Big Agnes Pumphouse Pad Pump - 2008 BCS

Yes, it actually works. My two girls (14 & 18) had a hard time getting a rhythm of filling the bag, but I didn't. You sort of "poof" the bag open, then roll it a couple of times and push the air into your mat. I have the BA Air-Core 20x72 and it works great. It's not fast, but easy, and a lot more relaxing than puffing your brains out and being light-headed after. If you want to use it as a pillow (which I don't) I think you'll need to clamp the valve end. It has a bungee for grabbing your mattress valve, but it doesn't close completely with no valve in there. Leaks air. If you roll it and clamp it you should be OK.

The BA site says it works as a shower and, what do you know, it does just fine with the silicone hose from by miniworks and a surgical hose clamp. Now I wish I'd have gotten black and not terra cotta, though. I have no problem filling my insulated air core with about 13-14 'pumps'. After seeing the, ehem, 'liquid' inside a clear mattress after a season of use, filling with dry air can't help but add to longevity and maintain insulating factor.

I didn't think this could be a viable way to pump, but my girlfriend and i raced to fill our big agnes iron mountain sleeping pads. I blew mine up normally and she used the pump. it took me 11 breath fulls to fill up the pad in about 1 1/2 minutes. she filled her pad up in about twice that time with 13 "sack fulls" and two breaths to top it off. at the end my head hurt and hers didn't. I'm going to buy a second one for me! and you can never have enough water resistant sacks.

First opinion: hokey... couldn't possibly pump up a pad. Then I tried it.. Still hokey, but it works! It takes me an average of 12 'full bag' pumps to fill up a normal length pad. The process is: 1) attach end of bag to pad, 2) fluff open end of bag, 3) seal/roll bag until bag is 'firm', 4) press as much air out as you can, 5) roll again until firm, 6) press out rest of air, 7) unroll and repeat. I bought/compared this against the Exped pillow pump. The pillow pump gives you more of a feeling of pumping, but its more work. When you're tired after a long day hiking/paddeling (we used these in the BWCA), the BA bag/pump was 10% overall less work than the pillow/foam Exped pump.

It's probably not the best dry bag, pump, or pillow but I use it for all three and it does the job. Although it does take a bit longer to pump a pad up with it than using your breath it's kind of relaxing once you get into the rhythm and it keeps moisture out of the pad insulation so that's good too.

I think it's great addition to my BA gear. I have an Expen brand pad also that came with it's own pump but got the BA because of the lighter weight. I wasn't happy about the extra moisture from blowing up the pad by mouth so I was very happy when I found the "pump house". No moisture or light headedness at higher elevations.

I find it very easy to pump up my pad with this pump. it is a little tricky to keep it open while you start to roll the top, but it's manageable. Also, when i bought this, i was afraid that the air would just blow back out since you cant get to the valve while the sack is one there, but it turned out that air hardly escapes anyway until that very last pump, and by then, your taking the sack off anyway. After that, it's one or two blows from your mouth to really firm it up and your set for a comfy night of sleep. My only (minor) dislike about this sack is that my BA Insulated Air Core 20x78 pad wont fit in it horizontally. but thats really not too big a deal.

I have really had time believing any one could use this sack as a pump. Opening it every time to get air into it then sealling and compressing it is just a waist of time. Easier to just blow, cuz this thing doesn't.