• Cheap Gear
• Good Cylinders
• Sizing Your Cylinders
• Good Pumps
• Female Pumping
  
  
• Where to Get Good Gear
• Buy Online
• Back to Equipment

Cylinders and Pumps

Cheap Gear

When you first try pumping, you probably won't want to fork out the money for "serious" gear. If you use a cheap pump from an adult bookstore, bear in mind that it won't give you the full pumping experience because it's not sized right for you and probably cannot maintain adequate suction. Most bookstore pumps have an "emergency" air outlet. You should cover this with tape to seal it off. To let off pressure, insert a finger at the base of tube, or in a real emergency, tear off that tape.

Good Cylinders

Look for cylinders that are sturdy and smooth. A good cylinder should have a quick release valve for the hose. It doesn't need an emergency release hole, because you can always twist the quick release valve to let off vacuum.

The other thing a cylinder needs is a gasket against your groin, to ensure a good seal and cushion the groin for long sessions of vacuum. Avoid cylinders with a diaphragm that might dig into or constrict your shaft. A rubber donut flush with the inside edge of the cylinder is fine. High quality cylinders often have a built-in flange rather than a gasket.

Using a narrow tube means you'll pack sooner and get more of a lengthwise stretch. The disadvantage is that more pressure will be exerted on your head, so you have to be careful not to get a blister. A wide tube reduces stress on the glans and pumps you fatter - better for girth than for length. If you want to use a really wide tube, you need a narrower opening so you don't pull in your ballsac.

There are many cool cylinder designs.

• Tapered cylinders are wider at the groin end than at the dick-head end. This form helps to stretch the penis lengthwise by transferring vacuum pressure outwards along your shaft.
• Flared cylinders have a flange to fit snugly and comfortably against your groin.
• Thickwalled cylinders are for veteran pumpers. They dig into your groin to apply more stretch to your suspensory ligament. Fortunately, the edge is broad enough to be comfortable.
  
  

Sizing Your Cylinders

I recommend you get 2 cylinders when you start pumping:

• a snug to begin your session and for jerking off
• and a larger one for when you want to pump bigger.

You start your session in the snug tube and then move up to the bigger one once you've packed. Cylinder size depends on your cock size.

Here's how to size your starting cylinder:

Measure your cock's girth while erect, by wrapping string or tape around the base of your shaft. Divide that length by 3 and add 1/4". The result will be the diameter of your snug-fitting tube. For your next larger tube, add another 1/4" or 1/2". For example, if you are 4.5" around erect, you would get a tube that is 1.75" in diameter, and a second tube 2" in diameter.

Tube length should be your erect length plus at least 3 inches (you can stretch out 2" or more when pumping, and you need some extra length for water pumping). So if you are 5 or 6" long, get a 9" long tube. If you are lucky enough to be 8", you should get an 11" or even 12" tube.

If you can only afford to buy one tube, I suggest you get the slightly larger one, as you'll get more use out of it over time. You don't want to pump too much in the narrow tube because all the suction pressure is on your head once you pack, and that often results in blisters. The only disadvantage of the wider tube is that some of your ballsac gets sucked into it at first, but this will stop as your shaft thickens. (One of the rewards of pumping is to discover one day that your sac no longer gets pulled in because you stay thicker between sessions.)

Good Pumps

There are two basic types of pump: manual and electric. Beginning pumpers should start with manual. I say more on electric pumps elsewhere.

The two most popular types of manual pump are a wet-dry brass plunger-style and the Mityvcac II. For plunger-style pumps, always choose one made of brass for long life and reliability. The Mityvac II is more expensive but is kinda cool and includes a pressure gauge, great to have if you haven't yet figured out what the right pressure should feel like. When waterpumping, you don't want any water to go through the Mityvac, as it will squirt across the room and strip the lubrication out of the pump. To prevent this, ACME sells an interesting Mityvac pump with a water catchment along the hose.

Female Pumping

With the army of women pumpers growing faster than a cock in a Monster Tube, it's no surprise that pump makers have come up with some innovative designs for the female. Women pump nipples, clit and labia, and you can get "cylinders" for each part (see photos at right). They come with standard connectors so you can share the pump. A good source for female gear is YinYangChi.

Find Out What Other Pumpers Think

Click here for equipment reviews.

Back to Equipment