View Full Version : Pillows
Sierra Echo
02-27-2011, 15:36
Who takes one and what kind? Are inflatible pillows a better choice then a regular small pillow. I know weigh-wise they are, but what if you spring a leak?
Jacket, or other non-worn while sleeping gear works as a pillow for me. Usually just the light rain jacket in the summer. Fleece jackets make real nice pillow for winter. I've thought of brining my micro-fleece in the summer just for this purpose!
WingedMonkey
02-27-2011, 16:04
Inflatable neck pillow for weekend or bike tour camping. Clothes stuffed in a 15 year old small fleece therm a rest pillow case for backpacking.
WingedMonkey
02-27-2011, 16:06
oh...and I've tried the water bladder, but it scares me awake LOL and moves around to much.:sun
Don't carry extra weight when some other piece(s) of gear will do the same job. Use your clothes bag.
couscous
02-27-2011, 16:23
Might consider carrying a spare Platypus bag for this, just inflate it at night. 1 liter, 2.4 liter, 3 liter, 4 liter depending on how thick you like your pillow. Durable, lightweight, compact and can also be used to carry extra water through dry areas.
Rain Man
02-27-2011, 16:28
I can only speak for myself. I'm a side sleeping and need a "healthy" height to a pillow. I tried the ol' "stuff spare clothes into a sack" technique, but it got more and more hard as I laid on it all night or I didn't have enough spare clothes to make it thick enough or both.
I tried various cheap, pure inflatables (included a water bladder) and they were hard as a rock. I even used my pack and my shoes at times.
So far, the best for me that I have found is a self-inflating (which means it has open cell foam in it) store brand (Magellan) pillow from Academy Sports. If I don't over-inflate it, it seems to stay soft all night. And it has two "compartments," which means it fits under my neck just right, unlike all those "single compartment" other inflatables I tried.
I think this subject has come up before and I may have even posted a photo of my pillow there.
For me, a good night's sleep is worth the extra bit of weight. This is my "luxury item."
Rain:sunMan
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Freedom Walker
02-27-2011, 16:32
i tried using clothes bag and I hated it. Didn't sleep well at all. Just didn't support my head. I have a Thermarest pillow that weights 10oz. Compresses very small. Its worth the weight for me. Try using a clothes bag, maybe you like it.
I also don't carry the extra clothes to use for a pillow, so speaking solely for myself ... I've been using the thermarest compression pillow for 2 years now and happily carry the extra 12 ounces for the large ... I'm also a side sleeper, for the 2011 season they just came out with down pillows, 2.85 ounces for the small, and 7.6 oz for the large .... I'm thinkin bout givin that a try, On the website they say you can add extra clothing if you have it to add firmness in the back pocket ... also looked at the nemo fillo ... always looking for lighter options tho, but waking up rested and without a sore neck for me is priceless.
ChinMusic
02-27-2011, 16:53
What works for me:
1. Clothes in a stuff sack.
2. If it's so cold that I am wearing all my clothes then stuff some leaves in a stuff sack. It makes some crunchy sounds but works for me.
Sierra Echo
02-27-2011, 16:57
I'm a side sleeper too and the clothes just werent working. I need some support and i'm thinking the thermarest pillow looks good!
Montbell UL pillow - 2.5oz with a patch kit and packs to roughly the size of a deck of cards. Very comfy and takes up no space in my pack.
I've been alternating between my 3oz tiny Exped 'two puffs and it's up' air pillow & a really cool but slightly heavier and wider design by Big Agnes, the REM sleep Pad... comfort is paramount sometimes, and I guess I would rather have a luxury item like a pillow than an electronic device like a kindle or pocketmail or ipod.. each to their own!:D
Skidsteer
02-27-2011, 17:14
The trick to using extra clothes(I use my Packa)is to carry a old cotton pillow case cut down to about 1/2 size.
This keeps everything together and the texture of the cotton makes it 'feel' like a pillow. I tried fleece but it's too hot and makes my face sweat unless temps are very cold.
Mountain Wildman
02-27-2011, 17:17
Therm-a-rest stuff sack pillow large
Weighs - 2.7 ounces
Stuff my Marmot Zeus Down Jacket in it and I have a very comfortable down pillow for 2.7 ounces since I carry the Zeus anyway and don't wear it to bed, And the stuff sack gives me a place to store it rather than forcing it into it's own restrictive pocket.
http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/public/qXtr--jJ_NtGGKIu9sYocdiBirBPgJ5DurEATiMUAR4Ea8EydTEsiOKm TiR0MClZ1fsKvQapBn3fG23wFk7ZgNEDbSrCAPzHNAQGUQURN0 mYVqx9N8A4_83IuospRALCPfaUsvt-rn2mc71rCb4BENb0fyjo6cXFbUp5hnbEwSSkAtZH8tscjoe853 Y1IFYCkA
I am now using the Mont Bell inflatable pillow and like that.
Some suggestions.
Try a 2 L wine cask (wine in a box...) bladder. Partly inflate that, wrap some clothing around that and put it inside a stuff sack.
As a cover you can also use ,as Skidsteer suggested, a cut down old pillow case or as a friend of mine made one for me recently a bit of a silk liner (luxury...)
An alternative to the wine bladder (which incidentally can also be used to carry water) you can get a kid's arm floater , cut one joint and again wrap and stuff.
Franco
Mont Bell , top right...
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e389/Francophoto/odds/Pillows.jpg
hikerinnc
02-27-2011, 19:08
Try a kids inflatable arm swimmers, cheap, packs small, and only 2ounces
Try a kids inflatable arm swimmers, cheap, packs small, and only 2ounces
and good for river crossings...:rolleyes:
OK, DO NOT TELL ANYONE, I "borrowed" an airline blanket, sewed it into a pillowcase, I slip this over a sea to summit stuff sack, throw all of my extra stuff in there, blow in a little bit of air, done!
Super light and very cozy............airline blankets, if you can find one now, are soft & fuzzy, really light.
SwitchbackVT
02-27-2011, 19:43
Therm-a-rest stuff sack pillow large
Weighs - 2.7 ounces
Stuff my Marmot Zeus Down Jacket in it and I have a very comfortable down pillow for 2.7 ounces since I carry the Zeus anyway and don't wear it to bed, And the stuff sack gives me a place to store it rather than forcing it into it's own restrictive pocket.
http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/public/qXtr--jJ_NtGGKIu9sYocdiBirBPgJ5DurEATiMUAR4Ea8EydTEsiOKm TiR0MClZ1fsKvQapBn3fG23wFk7ZgNEDbSrCAPzHNAQGUQURN0 mYVqx9N8A4_83IuospRALCPfaUsvt-rn2mc71rCb4BENb0fyjo6cXFbUp5hnbEwSSkAtZH8tscjoe853 Y1IFYCkA
This is the way to go! Soft fleece on one side, and slick cordura on the other. Fits my Marmot Helium 15 degree bag perfectly, and doubles as a very, very comfortable pillow. This is my favorite multi-purpose product.
Cookerhiker
02-27-2011, 20:09
..... I have a Thermarest pillow that weights 10oz. Compresses very small. Its worth the weight for me....
Same here - a Thermarest. Don't know the weight, I guess about 10 oz. It's not quite enough so I stash my extra clothes underneath it.
I use an REI-Branded down pillow.
I am now using the Mont Bell inflatable pillow and like that.
Some suggestions.The second one in from the right in the bottom row of your picture is an inflatable, disposable patient pillow obtainable from medical supply houses. It's also available in a slightly larger single air chamber version that I think is terrific!
I blow it up only a bit more than 1/2 way so it's "moldable" as I toss and turn over. I stuff it in a Thremarest fuzzy pillowcase, surrounded with a few pieces of extra clothing (I don't have much, 3 season, but even a handkerchief a pair of socks and a T shirt is enough). Rather than sleeping "on" the inflatable pillow the idea is simply for the air to provide some bulk inside the pillowcase so you don't have to stuff in a _lot_ of clothes, which compresses down to a hard wad by themselves.
Weight is pretty close to zero so I bring an extra. They are pretty cheap if you buy a dozen or so. I share with friends. Sometimes a pillow will develop a leak, unpredictable; I've had a blowouts in just a few nights, OTOH my current one has probably 50-60 nights on it.
The key to its longevity is making sure all the air is out, so if it's packed in your gear under pressure it doesn't blow out the seal. With a straw inserted in the valve I press out all the air I can, then suck out the last through the straw so it packs absolutely flat with no air inside.
If I have my fleece jacket I wrap that around the pillowcase and it's bigger and softer than my pillow at home!
After decades of trying everything, that has become the answer for me.
Singletrack
02-28-2011, 09:47
Who takes one and what kind? Are inflatible pillows a better choice then a regular small pillow. I know weigh-wise they are, but what if you spring a leak?
I use a Packa, and nylon convertible pants. I zip off one of the pant legs, and slide the Packa into the pant leg. Makes a comfy pillow.
I have always used my extra clothes in my sleeping back sack as a pillow. I recently bought these:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/flexair_ultralight_pillow.html
I will still put my sleeping bag sack(Montbell UL SS bag) over the pillow.
I love the cocoon hyperlight pillow! Packs tiny and weighs 2.4oz.
http://www.rei.com/product/799192
Rain Man
02-28-2011, 11:56
Stuff my Marmot Zeus Down Jacket in it and I have a very comfortable down pillow for 2.7 ounces since I carry the Zeus anyway and don't wear it to bed....
You carry a down jacket in the summer? (mumbling something about Yankees under my breath) :D
Rain:sunMan
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FlyPaper
02-28-2011, 12:26
Who takes one and what kind? Are inflatible pillows a better choice then a regular small pillow. I know weigh-wise they are, but what if you spring a leak?
I carry a small pillow and add unworn (relatively clean) clothes. Being a side sleeper is tough on the trail. When I sleep in shelters (which is most of the time), I use my tent to add elevation.
One thing I always carry now is a pillow case. I cram everything that will be my pillow into a regular pillow case. This prevents unwashed hair from getting my tent bag and other "pillow items" oily. Also, it is much more comfortable than anything plastic would be.
Big Dawg
02-28-2011, 16:27
I use the LuxuryLite (http://www.luxurylite.com/pillowindex.html) pillow which has an inflatable bladder inside it. Love it!
I've tried the stuff sack with extra clothes and didn't like it. I finally settled on the Exped Air Pillow: Weight: 3 oz., Packed Size: 2.5 x 4.5 inches, Inflated Dimensions: 15 x 11 x 4 inches, Fabric: Tricot polyester
mad4scrapping
02-28-2011, 17:09
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/2/3/9/0/0/imgp3445.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showimage.php?i=41515&original=1&c=member&imageuser=23900)
Mrs Baggins
02-28-2011, 17:50
Couple of years ago I met a lady in the Smokies that had a little inflatable pillow that came with a soft microfleece cover. She said she bought it in Wal-Mart for $5. I have yet to be able to find one in Wal-Mart or anywhere else. It was a nice size (some I've seen meant for hiking are just too small).
Skidsteer
02-28-2011, 18:21
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/2/3/9/0/0/imgp3445.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showimage.php?i=41515&original=1&c=member&imageuser=23900)
How do you carry that little hiker in front like that? Clipped to the sternum strap?
sir limpsalot
02-28-2011, 18:42
the exped inflatable pillow is ergonomically designed, lightweight, easy to inflate/deflate. it is also the most comfortable one i've tried yet.
How do you carry that little hiker in front like that? Clipped to the sternum strap?
bungees, dude...jjeeezzzz....:D
fredmugs
03-04-2011, 12:31
On my last hike I brought two inflatable pillows but used them under my back instead of a pad.
HoneyBear
03-04-2011, 15:23
A 15 liter dry sack works well. Fill with air, roll up the end and snap close. Fill with as much air as you need for the desired comfort level. Most gear should be dual purpose. This is a great secondary use for dry sacks.
Tenderheart
03-04-2011, 15:33
I'm a side sleeper too and the clothes just werent working. I need some support and i'm thinking the thermarest pillow looks good!
I use the little Thermarest demo thing that somebody gave me. You know, the little demo mattress that hangs with the displays. You can inflate and deflate as needed throughout the night. I usually fold it in half and it works for me. I'm never really comfortable sleeping on the trail, but this is the best alternative.
litefoot 2000
tirebiter
03-04-2011, 15:37
While I envy guys who are just fine using a stuff sack full of clothes, I need the real thing and my Thermarest pillow does just great.
BigHodag
03-05-2011, 14:46
I use a cheap fleece covered inflatable pillow from Walmart. Both Walmart and Target carry these for $5 and they're found in the suitcase/travel aisle. Academy Sports also carries these for just $2-3. Found these work well in hammocks as I can hook the pillow over my tarp line.
According to my packing list, the pillow and fleece cover are 4 ounces, which I don't mind. I count the pillow as part of my luxury allotment. I also use the pillow on long bus rides to/from the trail.
Thrasher
03-05-2011, 16:02
I don't use a pillow, but my wife liked the cocoon one. It weighed more than it said on the package though.