A good pillow?

[LimpsAlong]

I've got to have a pillow! I'm an oldster and sleeping comfort is of the upmost importance. I carry a full length thermarest closed cell pad and a thermarest prolite 3. (cut 20" off the bottom of the foam pad for sitting then just stuff it back under the prolite at bedtime)
Anyway I need a good pillow. I'm using a cheap blow up with velour (sp?) on one side. It ain't workin'! I need some ideas on a replacement.
Any input is appreciated in advance.

[Deadeye]

I carry a cotton (NOT something waterproof) stuff sack and fill it with clothes. Makes a great pillow for only a little extra weight, and I can usually stuff it with my down vest.

[Tipi Walter]

Have you tried the little pillows filled with tiny plastic beads? Or whatever? My GF takes out these little pillows which I believe we got at a backpacking store. She also occasionally takes out a full sized pillow. Me? I use my nice Arcteryx fleece jacket for a pillow.

[DaveJohns]

+1 on the fleece jacket as a pillow. I stuff mine into its' arm, and it works like a charm for me. If you need something that sleeps more like a real pillow, how about those memory foam pillows at W*&Mart? carry it in a compression sack, let it expand while you set up camp, should be good by bedtime.

Just a thought...

[LimpsAlong]

I carry a cotton (NOT something waterproof) stuff sack and fill it with clothes. Makes a great pillow for only a little extra weight, and I can usually stuff it with my down vest.

Have you tried the little pillows filled with tiny plastic beads? Or whatever? My GF takes out these little pillows which I believe we got at a backpacking store. She also occasionally takes out a full sized pillow. Me? I use my nice Arcteryx fleece jacket for a pillow.

I don't carry enough extra clothes to use as a pillow. I'm NOT a hard winter hiker except for day hikes.
Tiny plastic beads? Never heard of them in a pillow unless you are referring to what is inside a bean bag chair?

[LimpsAlong]

+1 on the fleece jacket as a pillow. I stuff mine into its' arm, and it works like a charm for me. If you need something that sleeps more like a real pillow, how about those memory foam pillows at W*&Mart? carry it in a compression sack, let it expand while you set up camp, should be good by bedtime.

Just a thought...

Now that, my friend, might just fill the bill. I'll check them out next time at WM.
Thanks,

[Seeker]

i used to laugh at the folks who insisted they needed a pillow... until i started needing one as i got older... my neck just needed something higher than my arm, or a pair of boots, or a stuffed sleeve.

i sewed a piece of fleece to one side of my sleeping bag stuff sack, and use that, stuffed with extra clothes or whatever it takes to get the angle right.

[Tipi Walter]

I don't carry enough extra clothes to use as a pillow. I'm NOT a hard winter hiker except for day hikes.
Tiny plastic beads? Never heard of them in a pillow unless you are referring to what is inside a bean bag chair?

Okay, update. One of her pillows is a Squish/Therapy Pillow and is fairly good sized and filled with tiny beads. It's very soft and spongy.

The next is a long rectangle thing made by Slumberjack. Some kind of soft foam or cotton interior batting. Look these things up online and you may find them for sale. They crush to a fairly small space.

[LimpsAlong]

Okay, update. One of her pillows is a Squish/Therapy Pillow and is fairly good sized and filled with tiny beads. It's very soft and spongy.

The next is a long rectangle thing made by Slumberjack. Some kind of soft foam or cotton interior batting. Look these things up online and you may find them for sale. They crush to a fairly small space.

Slumbersoft it is! Thanks Tipi, I owe you some cayenne pepper dehydrated turkey sausage!

[Tagless]

My wife and I used the Montbell Inflatable Pillow throughout our 09 thru hike. Loved it! I slid my buff over it to use as a pillowcase each night.

[dmax]

It's a little pricey but my next pillow might be a Western Mountaineering Cloudrest. It weights 5 oz and has 800 fill power goose down...Until then I will use my fleece or my old slumberjack.

[Wise Old Owl]

+1 on the fleece jacket as a pillow. I stuff mine into its' arm, and it works like a charm for me. If you need something that sleeps more like a real pillow, how about those memory foam pillows at W*&Mart? carry it in a compression sack, let it expand while you set up camp, should be good by bedtime.

Just a thought...

I have tried the blow ups, but this is the idea that I keep coming back too from a comfort level.

[Ladytrekker]

I've got to have a pillow! I'm an oldster and sleeping comfort is of the upmost importance. I carry a full length thermarest closed cell pad and a thermarest prolite 3. (cut 20" off the bottom of the foam pad for sitting then just stuff it back under the prolite at bedtime)
Anyway I need a good pillow. I'm using a cheap blow up with velour (sp?) on one side. It ain't workin'! I need some ideas on a replacement.
Any input is appreciated in advance.

I hear ya, if I can't sleep good I am miserable. I use this:
http://www.rei.com/product/719843 it is a thermarest pillow

[Toolshed]

I am turning 50 and I always had problems with pillows and comfort causing poor quality of sleep over the decades, until....until... I hammocked.
I don't need a pillow now and I slumber away nicely. It is a bit of a change, but I won't go back to tenting for 3 seasons, except for cub scouts where I need to tent with my son.

[Wise Old Owl]

I am turning 50 and I always had problems with pillows and comfort causing poor quality of sleep over the decades, until....until... I hammocked.
I don't need a pillow now and I slumber away nicely. It is a bit of a change, but I won't go back to tenting for 3 seasons, except for cub scouts where I need to tent with my son.

You have no idea what a cool dad you are when you put your son in a hammock in front of the other boys in tents.....

So whats your excuse for not getting out there today? Mines a good dose of Shingles for the last two weeks.

[highfisher]

Graham Flexair pillow works for me, highfisher

[XCskiNYC]

My sleeping gear includes a 10 by 20-inch 10-oz Slumberjack pillow that was $10.00 from Campmor.

It'd be nice to get rid of the weight or at least swap it for an inflatable, though those are maybe not quite as comfortable. What is it that you don't like about the inflatable you have?

There's this 18 by 24-inch 20-oz otherwise similar slumberjack pillow at campmor. It might be worth the extra weight as the 10-oz pillow is pretty minimal. It's something, it's a pillow, but pretty darn tiny.

So, this larger slumberjack might be worth the weight:

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___80646

Now if they just make a qualofill teddy bear

[jesse]

I just put my shoe underneath my pad to elevate my head.

[Toolshed]

You have no idea what a cool dad you are when you put your son in a hammock in front of the other boys in tents.....

So whats your excuse for not getting out there today? Mines a good dose of Shingles for the last two weeks.

No.. I hammmock except for when have to tent it in cub scouts with my son. then I go to the ground.
I am heading to the dacks next weekend so this weekend is home crap....

[Wil]

I absolutely need a good pillow to sleep at all. Tried everything, over a lifetime. Here is where I am now:

I use a Graham Professional FlexAir Disposable Inflatable pillow, large size (13" x 9"), 0.8 oz. Best use is to blow it up a little over half way; put it inside a down vest; put that package inside a fleece jacket, zip it up, fold the bottom up to the top, wrap around and tie the sleeves together to create a very large and extremely comfortable pillow.

If the down vest is not available, just inside the fleece is pretty good, better adding extra clothes (all I usually carry clean though are socks, gloves and undershorts). Fleece not available either, I blow the pillow up just a little more and put in a Thermarest pillow envelope (1.1 oz, carried only when I think I might be wearing my fleece jacket to sleep). That's OK, extra clothes certainly help; miles better with the other options.

Basically the idea is to use the inflatable to create soft volume, but disguised to avoid that bobbing on top of shifting air feeling. This pillow system is so comfortable and normal to me I sometimes wake up during the night thinking I'm home in bed.