We didn't expect Flextail to let Nitecore's APO5C backcountry micro-inflator stand for too long without firing a counterstrike. And what a strike it is. The all-new Zero 2.0 takes Flextail's already highly popular, benchmark-setting Zero pump to the next level with a lighter build that weighs an even ounce, increased output and a swappable extreme-weather battery system. It's everything backcountry adventurers loved about the original Zero, just enhanced from end to end.
Flextail debuted the Zero pump in 2023 as the world's "smallest and lightest" pump, and the little e-inflator reigned for close to two years as the lightest battery-integrated pump we'd ever looked at. Flextail has called it not only its flagship pump but its flagship innovation, period, saying it's gotten Zero pumps into the hands of no less than 200,000 adventurers worldwide. Those folks rely on the pump's combination of tiny, beyond-lightweight packability and fast, simple inflation/deflation to support them on everything from quick overnighters to extended many-day expeditions in environments entirely unfit for longterm human life.
Then, just like that, the Zero got bumped off the top of the ultralight electric pump pyramid earlier this summer by the APO5C from fellow Chinese brand Nitecore, a pump that weighs roughly 10 grams less than the Zero while offering comparable performance.
No way could Flextail let the APO5C stand alone at the top for long – or even four full months, as it turns out. It launched the Zero 2.0 on Kickstarter this week, taking on Nitecore and other competitors with a tiny new battery inflator that boasts a fully revamped spec sheet.
We would have named this one the "Sub Zero," both because it's lighter than the original Zero and because it features an all-new cold-weather battery. Flextail, however, sticks with Zero 2.0, a name that still does a good job letting buyers know it's just like original, only updated to be even better. Maybe it's pocketed "Sub Zero" for a future evolution of ultra-lightweight inflator technology.
Regardless, Flextail shaves the pesky 0.2 clean off the 2.0's bold graphics to bring its well-advertised weight down to an even 1.0 ounce (28 g). The recommended battery still weighs in at the same 0.6 oz (17 g) as the original, bringing total weight to 1.6 oz (45 g), also a round 0.2 oz (6 g) less than the original Zero's 1.8-oz (51-g) weight with battery installed.
Flextail's anodized aluminum unibody construction does leave the Zero 2.0 about 0.2 oz heavier than Nitecore's carbon fiber APO5C.
On the performance front, the Zero 2.0 increases pressure by 1 kPa over its predecessor, up to 3.5 kPa, a figure that's also higher than the 2.7-kPa APO5C. It also raises fill rate from 180L/min to 200L/min, equalling the rate of the APO5C.
Flextail estimates that the Zero 2.0 will fill up a variety of popular sleeping pads from manufacturers like Big Agnes and Nemo in roughly 45 to 63 seconds, depending upon model. The inflator comes with six different nozzles to adapt quickly to different valve styles and can be secured to the valve, switched on with one push and left to fill the pad on its own, freeing users to complete other camp tasks simultaneously. Runtime comes in at around 24 to 30 pads' worth of fill-ups, or 22 minutes per battery-charge.
Flextail has also used the 2.0 update process to rethink the Zero's battery system. In place of the basic (R)CR123A upon which the previous generation relied, the Zero 2.0 gets a dedicated dual-battery selection. The swappable 900-mAh orange-and-black Zero 900 CHT battery boosts capacity over the original Zero's 650-mAh battery and works in a full temperature range between 14 and 122 °F (-10 to 50 °C) to perform seamlessly through three+ seasons of camping. It also features an integrated USB-C port for light, simple charging.
The icy-looking replaceable 900 ZHF battery, meanwhile, is formulated specifically for use in cold, sub-zero weather down to -40 °F (-40 °C), making it the choice for mid-winter, high-altitude and extreme-condition mountaineering and backcountry expeditions. Using nano electrode structures and anti-freeze electrolytes, the 900 ZHF is able to maintain 80 percent capacity in those -40 temperatures, ensuring uninterrupted operation in some of the world's coldest conditions.
The batteries can be swapped not only in and out of the Zero 2.0 itself but also with compatible Flextail gear like the micro-sized 1,200-lumen Zero Flashlight and the Tiny Helio headlamp. The Zero 2.0 also works with other rechargeable and disposable CR123A batteries, as well as 16340 batteries.
Like the original Zero, the Zero 2.0 is designed to double as a highly portable automatic fire bellows for blowing air to ignite tinder or smoldering embers into a full fire. It also works to deflate sleeping pads and other compact inflatable gear.
The Zero 2.0 is available at a Kickstarter super early bird pledge of US$43, right about the same price at which Nitecore sells the APO5C. That base level includes a single battery, and Kickstarters will also find pledge levels that package the pump with multiple batteries and additional small, ultra-portable Flextail gear items. Flextail plans to begin deliveries in November, assuming things keep going as smoothly as they did in reaching its $5,000 goal, which it has already surpassed 12 times over with nearly four weeks left to go.
Source: Flextail
