tested and no mould builds up.
Yeah I hadn't seen that research - Gear Skeptic right? Cos it's fairly new...and yes, that's true, it seems mould is a false alarm scare.
It sure sounds loud. Good for scaring away bears in Canada and waking up the entire national park! It will go great with my bluetooth speaker! ( joke joke).
I own the old one. I use the lantern more then the actual pump. If it was not dual purpose, I probably would not have bought it. It is pretty gimmicky. My biggest gripe about them is the sound and loudness. I want to be out in nature. Not hearing vacuum cleaners. So I usually just use the pump sac that came with my Xtherm. It takes a bit of pumping but at least it does not give me a headache. Also acts as a pillow or dry bag.
Yes, that bugged me too - that high-pitched whine - quieter I think with the Zero not as loud as the Tiny but still loud - is not good for stealth camping.
And really...apparently breath is fine for moisture, the mould thing is a myth - so pump bag or mouth, either is fine, and are cheap/free and quiet (ish)
The indiegogo was a clusterf*#k flextail made themselves look horrific, really bad experience!
Yeah....I received their notifications still and it seems like a total mess.
from what i understand it has an auto off feature when is senses the correct pressure.. you are removing it prematurely instead of letting it go off on its own..
Nope. As you can see in the video I don't remove it, I just let it stop. It auto stops well before the mattress is full, I did this many times before I shot the video, and every time the auto stop stops the inflation WELL before full. And you start it again...it stops immediately.
Mate I think you're too literal for this device. Your expecting a compressor pump performance from a product that is an inflation pump and marketed as an inflation pump. Horses for courses I guess.
I expected it to mostly fill my mattress...not 2/3rds or half.
I can't believe you lost 6 subscribers just for not posting a video... How do people even remember to go and unsubscribe to people... I probably have creators on my subscribe list that haven't posted in years and I would never think to go and unsubscribe from their channel...
Yeah, it's not just this video, I've had the sub count go down when there is a long gap (never more than 2 weeks in practice) - it happened recently, then was offset because I appeared on other people's channels with a collab - my video from that going up shortly - and I think it buoyed up the numbers.
ther name of a go0d pump please
Sadly I havne't found one yet - if you subscribe I'll let you know when I find one!
@@JesseCase this is just my experience, I am not 'playing it up to the cameras'. Also negative reviews don't get sponsored, and I probably won't get sponsors with videos like this, so dunno what the infomercial comments are about. And I am not alone about it, others have had this issue.
Do you work for Flextail? Defending them at all costs sounds a lot like it to me. This pump doesn't work for me ot others. and people should know about it. 'Can't be pleased' - sorry, I expect a pump to work, to pump up my mattress, is that too much to ask? Apparently you're easily pleased if you are fine with a pump that half inflates your mat. I'd say more easily conned by hype.
Or would you rather I lied and made a video like others saying 'it's wonderful'? When it most definitely is not - Btw I tried this pump 3-4 times,two or three times even before filming. Still did this every time. Flextail didn't argue either when they saw the test part of this video, so they agree with me I guess, and refunded me immediately. Which suggests they know it's a problem with some mattresses.
If you bother to read below, you will see others have had issues as well. I think it's higher than 5%, but even if it is 5%, they need to be honest and tell people of which mattresses don't work, even test them? There's nothing about compaibility I could find...
But go off I guess? People like you are why I stopped making gear vidoes, you're the ones that shoot the messenger and are never happy. Too long! You're a big baby! Stop whining! Aluminium is killing everyone! FFS. Listen to yourself. i am not getting paid, I make this for free, I don't get any free gear or advertising so should not have to put up with this abuse.
So go bother some big TH-camr who is taking Temu or Deacthlon's money on the downlow, and leave us honest independent small TH-camrs alone.
One review and people are falling off a wagon lol
Mine works fine. I camp a lot.
I carry a lot.
So…this pocket pump works wonderfully FOR ME.
Do you want a medal?
It sounds lik Chines qualety! /Mikael
Not all Chinese things are that bad, 3FUL are great but yeah, there is some shady stuff out there.
I think this review is misleading because it seems you may have a defective device.
I have inflated my Nemo Tensor several times without recharging it.
I see others on here say the same.
But it doesn't work for others with different mattreses? If it was marketed as 'Only works with Nemo or Big Agnes' then I'd agree, but it's supposed to work with a wide range, and it doesn't.
Show me a battery powered compact pump that can pump the mattress as full as you want it? There is no pump like that on the market. Maybe if you use large kayak pump, you can get it as firm as you want it. And when it is so full, as the light tour was, it is not comfortable anymore. And selfinflating mattress is not easy to inflate with breath in the first moments too, after you unroll it. I dont agree with you at all. For my exped synmat 9lw this pump is great.
So the fact it was only 2/3rds inflated is fine? A few breaths...yes. But I had to do 10-12 breaths to fill it.
Also you don't know how the Light Tour works, it has to be fully inflated, cos of how the diamond baffling works. If it collapses down cos it's soft, you will get cold. That's an issue with that kind of baffling, it needs to be fully inflated, otherwise you hit the ground, and then get cold.
Whereas Therm-a-rest and horizontal or long baffles you can get away with part inflation, the structure doesn't collapse.
Nobody is pushing that much air in a mattress. 😂 I mean come on dude
What you don't fill your mattresses? You lie on them half full or 2/3rds full?
Lemme guess - the hot air you are totally full of helps you levitate!
Dude I have used this on at least 5 different pads and brands and have NEVER had to put that many additional breathes in it. Maybe one or two tops for it to be fully inflated. Do another test and let’s see you let it run until you can hear it has finished, put a breathe or two in it and then let’s see you lie on it?
@@hikeeatrepeat9768 That's what I did. It shut off evey time, even when I restarted it. I repeatedly tried it. You can hear and see the pump shutting itself off in the video. Did you even watch it bro?
Do you think this is the ONLY test I did of the pump on this video? Really? I'm not going to show hours of trying it beforehand, cos that makes a crap video, but I did.
You think I'd lug all the stuff many miles to a park without trying it several times first? LOL.
It did this EVERY time with both pads, and no, 1-2 breaths didn't make it full. I showed in the video that it took10-12 breaths to fill it, or more in the case of the Trail Pro.
Flextail gave me my money back immediately after I showed them the part of this video where it's not working. So...I rest my case.
And do you have the same mats as me? No? Well then. Go buy a Light Tour or Trail Pro and then do video showing it can be filled by this pump, then I might believe you.
Not making gear videos for anyone anymore, at least not for entitled people like you who have to be always right, even when I showed evidence of where they are wrong IN THE VIDEO THEY DIDN"T WATCH.
Responses like this is why I stopped doing gear tests and reviews. It doesn't matter how carefully I test or show stuff, people have to always find fault...so they can get in the sea and go watch one of the secretly sponsored videos paid by the company and get ripped off.
I don't care anymore, Hiking TH-cam is full of secret paid sponsorship, but at least they are getting paid for the abuse. I am not, so I quit doing these videos cos the grief is not worth it.
Have a nice time being f**ked over, mate.
@@harduphiker listen you can be upset all you want. The fact of the matter is, I did watch the entire video and yes I saw you placing several breaths into the mat. Here is my point, I work with small companies all the time trying to make it in this industry and for you to get on here and say they are garbage is subjective. It hurts the companies reputation based off what? Your opinion and you should present it that way not make it out like the product is garbage. Maybe I am looking for a pump that will get me 80% there and help with a fire. This is perfect and lightweight but if I based my opinion on the initial start of the video and caption, I would never even give a great product a chance.
@@hikeeatrepeat9768 It wasn't 80% there.
Not even close.
Look the mattress takes around 30-35 breaths to fill. 10-12 breaths after trying the pump many times to get it to fill it and it keeps autoshutting off is not 20% of that. You do the math. The Trail Pro was 50% full, even worse.
And all reviews are subjective? There are thousands of positive reviews for this pump, and about two or three that are negative that bought the pump with their own money. Cos the others got freebies. You accused me of being salty about that! So you are aware of that free promo buying. Which is highly suspect, and more damaging of their reputation, I'd argue, astroturfing positive reviews for undeclared paid promo. NONE of those videos flagged the paid promo, against YT and ASA guidelines btw.
And it's not opinion if it's my experience? The companies need to create good products that are fit for purpose. This one isn't. I don't care if I 'hurt their reputation' or fee-fees if I am saying honestly how the pump is, because their product is not fit for purpose, and they need to address that.
This product IS a scam because it doesn't do what it promises, and others have take the bung/free product and not tested it thoroughly. I tested it as much as I could, and it didn't work. That's not 'opinion' - that's fact.
Sounds like this dude had more than one excuse to not use this pump and most of all the fittings that come with probably doesn’t support that pad he has. This sounds a rubbish review.
You do know I can read the comments, right?
So why are you talking about me in the second person as if I'm not here?
I think you are just upset you didn’t get a free one.
LOL you couln't be further from the truth.
Thanks for doing this testing for us!
No problem!