Pump it up!

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Tom Rankin

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" A company called NuDown has introduced a line of inflatable jackets and vests that the wearer can adjust to a desired level of insulation simply by squeezing a pump.

... "Each pump increases the insulation by one degree Fahrenheit," reports FastCo, "and 20 pumps will add enough insulation to keep out the chill on chilly days, 30 pumps will give wearers more warmth on blustery days, and 40 or more is supposedly enough for the harshest conditions." For even colder environments, NuDown offers a kit as an upgrade that uses Argon gas.

Cost: $450 to $750.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/article/73827/innovative-jacket-allows-you-add-insulation-built-pump

Comments, reviews, tomatoes?

I wonder if I'll look like the Michelin Man if I get one of these? :D :rolleyes: ;)
 
Didn't bother to click the link.

It's a reasonable idea - the point of most insulation (e.g., down) is that it creates air pockets - it's the trapped air that does most of the insulating.

An inflatable blanket or jacket would have some practical issues. It's not ideal to create one big airspace - that would allow too much air movement, would swell up like a life jacket, and would hamper your movement. You'd want a fair amount of internal structure; ideally you'd build the air chamber as a coil of smallish-diameter tubes.

That adds up to a lot of airtight material strong enough to withstand some pressure (e.g. you suddenly put on a backpack), which would likely make the garment much heavier than any down garment.

It would also need a really tough shell, to protect it from accidental punctures - again, more weight. You tear your down jacket, you lose insulation in that one area. Make a hole in an inflatable jacket, and the whole thing is reduced to a windbreaker (except to the extent it also contains some foam, as for example many inflatable mattresses do).
 
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I think the intention here is a jacket with a loft thickness that can be decreased by removing air from the jacket and thus compressing the down. The air doesn't add any insulation value, it just allows the thickness to be adjusted. I don't know if this particular implementation works or not, but the idea of variable insulation is very interesting. Imagine a jacket that you could "loft up" when you stopped for a drink so you wouldn't need to add a layer. Cool!
 
The insulation value would be approximately proportional to the thickness as long as there are no voids in the down. However, controlling the thickness so it is relatively even could be a problem.

The air pocket would have to be completely non-breathable (any breathability would allow air to leak in or out) so any such jacket would also be vapor barrier. So such a jacket would only be usable in conditions cold enough for a VBL.

And as nartreb notes, a leak could create a survival emergency.

No thanks.

Doug
 
Bunny Boots (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunny_boots, quite popular in Alaska) have an air valve, but I don't think you are supposed to pump them up - I think they are supposed to be sealed when in use and unsealed for flying.
Yes, the air valve is for pressure equalization. If the valve is left closed when flying high enough, the boot will expand and compress your foot.

FWIW, I have a pair of black mouse boots with no air valve. Only used between sea level and 6288 ft...

Doug
 
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