Homemade Travel Pump

I am going on vacation and I would like to have access to a pump while I am on vacation. I am traveling with family and I would like to just build a home made tube while I am there.

Does any one have any suggestions for building a cheap cylinder (use mouth suction and no gage). I have been pumping for a couple of years now.

I was thinking using a a piece of 2” pvc (cut a home depot) glue a cap on it and then bring a couple of fittings or some thing to make it happen fairly cheaply. Then I will just toss it when I leave.

Thoughts?

Sounds like a good idea. The only drawback is you can’t see what is going on, but you have enough experience to go by feel. How much to those aquarium gravel cleaner tubes go for? That might be just as inexpensive as the pvc.

If you already have a pump, why not pack it in your suitcase & use it?

I would hate to have a airport search or have to toss it for some reason.

I will look into the aquarium cylinders. I think they are over 3” though. I am not worried about seeing though it.

My homemade pump uses the aquarium cylinder. Mine is 2” in diameter—purchased at Walmart.

That sounds good. How did you make yours?

I got the cylinder from Wallie-World, as I explained earlier, and then I went to Auto Zone and got the Mity-Vac pump. I went to Lowe’s and got a few feet of the closest fitting clear tubing I could find. I don’t remember the size of the tubing, but it fits well onto the pump, but had to engineer a fitting between the tubing and cylinder opening. I just used a bunch of duct tape and made sure it was completely sealed all around. After I did this, I actually found another product made by the “Duck Tape” company, that is actually used to repair leaks in piping and stuff. It looks like black electrical tape, but it’s VERY elastic. I used it at the bottom of my cylinder to use as a cushion for the bottom. It works GREAT—but I’ve found that that product is really hard to find.

I went to walmart and they only have a gravel cleaner cylinder that is 1.63” or about 5 1/4” in circumference. Way too small. An I looking in the wrong place?

I don’t know, how about a pet store? Petsmart? Check your Yellow Pages. :)

I think you could just take your regular cylinder and some tubing and pack it in your checked bag.

It is possible they might search your luggage but no one other than TSA personnel will see the search and they will just put it back in with a note saying “we searched your bag”. Not a big deal really.

On the other hand I would not take a penis cylinder in my carry on.

If you do the aquarium tube I recommend getting some Tool Handle Dip from Auto Zone. Its a dip that you put tool handles in to give them that smooth rubber coating. You can use that for the base of the tube instead of the tape mentioned above. Real durable stuff and really comfortable.