Touring - bicycle pump adapter for air mattress

Has anyone heard of a "adapter" to use with bicycle pump to blow up air mattress, ie. Big Agnes ??

I rigged one using an old inner tube I cut down and a hair scrunchie. It worked OK, but it doesn't really take much time or breath to inflate a Big Agnes. You don't inflate it hard, do you?

Judy

It depends on the terrain. Since the mattress is only an inch thick, you have to inflate it rock hard when the ground is bumpy. Then it feels great to lie on.

As for the adapter, another vote for inflation by mouth, since it's so fast anyway.

Bike pumps are low volume / high pressure pumps. Air mattress pumps are high volume / low pressure. They don't mix well. In other words the proper tool for the job.

How hard is it to blow up a big agnes with your mouth???? I have a full sized bed type air mattress for use at my home and I can blow that up pretty easily. You should be able to handle a BA.

My sleeping pad is a NeoAir, but the volume is similar to a BA pad. It takes 15 deep breaths to inflate to where I usually want it. That is maybe 45 seconds. At the volume of a frame pump it would probably take thousands of strokes on my bike pump.

I am guessing that maybe the OP has a pad with down or some other insulation that he wants to keep dry, hence the reason for not wanting moist breath in it. Still a low volume pump like a bike tire pump sounds like a very poor answer.

My sleeping pad is a NeoAir, but the volume is similar to a BA pad. It takes 15 deep breaths to inflate to where I usually want it. That is maybe 45 seconds. At the volume of a frame pump it would probably take thousands of strokes on my bike pump.

I am guessing that maybe the OP has a pad with down or some other insulation that he wants to keep dry, hence the reason for not wanting moist breath in it. Still a low volume pump like a bike tire pump sounds like a very poor answer.

That is my situation. Everyone said my Big Agnes Air Core was a breeze to inflate. (Is that a pun?) My only time inflating by mouth it took me (actually the wife) significantly more than the 10-20 breaths everyone was claiming. Maybe we just wanted ours harder than most. (Cue Michael Scott: "That's what she said!")

I ended up buying the BA "inflator". It's essentially a ripstop stuff sack with a 'nozzle' type end. You put the 'nozzle' over the pad's inflator thing, open the bag up as much as possible, close the main opening of the bag and then squeeze the air into the pad. Reopen the bag to fill it with air, close it and squeeze. Rinse. Repeat as needed.

It does take longer than mouth inflation. But, I am concerned with the moist air in the enclosed, insulation filled pad. I can just imagine all the cooties that are growing as I sleep.

A side benefit is the inflator is also a fine stuff sack. So, you are not taking up valuable pack room with a specialized use piece of equipment.

It'll work but like has been said,you'll be there awhile with a bike pump.You can buy/make a "pillow/bag pump for it if your worried about cooties......or......Get an Exped mat,it's built in.....

Get an Exped mat,it's built in.....

good point . :thumb:

OK, we've ruled out bicycle pumps... but you've piqued my curiousity about other types of pumps that I have around the house (and not my daughter's stilettos). What about pumps for: 1) balloons, 2) exercise balls, or 3) basketballs?

The object of the original exercise was to determine if a bicycle pump could be adapted to pump air into a BA air mattress. Yes, it can. I've done it. But 20 breaths or air is certainly easier for me and more expedient... and I'm not worried about "bugs" growing in my insulated air core.

However, if I were to have to carry something extra -- and today's "orange" air quality alert, high temperature/high humidity, and my asthma is making that 20 easy breaths feel like 20 breaths at the top of Mt. Everest -- I'd probably want something I could shove down the side of my pannier, or maybe slip into the tent bag, and I'd want it to work FAST, operate easy and be cheap (or free if I had something that I could use already) and able to work with the gear I already like using.

The exercise ball pump should work reasonably well. I wouldn't carry one myself, but if your asthma is a problem it might be worth it to you.

Edit:
I should have mentioned that some mattresses seem to give excessive resistance if the valve is not in exactly correct position. For example on some you not only need to open the valve, but also press in the collar all the way.

Now if I could figure out how to get the exercise ball pump to brew a mean cup of java, I might consider taking it along... but I guess that's another topic for a different thread :)

Stevenson's down filled air mattress supplies a pump sack.
breath = moisture = mildew in the thing.
of course the air in Western Eire is rather damp
so it mildewed anyhow , losing air over night.

The air is dry when the snow locks it into ice. so colder would be better..