REVIEW: Kokopelli Feather Pump

The Feather Pump from Kokopelli is a handy piece of gear for paddlers, campers, and backpackers alike. Small and lightweight, it is designed for use not only with the company’s inflatable packrafts and kayaks, but also third-party sleeping pads and inflatable mattresses too. In fact, the device comes with a variety of nozzles that allow it to interface with a wide variety of inflation nozzles. This versatility—combined with a long battery life—make it a great tool for use in a surprising number of activities.

Ease of Use (3) ★★★

Kokopelli bills the Feather Pump as an easy to use tool for inflating just about anything you want, and for the most part they’re right. You simply attach one of the four included nozzles to the device and insert it into the valve on your packraft or sleeping pad and turn the pump on. But, the one-size-fits-all approach of the included nozzles isn’t quite perfect, requiring the user to hold the pump in place, sometimes in awkward positions. When it fits—as it does on Kokopelli’s own products—it works great. Otherwise, you may find yourself fumbling around a bit in order to get everything just right. Once you find the correct spot however, the device works as advertised.

Speed (5) ★★★★★

Considering its size—the Feather Pump weighs just 5.5 ounces—this is an incredibly quick and efficient way to inflate a raft, kayak, or mattress. In fact, it can inflate a Kokopelli packfraft in about a minute, having you ready to get on the water in no time at all. It is equally as quick with inflatable sleeping pads too, although it takes a bit of practice to get the fit right sometimes. Either way, you’ll save yourself from having to use a traditional pump—or your own lungs—which makes this little gadget worth its weight in gold. It should be noted that the pump also has a deflate mode, which can be used to suck the air out as well. This works incredibly well with those vacuum-sealed travel bags that can help save room in your luggage too.

Battery Life (5) ★★★★★

The Feather Pump is powered by a built-in 3600 mAh rechargeable battery that allows it to operate for a surprising amount of time without requiring a recharge. Kokopelli says that it can inflate one of the company’s rafts 40 times on a single charge. I’m not sure if that number is accurate or not, but I can say that I used the pump numerous times, and in a variety of ways, before it needed to be charged again. Depending on how you intend to use, it that means you can charge it once before embarking on a trip and it will likely see you through until you get back home. If not, the device recharges via an included USB cable, making it simple to top off the battery as needed. A red light indicates when the charge is getting low, while a green one lets you know when it is fully charged again.

Overall (4) ★★★★

The Kokopelli Feather Pump is one of those devices that you don’t know you need until you actually have it. Small, lightweight, and powerful, it is a very handy tool to have if you use an inflatable kayak, SUP board, or packraft. It is also extremely useful for pumping up a sleeping pad, particularly after a long day on the trail. While this isn’t exactly a must-have product for a lot of people, if you do fit into the niche that can use a gadget like this one, you’ll find that it delivers a lot of functionality. Before long, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.