Exped Schnozzel Pumpbag Review

Overview

The Schnozzel Pumpbag is a 42-liter roll-top sack with a long, elephant-trunk valve sewn into one end. Clip the trunk to a sleeping pad, scoop the bag full of air, roll it shut and squeeze. A pad that costs several minutes of lightheaded huffing fills in a handful of breaths. The trade-off is 110 g that does nothing for you unless it is also doing a second job. Fortunately, it has several.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	110 g (3.9 oz)
Volume	42 L
Dimensions	27.2 x 15.4 x 6.7 in (69 x 39 x 17 cm)
Construction	Recycled material, waterproof
Closure	Roll-top, with a capped valve outlet
Valve compatibility	Exped flat valves; Exped lists direct fit with NEMO, Sea to Summit and Mountain Equipment valves
Adapters	Universal Valve Adapter and Flat Valve Adapter sold separately

Performance

Inflation. The mechanism is a bellows. Open the roll-top, swing the bag to capture air, roll the top down and push the air through the trunk and into the pad. Section Hiker’s review called inflation the bag’s main strength and said it ends the struggle of filling a pad by mouth. The practical gains are speed, effort at altitude and a dry pad interior. Exhaled breath puts moisture inside an air mattress, which matters in cold weather and over a long season. A pump bag keeps that moisture out.

Compatibility. The bag is built for Exped mats, but owners have found it works on other brands. Section Hiker lists Exped, Sea to Summit and REI pads with flat valves as compatible. A reviewer on REI’s site reported it fit a NEMO Tensor without leaking. They also found the coupling slightly looser than NEMO’s own Vortex pump sack, and easier to connect as a result. Exped’s current guidance is that the Pumpbag connects directly to NEMO, Sea to Summit and Mountain Equipment valves. Anyone with an unusual valve can add Exped’s Universal or Flat Valve Adapter. Exped also publishes 3D-print files for further adapters. Check your pad before you commit, because forum users report that fit is hit or miss on some brands.

The second job. The Schnozzel is more than a pump. The cap closes the trunk, and the bag becomes a waterproof roll-top sack. Backpackers use it three ways:

• As a pack liner for a sleeping bag and camp clothes.
• As a compression sack for a quilt.
• As a bulk container for the whole sleep system. One owner reported a quilt, a rolled pad and a pillow all fitting in one bag, with the air squeezed out before sealing.

At 42 liters it is generous. That is large enough for a down bag or quilt and a rolled pad, and it can line a mid-volume pack. Anyone carrying a separate dry bag and a separate pump sack can drop one of them, and that is where the weight argument holds up. One owner on REI worked out that the Schnozzel replaced a pack liner and a couple of other stuff sacks, for a net saving of about an ounce.

Weight. The current bag’s 110 g puts it well above the roughly 2 oz (about 60 g) that Exped’s earlier UL version weighed. It is also heavier than the mouth-inflated alternative of nothing at all. For gram-counters, that is the entire argument against it. A trash compactor bag is a cheaper and lighter pack liner, and a commenter on a Slickdeals thread made exactly that point. A bag that is built to be reused daily on a long hike is the better argument for the Schnozzel. Exped describes the current model as robust, and it is the heavier, sturdier option in a line that has been through several versions.

Use in the field. Technique matters. A wet or dirty bag can leave grit in the valve, and a bag stuffed into a pack corner is not doing its liner job. A pack full of gear can’t use it as a liner and a pump at once, so campsite routine is to pull out the bag, inflate the pad and stuff the bag with spare clothes as a pillow. That is a sensible trade for most people. Some owners eventually go back to the pump that ships with their pad, or to a standalone pump, if the bag stays at the bottom of the pack as unused weight.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Inflates a pad in a few bellows strokes, with no lung moisture inside the mat
• Works as a 42 L waterproof stuff sack, compression sack or pack liner
• Owners report it fits NEMO, Sea to Summit and REI flat valves as well as Exped’s own
• Adapters extend compatibility to nearly any valve
• Made from recycled material

Cons

• 110 g is heavy by ultralight standards, and heavier than the earlier UL version
• Ends up as dead weight if the pad already comes with a pump sack you like
• A compactor bag liner is cheaper and lighter
• Some pads need an adapter bought separately
• Roll-top closure is waterproof, not submersible

Who Should Buy This

The bag suits a backpacker with an Exped pad, or a NEMO or Sea to Summit pad, who dislikes inflating by mouth and wants one waterproof sack to do pump, liner and quilt-stuffing duty. It is a particularly good fit for cold-weather hikers, who gain most from keeping moisture out of a pad. Hikers who already carry a lightweight pump sack that came with their pad, or who prefer a 15 g trash bag liner, should skip it.

Verdict

The Schnozzel Pumpbag does one job quickly and keeps a second one, as a waterproof 42-liter sack, honest. It earns its 110 g if it replaces another bag in your kit. If it doesn’t, it is a luxury that costs you grams.