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Air Pumps. Big Wind for Big Boats.

2K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  zbaird 
#1 ·
OK, so what pump(s) would you like to use (or take) for a couple of snout boats?

Many moons ago, I used a dry bag with a couple of dowels sleeved across its open top with a bottom-valve and a hose coming out the bottom. Shake out a big bag of air, use the dowels to roll the bag closed, and sit on it. And a sorry little foot pump for topping off. And a military surplus barrel pump if we could find one. The 4" barrel pump and the 12 volt motorcycle battery pump were hot new stuff back then. We even saw 12 volt bilge pumps. (Just stick the air pump in the other guy's raft if possible.)

But ... specifically what Big Wind would you (like to) use today, for a couple of 22' snout boats? Or, what do the Commercials like to send out with their trips?
 
#2 ·
In my fleet I've got a couple of K-100's, some $8 electric red cheapies, small to medium barrel pumps and assorted 12 volts in varied stages of burnout. Each of those little 22'x32" snout tubes holds about 120 cubic feet before it begins to be pressurized. So if you have a K-100, you'll have to pump like a goodfellow for quite a spell.
 
#3 ·
Get a small inexpensive shop vac ($20-30). Get a DC/AC power inverter for your vehicle ($20-40). I recommend connecting inverter directly to vehicle battery, since cigarette lighter plug might not be wired to deliver that much juice. Use shop vac exhaust to put most of volume into the tubes. (Best to have vehicle running. Also make sure vac is relatively clean inside so you don't blow dust into tubes). Top of to desired pressure with barrel pump or k pump or foot pump. You'll be done in 10-15 minutes.
 
#6 ·
Thanks, SigNewt! Your post reminded me that I have an old Stihl blower, motor and everything nearly new, but missing the impeller. I just looked, and can get a used impeller off ebay. A quart or two of premix should run the thing from here to sundown without the expense of all those LiPo batteries. I was thinking of 12 volts with a solar charger on a motorcycle battery to run all the gadgets, but we'll do it with a couple of Sigg bottles of petrol (fresh for the trip) and 50:1 synthetic oil, precisely measured with a large syringe. End of the trip: run the carb dry and burn the remaining fuel in another motor and ignore the few cc's of oil in the mix. In the 40 gallon tank of the big truck or the 12 gallon tank of the little truck, or in the old John Deere at home, those few cc's of oil will disappear like pissing in the Colorado at high water. Better ideas are out there. I'm still fine-tuning my trips. Somewhere, I have a little 300watt Coleman genset, about the size of a bowling ball, that can use the same fuel and charge sealed and deep cycle batteries too. There are some powerful electrics if one is able and willing to pay for them, but we are still the "classics", los pobres de la tierra, or old-school if you prefer.
Innovate, Develop, Encourage, Activate, Suggest: I.D.E.A.S.
Thanks!
 
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