The quest for a good backcountry air supply is never ending. Besides airing up tires that have been deflated for traction or, in many cases, by a sharp rock, there are other uses for that air. One use that immediately comes to mind is being able to run air tools, which make trail repairs go much easier and faster.

There are many types of compressors out there, from converted air conditioning compressors to worthless plastic 12-volt models. By far the most prevalent today are the quality 12-volt compressors that can be mounted anywhere on your 4x4. These compressors work well, but you still find yourself cooling your heels while you wait for your large tires to fill. Air tools are almost impossible to use, unless you have a large tank to act as a reservoir for the 12-volt pump.

The Power Tank is our answer! Consisting of an aluminum tank containing pressurized CO2 regulated through a high-quality brass heavy-duty regulator,

the Power Tank is a manageable size and lets us run air tools or air up tires at an amazing rate. The Power Tank is available in three sizes, the smaller PT5, the PT10, which weighs just 27 pounds when full, and the extra-large PT-15.

I was skeptical at first. First of all, why carry a tank around when compressors worked O.K. for us for years? I was also unfamiliar with CO2 and how it acted when hot, so I thought that under use, when warm, the tires would gain too much pressure. I found out that CO2 had about the same thermal properties as air, so tires would gain no more pressure when hot than they usually did. As for carrying a tank, let me tell you a story . . .