Exped Schnozzel Pump Sack

My Price: $39.00 on nextadventure.net

Manufacturer: Exped

Made In: Taiwan, China, Korea

Availability: Online Only

Weight: 2.0 Ounces/ 56 grams

Season use: All

Review:

When I was planning my wife’s first backpacking trip, covering 50 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon, I went on the search for a good two person sleeping pad. The reason was two-fold, I wanted a pad I could carry that would support both of us and occasionally I wanted a really large pad for shorter trips I took on my own. I came across the Exped Synmat Duo which came with a pump bag. I had used a pump sack previously with my Nemo sleeping pads and loved how easy they were to use but I hated carrying the extra little bit of weight for something that would only serve a single purpose.

Enter the Exped Schnozzel. This inflated sleeping pads like my previous pump sacks but thanks to its large opening and seam tapped stitching it could be used as a bag liner. I typically backpack in the Pacific Northwest which means rain is a constant threat. Typically I use Dyneema backpacks which are water resistant but I prefer to have a redundant layer in there to keep by down gear dry. Previous to the Schnozzel this was a compacter bag or a Nylofume bag. Although the Exped Schnozzel is a bit heavier than the Nylofume, it has the added benefit of inflating my sleeping pads. Although adaptors are required for certain valve types, the Schnozzel will fit on my Exped Synmat Duo, Nemo Tensor Insulated and Therm-a-rest UberLite and X-therm (your results may vary as valve designs change all the time).

This has been my favorite piece of multipurpose gear. Utilizing only 2-3 bagfuls of air to fill a standard sleeping pad and each bagful only requiring 1 breath to fully fill thanks to the Bernoulli effect which pulls in additional air. After hiking all day the last thing I want to do is get lightheaded while trying to inflate my pad for the night and this is the perfect fix.

My Rating: Buy.

Although harder to find and a bit expensive the fact that it can keep your gear dry in the rain and provide easy sleeping pad inflation as well as increasing the effectiveness of your sleeping pads insulation as you are not blowing in moist air from your mouth directly into the pad.

Rating scale:

-Bypass: This isn’t worth the money.

-Borrow: Handy but may or may not be worth your money.

-Buy: Get one. You’ll love it!

May the miles you hike be filled with wonder and the glasses you raise be filled with whiskey.

Cheers!