Pillow Shopping

[Chaco Taco]

Looking at a new pillow for the trail and have looked at the Air Cores from BA. They have a memory foam upgrade or you can just get the whole thing together. Anyone using this? I need more to my pillow because my thermarest pillow, well, it sucks. I need more between my head and pad to avoid waking up with a stiff neck

[q-tip]

I use a fleece pillow cover and fill it with clothes then safety pin it shut 1.5 oz...Just a thought

[Chaco Taco]

I use a fleece pillow cover and fill it with clothes then safety pin it shut 1.5 oz...Just a thought Did something like that on my thru. I dont carry enough clothing that would give me the support Im looking for

[Elder]

Check out the Nemo pillow! www.nemoequipment.com (http://www.nemoequipment.com) I like mine.

[Chaco Taco]

Check out the Nemo pillow! www.nemoequipment.com (http://www.nemoequipment.com) I like mine.
Thats about what I am looking for. I like that it has the cord on the back to put something in to raise it more. I also like that its a blow up. The down and thermarest ones I end up rolling up because my head doesnt get enough leverage, causing my neck to curve. Thanks, Im going to put this one at the top of my list

[Texico]

I have the Exped Air Pillow and absolutely love it. It's replacing a half-pound pillow which I've been using for the last ten years.

http://www.rei.com/product/797662/exped-air-pillow

[Pringles]

My Walmart, in the travel section, has an inflatable curl-around-your-neck type pillow. It's a durable plastic inflatable thing with is inside a form fitting removable fleece "case." It was about $5. I fill it sort of full and put it around my neck, then put a boot or something a little thick under it, and wiggle it around until it's comfortable. I liked it so much, I bought a couple of extras for when the plastic part finally springs a leak. On the other hand, since the sleeve/fleece part has a zipper, I could stuff something into the fleece and it would still have that shape, and be soft and fleecy. I had hunted for a suitable pillow for a long time, but this works for me.

Pringles

[deadhorsejoe]

Taco,

I have the setup you are asking about with the Air Core pillow and the memory foam cover. It is a great pillow but not light. I used this pillow on a 2 week rafting trip through the Grand Canyon and slept like a baby. This pillow coupled with an Big Agnes air core pad was like sleeping in the bed at home. I did not have to carry it on my back however. For a hiking pillow I like the Exped Air Pillow. Not as comfortable but still good and much lighter ( I think 3 oz give or take) Deadhorse

[hikergurl]

I have an REI self-inflating pillow. I have tried many a camping pillow, inflatable pillow, synthetic fill pillow, buckwheat pillow, etc., and this is the one I now use most often. http://www.rei.com/product/763637/rei-self-inflating-travel-pillow?cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-datafeed-_-product-_-763637&mr:trackingCode=FD6312F7-7FAF-DE11-93DB-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

[kanga]

this is the one i use and i adore it!:
http://www.mammut.ch/en/productDetail/249000310_v_3107_42x22cm/SoftSkin+Pillow.html


(http://www.mammut.ch/en/productDetail/249000310_v_3107_42x22cm/SoftSkin+Pillow.html)

[Chaco Taco]

this is the one i use and i adore it!:
http://www.mammut.ch/en/productDetail/249000310_v_3107_42x22cm/SoftSkin+Pillow.html


(http://www.mammut.ch/en/productDetail/249000310_v_3107_42x22cm/SoftSkin+Pillow.html)

Like the look of the outside of that one. Looks like it would be nice and soft.

[kanga]

Like the look of the outside of that one. Looks like it would be nice and soft.
it is amazingly soft! you take the velcro strap off and open the valve, and it just goes whoosh and fills up all on its own! and you can inflate or deflate to your comfort quickly. 1/2 a breath.

[Rocket Jones]

I tried the Walmart travel pillow and it just didn't do it for me because it wasn't tall enough. Putting it on top of something else only worked until I lost the stack in my sleep. I'm now using a Thermarest compressible, the medium on end is working... so far.

[Chaco Taco]

I tried the Walmart travel pillow and it just didn't do it for me because it wasn't tall enough. Putting it on top of something else only worked until I lost the stack in my sleep. I'm now using a Thermarest compressible, the medium on end is working... so far.

I have that and do not like it

[Sierra Echo]

I put my large thermarest pillow on top of my pack and sleep that way. At home I sleep with 3 pillows!

[Thrasher]

The cocoon ultralight air core pillow isn't bad.
Looks like cocoon has a "hyperlite" one now too, don't know anything about it though.

[Limeman]

Check out the Nemo pillow! www.nemoequipment.com (http://www.nemoequipment.com) I like mine.

I second that. My Nemo Fillo is hands down the best pillow I've ever used backpacking. Packs small. Durable. Washed clean easily. Amazingly comfortable and adjustable. A bit heavy, at 10oz, but trust me... it is well worth the extra weight over an air-only pillow.

[Hosaphone]

I second that. My Nemo Fillo is hands down the best pillow I've ever used backpacking. Packs small. Durable. Washed clean easily. Amazingly comfortable and adjustable. A bit heavy, at 10oz, but trust me... it is well worth the extra weight over an air-only pillow.

It's listed at 10.8oz... For that much weight it had better be more comfortable than my pillow at home. I feel guilty about bringing my 7oz thermarest (http://www.altrec.com/thermarest/compressible-pillow)... Wish I could find a comfortable inflatable but thus far no dice, though I haven't tried them all yet.

[Hosaphone]

I might have to buy a Fillo if only to try it though, and maybe just bring it on short trips. It does look super comfy.

Those of you who own a Fillo, is it easy to access the memory foam?

I'm wondering if you could get it down to a more reasonable weight by cutting out the bungy cord on the back, and maybe trimming out some of the memory foam in the areas where you won't ever rest your head? I really only need like an 8-inch by 8-inch square of padding or so, and the Fillo is a ridiculously luxurious 17 x 10.5.... If that whole area is covered with 1-inch foam, that's a lot of extra foam that I won't ever even use. It says it's 5.1oz without the foam and 10.8 with. If total area is 17x10.5 = 178.5, and I only need 8x8=64, that means there's 114.5 square inches or about 3.7oz of excess foam.

Hmmmmm...

[Hosaphone]

Also, I think pillows are really the way to go over stuffing your extra clothes in a ball. You can get by with a lighter sleeping bag if you plan on wearing those extra clothes to sleep, so you actually aren't even saving weight by going pillow-less - you're just getting a worse night's sleep for no reason...

[Brouche]

Just saw this pillow through the Joly Green Giant blog. http://kookabay.com/pillows.html
I've not used one so I can't say how comfortable it is but the size/weight ratio is pretty good.

[joshuasdad]

In the cool/cold months, I will be carrying a down bag that works with my NeoAir and the light wearable quilt from Jacks R Us (doubles as down jacket). Unless it is a REALLY cold night, plan to use one or the other as my pillow.

[Hosaphone]

Picked up an exped inflatable pillow yesterday on a whim. Slept on it for the first time last night. It's by far the best inflatable I've tried so far, but I still prefer my 7oz thermarest to it enough to justify the extra ~4 ounces.... The size of the exped is just right, though, and the odd shape of it makes for a number of different ways for it to cradle your head. I might try gluing some memory foam to the top to make sort of a frankenstein Fillo.

[johnnybgood]

Therma-Rest pillow (Medium) is comfortable although it's bulky even when stuffed inside itself.

[joshuasdad]

Just saw a thru using a (washable) teddy bear as a pillow -- she was almost at the end of her flip-flop thru, and the bear seemed to hold up pretty well.

[Odd Man Out]

Just saw this pillow through the Joly Green Giant blog. http://kookabay.com/pillows.html
I've not used one so I can't say how comfortable it is but the size/weight ratio is pretty good.

I was just exploring the Kookabay web site. They also have a custom design service and will make a pad of any size, shape, thickness, construction (box or sealed).
This is listed for sleeping pads, but I supposed it would work for pillows too. Just have them make a really small sleeping pad.
As with the previous poster, I have not used one, but this would seem to be a nice service. Made in the USA,

They say they can make pad lengths "From 0 to infinity with 1" increments".
The zero inch long pad would be the ultimate in UL gear. Personally, I would like one of the infinitely long ones.

[Cloudynesz]

I use a fleece outer shell stuff sack and loaded with my down jacket.

[Cloudynesz]

KookaBay has air pillow on sale, a good choice!