View Full Version : Pillows
Any of you guys use a pillow?
Finally, I gathered a full set of gear allowing me to do overnight backpacking. Being on a tight budget, sale surfing for the past year has allowed me get some great gear at even better prices. Thanks to the advice around here, I managed to get my base weight in the 15-20lb range!
Anyway, I noticed that comfort is essential for giving one a good nights sleep. So far, I am loving my Prolite pad with my Marmot Sawtooth bag, proving to be plenty warm for all my outings thus far. Nevertheless, I've found a void in my sleeping gear, where that void is a pillow. I tried stuffing clothes both above and below my sleeping pad to prop up my head, but all attempts to construct some sort of pillow-like comfort ended in failure. I found myself continually readjusting throughout the night by removing clothes, adding clothes, and rebunching the clothes to form a pillow.
As a result, I think I would like to invest in a pillow.
Any recommendations? I think it would prove to be weight worthy if the pillow could also double as a seat, allowing me to remove the closed-cell sit pad that I tote around now.
Thanks!
Tipi Walter
10-01-2012, 17:16
Try Target, they have some lightweight full size pillows. I took one on a 20 day trip to Big Frog wilderness but it was summer and too hot so I ended up tossing it after about 10 days. Here's another option---get a nice soft pillowcase and stuff in a down jacket or a fleece jacket and use this as a pillow. You can wear the jacket in camp and then stuff it for sleeping.
Rocket Jones
10-01-2012, 17:48
I carry a Thermarest medium pillow. Folds small and works well enough. For the amount of height I need as a side sleeper, I use it on end.
RodentWhisperer
10-01-2012, 18:08
I just ordered a 3-pack of FlexAir inflatables-- 0.8 oz a piece-- in order to experiment with one at home. They are cheap!
Blissful
10-01-2012, 18:13
Love my exped air pillow
Drybones
10-01-2012, 18:16
I started out using a $5.00 pillow I picked up at Academy, a little heavy at 7 oz and a little on the noisy side but comfortable. To cut weight I bought a Cacoon pillow, weighs about 3 oz, fits inside the sleeping bag hood so it stays under you, very comfortable and quiet, a little on the fragile.
Hmmmm.
I was thinking about making a stuff sack out of comfortable material for a pillow. Otherwise, the Exped looks pretty good. I've also considered the Neoair seat as an option.
mister krabs
10-01-2012, 19:09
a kid's swim "floatie" that goes on their arms.
Wise Old Owl
10-01-2012, 19:42
If you get a chance try a air airplane pillow. Works great with hammocks
jakedatc
10-01-2012, 19:50
Love my exped air pillow
+1 3oz of comfort.
hikerinnc
10-01-2012, 20:03
Ultralite pillow. Kids swimmies. The kind that go on their arms to keep em a float. Get or make a mini pillow case for it. Packs small, cheap, bigger/more firm than most backpacking pillows and mine weighs 2oz.
I like the swimmie idea a whole lot! Thanks.
Think its not worth shelling out the cash for a blow up pad that functions as a seat and a pillow?
jakedatc
10-01-2012, 20:30
I like the swimmie idea a whole lot! Thanks.
Think its not worth shelling out the cash for a blow up pad that functions as a seat and a pillow?
no... you're going to pull out a thing to blow up every time you sit down? that is what rocks, logs and shelters are for.
I use a Hammock Gear down pillow: http://www.hammockgear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=20
--louis
Check this out!
So, I put my down jacket or vest into an approximately 6"x12" stuff sack made of silnylon. After that, I slipped my merino buff over the entire thing.
This works great! It gives the perfect amount of firmness with the down jacket in that size stuff sack, and the buff provides some comfort.
Best of all....it was free!!
I haven't yet tried these but here is a review and a link to the Flex Air Pillows.
Review; http://sticksblog.com/2012/02/02/pillow-talk-flex-air-ultralight-pillow/
Link; http://www.antigravitygear.com/flex-air-ultralight-pillow-3-pack.html
jakedatc
10-01-2012, 22:40
Check this out!
So, I put my down jacket or vest into an approximately 6"x12" stuff sack made of silnylon. After that, I slipped my merino buff over the entire thing.
This works great! It gives the perfect amount of firmness with the down jacket in that size stuff sack, and the buff provides some comfort.
Best of all....it was free!!
All fine until you need to wear your puffy and buff to stay warm.
grateful 2
10-01-2012, 23:15
I second the coccoon pillow (ultralite model) with a thermarest pillowcase. Total weight about 3 oz. Worth it to a side sleeper.
daddytwosticks
10-02-2012, 07:26
Ultralite pillow. Kids swimmies. The kind that go on their arms to keep em a float. Get or make a mini pillow case for it. Packs small, cheap, bigger/more firm than most backpacking pillows and mine weighs 2oz. I do the same. Actually works great! :)
All fine until you need to wear your puffy and buff to stay warm.
I was thinking about that as well. My sleeping bag is pretty warm, where its probably rated a bit low when comparing it to a lighter bag that a true UL hiker would go with. I'm hoping I won't have to wear a down jacket to bed, however I could imagine that it would be nice to have on a cold cold night.
mediauras
10-02-2012, 11:57
Check this out!
So, I put my down jacket or vest into an approximately 6"x12" stuff sack made of silnylon. After that, I slipped my merino buff over the entire thing.
This works great! It gives the perfect amount of firmness with the down jacket in that size stuff sack, and the buff provides some comfort.
Best of all....it was free!!
I do the same. I have an old silnylon stuff stack from Granite Gear that's worn and soft. I stuff my Montbell Alpine LIght in it and voila, perfect down pillow.Its the best camping pillow I"ve had, but I'm too cheap to buy a real bp'ing pillow. :)
Suckerfish
10-02-2012, 13:11
I had a coccoon air pillow, but it kept slipping off my head, it never felt comfortable and I kept trying to adjust the air pressure for it to fit. I ended up getting a thermarest medium pillow and love it, I don't fold it down as it crushes the foam inside, i just stuff it on the top of my pack and it works great to keep everything tight in my pack.
http://www.hammockgear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20&products_id=20
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
RodentWhisperer
10-05-2012, 19:41
Remember when I mentioned the FlexAir inflatables? Forget I ever mentioned them. Not happy, I am-- too thin, don't hold air easily, and are just plain flimsy. Back to my original-- a Cocoon UL.
I have a cheap thin foam pillow, cut in half and re-sewn. Not sure of weight, next to nothing it feels. It just gets stuffed into sack with sleeping bag.
On it's own not enough of a pillow for side sleeper but I use it inside the hood of bag and it allows me to just stuff things like rolled up clothes under the bag to give enough height and with the layer of bag and the pillow I have a soft spot for my head (which is prone to having soft spots).
I have a cheap thin foam pillow, cut in half and re-sewn. Not sure of weight, next to nothing it feels. It just gets stuffed into sack with sleeping bag.
On it's own not enough of a pillow for side sleeper but I use it inside the hood of bag and it allows me to just stuff things like rolled up clothes under the bag to give enough height and with the layer of bag and the pillow I have a soft spot for my head (which is prone to having soft spots).
Oh and I forgot to mention - it has thin cotton (shock horror gasp) cover. The only cotton in my bag except my dish cloth.
HikerMom58
10-05-2012, 20:58
I second the coccoon pillow (ultralite model) with a thermarest pillowcase. Total weight about 3 oz. Worth it to a side sleeper.
Hey rather go up.... I see ur (ultralite model) coccoon pillow that you are "pushing"!! LOL!! Good to see you back on here, bro!!
I always used my pack as a pillow. worked great especialy when i put my clothes stuff sac into the hood of my bag. i never felt the need to purchase a pillow or blow up flotie or anything else.
Violent Green
10-06-2012, 13:31
I have a MYOG pillow with 4 oz of silk/polyester fill inside. The face side of the pillow is 7d nylon, the other side is .33oz cuben. Tried air pillows(too hard) and down pillows(no support no matter how much down) and finally just made my own.
Ryan
Drybones
10-06-2012, 21:19
Oh and I forgot to mention - it has thin cotton (shock horror gasp) cover. The only cotton in my bag except my dish cloth.
You'll be black balled from this web site for using, dare I say it, cotton.
Odd Man Out
10-07-2012, 13:18
You'll be black balled from this web site for using, dare I say it, cotton.
Not really necessary. He's going to die anyway using cotton. ;-)
Oh and I forgot to mention - it has thin cotton (shock horror gasp) cover. The only cotton in my bag except my dish cloth.
You'll be black balled from this web site for using, dare I say it, cotton.
Jacko is a foreigner. The TSA will inform him of the rule upon arrival! Please turn your head and cough!:D
Half Note
10-07-2012, 18:20
I always used my pack as a pillow. worked great especialy when i put my clothes stuff sac into the hood of my bag. i never felt the need to purchase a pillow or blow up flotie or anything else.
+1 on this comment. I do the same.
MuddyWaters
10-07-2012, 20:14
Put shoes under head area of sleep pad, toe in, slightly spaced apart to cradle your head.
Get paint strainer bag from Home depot (5 gal) , use for clothes bag (0.5 oz). Use rubber band to hold clothes bag as tignt, or loosely as you want it.
Makes great pillow with some clothes or raingear, and you can do without with just shoes under pad if you have to due to wearing all clothing.
NEPilgrim
10-07-2012, 22:04
I use a Cocoon ultralite inflatable pillow. Only a few ounces & packs small. Doesn't compress like a stuff sack with clothes in it, & I no longer have any kinks in my neck in the morning.
Love my exped air pillow
Ditto. 1.5 ozs of comfort
http://images.usoutdoor.com/usoutdoorstore/products/full/exped-air-pillow-ul.jpg
songunn25
10-08-2012, 03:36
My puffy jacket stuffs into a rectangular interior pocket and worked well as a pillow for me during my thru-hike. The only time I needed to use my puffy jacket to stay warm in my bag was two nights in the Smokies. (I used it to help keep my feet from getting too cold.) If you have a puffy jacket, check to see if it has a pocket like that. Stuffing it into its one of its own sleeves works well otherwise.
It certainly isn't on the UL side, but I picked up an inflatable pillow from Walmart a while back, set me back $5 - $7. It is made of the same plastic stuff that most pool toys are, and includes a thin piece of memory foam and a cheap fleece pillow case. 16" long and about 3.5" high inflated. I weighed it on my scale at 6.1 oz.
I too have tried the stuff sack and pack approach, but my clothes tend to shift around to the point at which my face is engulfed and my head ends up on the ground by morning. 6 ozs may be heavy to some, but I think that it's a small price to pay for a better night's sleep. Plus, if you hate it, you are only out about 5 bucks.
Was this in the outdoor / camping aisle?
It certainly isn't on the UL side, but I picked up an inflatable pillow from Walmart a while back, set me back $5 - $7. It is made of the same plastic stuff that most pool toys are, and includes a thin piece of memory foam and a cheap fleece pillow case. 16" long and about 3.5" high inflated. I weighed it on my scale at 6.1 oz.
I too have tried the stuff sack and pack approach, but my clothes tend to shift around to the point at which my face is engulfed and my head ends up on the ground by morning. 6 ozs may be heavy to some, but I think that it's a small price to pay for a better night's sleep. Plus, if you hate it, you are only out about 5 bucks.
StubbleJumper
10-08-2012, 10:13
Put shoes under head area of sleep pad, toe in, slightly spaced apart to cradle your head.
Get paint strainer bag from Home depot (5 gal) , use for clothes bag (0.5 oz). Use rubber band to hold clothes bag as tignt, or loosely as you want it.
Makes great pillow with some clothes or raingear, and you can do without with just shoes under pad if you have to due to wearing all clothing.
OMG! My the odor of my shoes is usually one step away from lethal! I don't even like to have them under my tent vestibule, let alone under my head for the night! Same deal for my backpack. After a few hundred miles it really starts to smell pretty bad, and I couldn't imagine using it as a pillow.
Count me in with the group that uses a stuff sack and spare clothing to make a pillow. On the coldest nights I end up wearing most of my spare clothing, so the pillow is a bit thin on those nights, but generally it works pretty well.
I usually put my hiking clothes underneath my sleeping pad to increase the r-value, to have them warm in the morning (this is really a bonus) and to keep down the smell in my tent.
"Was this in the outdoor / camping aisle?"
Yeah, they were hidden amongst the inflatable beds and cots in the outdoor aisle. If I remember correctly, they were in a cardboard box with minor labeling... they are flat deflated.
I'd just stuff my fleece into my Buff headband. Worked great. On the nights it was cold and I slept in the fleece I just did without. The Buff never smelt that bad. Can't imagine using my smelly shoes or pack as a pillow. I aint that hardcore.
Bro just take your fleece, Shirts, Pants, Etc and stuff them into the Sleeping bag STUFF SACK, No need for a pillow but it makes a great joke.
I like my Cocoon UL, I didn't bring it on my thru hike but it sure has been comfy the rest of the time.
I use my clothing bag, a sea to summit compression bag. I had a silk bag that I made to go over the sack, but really it wasn't needed. But when I am in my hammock I dont use anything. Normally when I crawl into my bag I am out like a light in a moment and even bears nibbling on my toes wouldnt wake me.
It certainly isn't on the UL side, but I picked up an inflatable pillow from Walmart a while back, set me back $5 - $7. It is made of the same plastic stuff that most pool toys are, and includes a thin piece of memory foam and a cheap fleece pillow case. 16" long and about 3.5" high inflated. I weighed it on my scale at 6.1 oz.
I too have tried the stuff sack and pack approach, but my clothes tend to shift around to the point at which my face is engulfed and my head ends up on the ground by morning. 6 ozs may be heavy to some, but I think that it's a small price to pay for a better night's sleep. Plus, if you hate it, you are only out about 5 bucks.
I couldn't find it on the shelf anymore but found what I bet is it on Ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/160743074031?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
Bro just take your fleece, Shirts, Pants, Etc and stuff them into the Sleeping bag STUFF SACK, No need for a pillow but it makes a great joke.
The problem I ran into was when I got down to a t-shirt, shorts and a rain coat. They were barely enough to be comfortable once they spread out in my stuff sack and if my rain coat was wet....
If I got to a shelter I could use my tent as a pillow but if I didn't it was going to be an uncomfortable night.
jimmyjam
10-18-2012, 13:43
Has anyone tried MLD's Klymit Cush Pillow?
Alligator
10-18-2012, 13:57
I tried a kid's swimmie for a while but didn't like the crease between air chambers.
I had an exped (L) pillow. It is a nice pillow for side or back sleepers but awkward for stomach sleeping. The pillow is not level on top.
I am now using a Cocoon hyperlite which is really nice (and light). This I definitely recommend. The only drawback is it is really light and can slip out of my sleeping bag so I may sew a pillow pocket into the bag.
treesloth
10-18-2012, 15:43
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Sobakawa (styrofoam) beads yet. I purchased a $20 Sobakawa pillow from Walgreens, cut a small hole into it and dumped almost 2/3 of the filling and sewed it back up. The pillow is coming in at a hair over 8 ounces. The material it's encased in is stretchy nylon stuff, and the beads themselves are way light. The pillow looks thin and flabby in its current condition, but the beads are SO supportive (and you're on a thin backpacking mattress anyways) that it doesn't really matter. My big ol' noggin is fully and comfortably supported with this thing. As a side/stomach sleeper, I can even cradle a portion of the pillow underneath my chest. I can fold the pillow in half to prop my head up for reading. It's fully worth the 8 ounces and (and taken pack space) to me, any day.
I also have an idea to have a flat, square, zippered cuben fiber 'pouch' that I can stuff the pillow in and use for a sit pad. One that will offer great insulation at that.
dornstar
10-18-2012, 17:13
I just ordered a 3-pack of FlexAir inflatables-- 0.8 oz a piece-- in order to experiment with one at home. They are cheap!
I couldn't stand those FlexAirs by themselves. Too much moving around (waterbed effect), but I now use it inside by Big Agnes Gunn Creek sleeping bag's pillow compartment. Thing weighs virtually nothing and I blow it up about 1/3 to 1/2 way to give me a little extra height on my main pillow which is an Ikea travel pillow which weighs about 3 ounces.
Together, I found a sub 4 ounce solution that works perfect for me.
Hitchin' Post
10-18-2012, 17:31
I haven't tested it yet, but I have ZPacks' pillow bag. 1.65 ounces and it doubles as a stuff sack. Feels comfortable enough.
http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/dry_bags.shtml
TheYoungOne
10-25-2012, 11:13
I haven't tested it yet, but I have ZPacks' pillow bag. 1.65 ounces and it doubles as a stuff sack. Feels comfortable enough.
http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/dry_bags.shtml
I was going to say the same thing about the the stuff sack pillows with the poly/nylon on the outside and microfleece on the inside. You store your clothes in the sack, the turn it inside out and stuff it again for a pillow. To keep your clothes from shifting, zip open your jacket, lay the clothes inside it toward the upper back and shoulder area , then zip it up and fold the bottom and sleeve over, the stuff it in the sack. If you want firmness you can stuff a sit pad in there if you have one that will fit .
The REI ones are way heavy and the big one is huge, I actually use the big one as a stuff sack for my kids sleeping bags for sleepovers. The small one is OK but its 4oz. Therma-a-Rest make a 2oz one that is the same price as the Z-pack, but its a stuff sack not a dry sack like Zpack.
Hosaphone
10-25-2012, 12:13
+1 for the Exped air pillow. Somehow the odd shape of it cradles your head much better than other inflatables which feel like you're sleeping on a balloon or something.
The whole "put your clothes in a stuff sack" idea is actually a false weight savings. If you plan to wear those extra layers to sleep, you can get away with a lighter bag. Add in a pillow and you'll be more comfortable and save weight, too!
AllTheWayToMordor
10-25-2012, 13:18
I have a 6L MSR Dromedary that doubles as my pillow. Im also a side sleeper. I don't know if its going to go with me on my thru hike though.
I ended up getting the Klymit Cush.
I still have to give it a true test, but it appears to be quite versatile!
Hosaphone
10-30-2012, 23:22
I ended up getting the Klymit Cush.
I still have to give it a true test, but it appears to be quite versatile!
That looks pretty interesting. I find that the most important thing with inflatable pillows is that they have lots of nooks and crannies that can cradle your head. Having lots of different ways to sleep on it is cool. Sleeping on, say, a platypus bag just never worked for me.
That looks pretty interesting. I find that the most important thing with inflatable pillows is that they have lots of nooks and crannies that can cradle your head. Having lots of different ways to sleep on it is cool. Sleeping on, say, a platypus bag just never worked for me.
It seems to be pretty comfortable from what I can tell by testing it around the house. Not to mention, the rugged material seems to be both durable yet comfortable when in contact with your face. They state that it can be used as a seat as well, where the video Klymit puts out shows two people sitting on it. I guess it shouldn't burst too easily! Also, the ear cup feels to be functional for those who sleep on their ear.
Oh. On my scale it is coming in at 3.4 oz
bubonicplay
11-02-2012, 00:26
I use a jacket for a pillow, its multiuse and gets the job done. Atom lt.