View Full Version : Exped large ul air pillow users w goose feet gear down case...
saltysack
07-23-2015, 23:00
Just tried my exped ul xl pillow last week on a hike...very uncomfortable...tried letting air out but still not comfy...thinking about trying the goose feet gear down pillow case...damn pricey...
Exped pillow $50
Goose feet gear down case
$50...am I nuts? Just curious of any users thoughts? I don't really bring extra cloths so a stuff sack with cloths doesn't work for me...smelly wet cloths not a good pillow anyway...
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I have the Exped UL XL Pillow and it has been comfortable for me. I've thought about the Goosefeet gear down pillow case for the Exped pillow but I never want to add the weight or spend the $.
I have the large red version. I've slept (side sleeper mostly) on it for a week straight on more than 1 occasion. Perfectly comfortable. I put very little air in it. When my head weights it down and changes the volume, the pillow firms up just right. One advantage of the red version is the one way inflation valve. I can blow it up and then let out small amounts of air until I get it just right. The separate deflation valve makes packing up in the morning easy. Dual valves and the 5 year guarantee versus 2 years for the single valve UL model made the red model a winner for me. My only nit to pick is that I probably could be just as comfortable on the medium size. Actual weight in the stuff sack is 3 ounces. It is by far the best camping pillow that I have ever had the pleasure of sleeping soundly on.
Let some more air out. Or trade it in for the 2 valve red version.
As for down backpacking pillows, all I can say it that 1 or 2 ounces of down is no where near enough down for a pillow. I tried several when I was shopping for a pillow. None of them could keep my head off the ground. That convinced me to buy the Exped air pillow. I've been sleeping on down pillows since forever. All of the down pillows that I have owned, and use today, have been filled with enough down to make a good 0 degree sleeping bag. In fact, I have a pillow at home with exactly the same down content as my WM Antelope sleeping bag. I recently purchased a down travel pillow. It weighs a little over a pound and probably has a pound of down in it. It is very comfortable and doesn't flatten out overnight. It takes a lot of down to make a good pillow.
Wayne
My Exped UL pillow developed an annoying leak but I sent it back to Exped and they fixed it. They even included a patch kit when they returned the fixed pillow. No charge. Good customer service.
saltysack
07-24-2015, 11:24
I just can't pull the trigger at $50 for GFG down cover....maybe I'll try a cut down cotton pillow case and if not to cold could add my montbel Ul down parka inside....prob will not need for sleep on sept jmt...sleeping in 15 deg helium bag...I've been on the fence about getting a black rock gear down beenie also.....damn pricey though!
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I've used both the montbell and now recently the Exped inflatable pillow, and both work great for me. I didn't get the xl size, figuring I don't need a pillow that large.
I guess it's all about what you're used to, and expectations. It's what makes it so difficult buying the "right" backpacking gear --- you can't always assume that what's excellent for one person will be a good choice for you.
Berserker
07-24-2015, 12:07
I have the setup you are asking about and really like it. The only issue I've had is that if I use the pillow with just the case the portion of the pillow that contacts my neck is uncomfortable. I fixed this by stuffing a couple small items into the case with the pillow so that it props the part at the top of my head up. In this configuration it's the best pillow setup I've used thusfar...and I've tried just about everything. Oh yeah, and the Goosefeet pillow case adds a nice amount of warmth for use in colder weather. I got the minimal 1 oz (or maybe it was 1.5 oz) of fill, and that's been adequate for use from summer to down below freezing in my experience (in cold temps I'll usually line the part between the pillow case and pillow on the top side with a spare piece of clothing).
Berserker
07-24-2015, 12:08
Oh yeah, and to address the expense of the setup...a good nights sleep is priceless in my opinion.
Dochartaigh
07-24-2015, 12:18
The problem with nearly all inflatable air pillows is this: You turn your head to one side and the air moves to the other side. You then want to move your head back to where it was comfortable and the air then rushes to the opposite side...over and over and over again - it's like a balancing act. I've tried about 10 lightweight blow-up pillows and they all suck.
Closest one to a winner is the Klymit Pillow X. This has an x-shape in the middle which keeps your head centered so there's no flopping back and forth on the pillow. It's still not perfect for me since I'm a side-sleeper and need something taller or my neck hurts...but again, it's the closest to perfect I've found to date after trying nearly everything on the market.
Berserker
07-24-2015, 12:27
The problem with nearly all inflatable air pillows is this: You turn your head to one side and the air moves to the other side. You then want to move your head back to where it was comfortable and the air then rushes to the opposite side...over and over and over again - it's like a balancing act. I've tried about 10 lightweight blow-up pillows and they all suck.
Actually the Exped UL is shaped such that your head basically sits in a depression in the middle of it, and the part that contacts your neck is shaped like a "U". I move around a lot in my sleep, and that thing stays put. I've also never had issues with air moving around, and I don't fully inflate it (like it to be a bit "squishy").
The key to the Exped pillow is minimal inflation. It took me a few nights to figure that out. If it is inflated anywhere near fully it will suck.
Dochartaigh
07-24-2015, 16:45
Actually the Exped UL is shaped such that your head basically sits in a depression in the middle of it, and the part that contacts your neck is shaped like a "U". I move around a lot in my sleep, and that thing stays put. I've also never had issues with air moving around
I've owned the Exped red regular one in large AND medium which is the same shape as the UL model (and the Coccoon pillow, and Sea to Summit Aeros, and Nemo, and Sierra Designs, and 4-5 EMS/REI pillows through the years, and 3 or 4 blow-up generic camping pillows….). And the problem with all these single-chamber air pillows boils down to simple physics: when you have a gas trapped in a membrane, and you press down on one side of that membrane (i.e. the pillow with your head) the air has to go somewhere, and it goes to wherever your head isn’t.
So as soon as your head goes a little off-center on the pillow the opposite side of the pillow grows larger with that displaced air…which then pushes your head further over. You try to correct yourself but unless you get perfectly centered again, the same thing happens over and over. It’s a very hard and uncomfortable balancing act for many.
I don't fully inflate it (like it to be a bit "squishy").
The key to the Exped pillow is minimal inflation. It took me a few nights to figure that out. If it is inflated anywhere near fully it will suck.
Under inflating these pillows can help, as your head then has to be raised more to get that air to start shifting to one side or the other – and that might be enough for some people to get comfortable, but for side-sleepers like me (who need a taller pillow), that loss of air makes the pillow too short and I’ll wake up with a sore neck.
Walkintom
07-24-2015, 18:06
I use a Lewis and Clark inflatable Neck Pillow that has a fleece cover and a big air valve. I turn every 15 mins or so all night long and this pillow works in all sleep positions. Meets all my needs and cost about $15. Not UL, but not a dealbreaker on weight either. See comments about a good night's sleep.
I don't doubt a word of what you said.
All I know are two things:
Head on pillow.
Head off pillow when the alarm goes off the next morning.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
saltysack
07-25-2015, 08:00
I don't doubt a word of what you said.
All I know are two things:
Head on pillow.
Head off pillow when the alarm goes off the next morning.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
I wish I could do that...I rarely sleep good wile out. Think I need to try some meds...I hate taking pills but lack of sleep stinks!!!
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