WTB: way to inflate raft

[A Savage spanke]

Well I've aquired everything I need to have a total oar frame set up on my, now operational, raft. The only thing I lack is a way to inflate it, anybody got anything or ideas?

[Deuce]

Congrats on the raft. Prepare to become a gear whore (or in my case a bigger gear whore than I was already). I blow up my bucket boat to ninety percent with a cheapie Coleman air mattress pump, then I finish the job with a K Pump. http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp? ... eptid=1113" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Darren Smith at Frontierplay will give you ten percent off if you order it through him. Not sure how that works exactly, but it sure came in handy when I was outfitting my gear pig. You can check the classifieds on the buzz and NRS gear swap, but you're unlikely to find a used pump unless it needs overhauling, in which case you won't save any money over a new one. Get after it.

[Crane]

I use a Coleman re-chargable electric pump ($30 or so) for the first 90%... then a hand pump to top it off. CRane

[Shep]

If you buy me a nice barrel pump for my birthday, I'll let you borrow it to blow up your raft.

[okieboater]

Way back when I purchased one of the LVM 12 volt pumps from NRS. Awesome power! But, I had to air up the rafts close to the truck in order to reach the truck battery. A few years ago my daughter gave me one of those 12 volt battery dealies that is mainly used to jump start vehicles. It has a 12 Volt cigar lighter outlet. Plug in the LVM and in minutes my and several other rafts are inflated enough to float! I top off as needed with a K-Pump. The jump start battery has also started a bunch of cars at takeouts, aired up low tires even more plus I can run all sorts of things off it when I am car camping. It will recharge off a 110 regular AC outlet or it has a 12 volt plug for the truck cigar lighter outlet for recharging on the road.

My setup has a lot of years and use and is still working. I think the newer ones are even more powerful and NRS has the LVM style pumps at a lower price.

[Eric Esche]

Another way, if you have them already or know of a cheap way to get them, is to use a 110v from 12V converter on your vehicle and an old cannister vacuum in reverse for the first 80-90% of the volume and then the barrel pump to finish topping off to desired pressure. The old Electrolux vacuums tended to have long cords which are great for reaching everywhere on a large raft, and then they are great for deflating a raft as well, nice when you are in a hurry to get home. I have bought 3 used Electrolux vacuums still in working order for $10-25 plus ~$10 shipping in the last 10 years for parts to keep 2 of ours runningthat are 50-60 years old (one of them was a wedding present to Susan's parents). When you do not need any of the accessories, you can get them pretty cheap sometimes, particularly if you see them on the side of the road and are into repairing it yourself. Sometimes folks throw out working vacuums, just because they want a newer one or bagless operations. I bought a case of filter bags a couple of years ago, so I will keep our running a long time. We also have a Dyson bagless, but I do not think they have a usable exhaust like the cannisters. Tom Burroughs has seen how quickly they blow up and deflate his 15' Star raft if you want a second opinion.

Back when I was raft guiding we also had a red 110V electric pump that we used that was 1/3 to 1/2 the size and weight of a cannister vacuum that would inflate the raft pretty quickly to almost final pressure, but it was very noisy with a high pitched whine and the bearings usually went out after a year of continuous spring-summer-fall use on 6-12 rafts a day. This would translate into years of normal private use one would think, but I never saw one last more than 2 years in private use, unless stored in a very dry container when not in use and not left in hot vehicles. Think it was a seal and bearing problem with them, but see and hear (you do not forget that high pitched whine) them still in rafting operations and I'm told they still do not last long.

But the way Dave posted is a great way with more flexibility for other 12volt accessories.

Eric Esche

[A Savage spanke]

Thanks for all the input guys, but I'm actually looking for a pump to buy.
I'd honestly prefer one of the bigger carlisons, but if anyone has anything else they want to get rid of (nrs pump, or an electric of some sort, but probably not a k pump, I've had bad luck with them) I'm in the market. I've got a couple different air matress pumps I've been thinking about trying out, but I've got to get something to top it off with. I've got another question about rafts, but since It isn't dealing with gear look for it in general discussion

[Deuce]

You're unlikely to find anything like a Carlson used, but check here periodically. http://www.nrsweb.com/services/gearswap ... e=1&catID=*" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and here http://www.mountainbuzz.com/swap/showcat.php?cat=3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; By the way, are you planning on practicing your roll in your bucket boat?

[A Savage spanke]

By the way, are you planning on practicing your roll in your bucket boat?

Its like riding a bike, you don't need to practice it once you've got it down.

[A Savage spanke]

And I'm like, basically, Lance Armstrong when it comes to bikes.

[Deuce]

And I'm like, basically, Lance Armstrong when it comes to bikes.

With or without the dopin'? I was actually attempting (lamely I realize) to make a joke about filling the boat. Carry on.

[Cowper]

I'd honestly prefer one of the bigger carlisons,

Oh, you're just messing with me now. Gonna let me throw out calculations as a basis for decisions twice in a single week?

Remember that old Pi X Radius squared thing for area of a circle?

NRS recommends a final pressure of ~2.5 psi.

With the big 6" Carlson, you can more a lot of air at first, but towards the end, to achieve 2.5 psi, you'll have to push down with 60 to 65 # of force.

Using the 4" Carlson, you'll need less than 30 # of force to get that same final pressure (but of course, more total strokes).

I've gotten 16 years of service out of the same 4" carlson so far, but I really should grease the o-ring sometime soon...

[Fish]

Z-dub once told me that If you don't grease your o-ring before pumping, it can really hurt. And he doesn't even own a raft or a pump.

[A Savage spanke]

Z-dub once told me that If you don't grease your o-ring before pumping, it can really hurt. And he doesn't even own a raft or a pump.

You arn't kidding, Zach's been p.m.-ing me trying to get in on a ky deal I joked about in a different post.

Cowper- Honestly I'd love either size (if someone will sell it to me), but after using both to top off boats for the last two summers I think I actually prefer the 5", but once again, nice math

[Cowper]

Honestly I'd love either size (if someone will sell it to me), but after using both to top off boats for the last two summers I think I actually prefer the 5", but once again, nice math

I got a chance to borrow someone's large Carlson this past weekend and I have to say, I was impressed. Yes, it takes a fair amount of force, but if you lock your arms and let your body weight do the work, then it goes pretty quick and the volume moved per stroke really gets the job done.

Are raft pumps just like kayaks; you need one of every kind?