Blog

Therm-a-Rest Neo Air Mini Pump

• June 2014
• Gadgetry

Every once in a while I find a gear item that is actually life altering, and it’s usually a small, unassuming item….and the MSR Mini Pump is very much that!! If there’s one thing I love, it’s a small little tiny thing that is light, pocket-sized, simple, not too expensive, and makes my life significantly easier. If there’s one thing I can’t bear, it’s blowing up Therm-a-Rests (after 20 years it has gotten O.L.D) so this is a match made in heaven 🙂

Therm-a-Rests have gotten way more awesome: the NeoAir is lighter, firmer and more comfortable than the old style pads, and you should definitely invest in one of these if you haven’t already. However, the trade off is they take way more air than the old style ones and you end up feeling like you’re going to pass out by the time you get one inflated, not to mention if you have 2….naturally I try to palm off this job by volunteering to set up the tent, but that does not always work.

So this little mini pump has definitely changed my life, and I don’t want to be without it ever again! It’s really small, so I won’t have to. While setting up the tent (or reorganizing the car, depending on where you’re bivying), just lay out the Therm-a-Rests and get the pump going. I usually finish them off with a few breaths to get them really firm, and I truly can’t believe how easy it is compared to how not easy it used to be… I often drop the pump and make the lid fall off, but it goes back on well fortunately (it doesn’t break when it falls off, just pops off the small tabs it sits on). I keep it in the stuff bag of one of the Therm-a-Rests so I don’t forget it. If you use Therm-a-Rests, you should buy this thing immediately, if not sooner!