Exped UL Pillow - Alternatives?

[Uriah]

I wish I could get comfortable with this method but after 12 days of a sore neck and fitful sleep I'm good with carrying the 2-3 additional ounces.

Same here. A while back someone had a thread going about where ultra-lighters added weight back to their overall load, and I forgot to mention a pillow. A couple ounces extra, for a piddly twenty dollars, to vastly improve sleep and recovery, is well worth it. Heck, many of us here drop as much on beer in the first town we hike or hitch into. Then again, beer can help with sleep too...

[Moosling]

I use the z-packs stuff sack/pillow. Love it. Holds my sleeping quilt and liner during the day. At night I put my puffy or other clothing in it.

Yeah basically what I do I just use my tent sack or clothes bag with my extra clothes in it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[poolskaterx]

I use a cocoon pillow, 3.4 oz on my scale at under $30 at REI. Has a nice cover that you can take off and wash with a soft microfiber side and a cooler feeling nylon side, the inflatable has a dropped section that cradles your head. Been using it for about 2 years now with no issues; I figure worst scenario is if it pops I can stuff my down vest into the pillow case.

[Coffee]

A great robust alternative is the Instant Camp pillow at Amazon.

So I went ahead and ordered this pillow today. I'll post a gear review once I put it to use on my SNP section hike in Oct. At only marginally more weight than the Exped and less than half the cost, I figure it is worth a shot given the excellent reviews. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Venchka]

I have close to 100 nights on the Red Exped Air Pillow, size large. I could not be happier. Actually, I might be happier with the medium size. But the large works for me.
If the new pillow doesn't work for you.
Wayne


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[capehiker]

I am a huge fan of the Big Sky Dream Weaver pillow (new one is 1.5oz).

[Engine]

Same here. A while back someone had a thread going about where ultra-lighters added weight back to their overall load, and I forgot to mention a pillow. A couple ounces extra, for a piddly twenty dollars, to vastly improve sleep and recovery, is well worth it. Heck, many of us here drop as much on beer in the first town we hike or hitch into. Then again, beer can help with sleep too...

+1 It's not "extra" weight if it serves a real purpose. The benefits of a good nights rest cannot be overstated, it makes everything else easier and more enjoyable.

[Engine]

Yeah basically what I do I just use my tent sack or clothes bag with my extra clothes in it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have done this for years, but when we were caught in a few day stretch of much colder than forecast weather and had to wear all of our clothing to stay warm at night, there was nothing left for a pillow. My neck got so jacked up I could barely turn my head for a week...now 2 ounces for an inflatable pillow is well worth it.

[cmoulder]

I have done this for years, but when we were caught in a few day stretch of much colder than forecast weather and had to wear all of our clothing to stay warm at night, there was nothing left for a pillow. My neck got so jacked up I could barely turn my head for a week...now 2 ounces for an inflatable pillow is well worth it.

+1

If you don't have enough clothing left over to make a pillow but enough to keep you warm when temps dip lower than anticipated, you've done it juuusssst right.

[nsherry61]

. . . If you don't have enough clothing left over to make a pillow but enough to keep you warm when temps dip lower than anticipated, you've done it juuusssst right.

In the last few years I've gotten frustratingly good at this, and that's when I tuck my shoes under the head end of my sleeping pad and inflate my 2L platapus bladder as my pillow.

[cmoulder]

I used my shoes a couple of times inside plastic grocery bags and then finally relented and got the Exped UL medium. I have never regretted that purchase.

It works much better for me when attached to the air mat with an elastic strap.
Harriman10.jpg

[Uriah]

I used my shoes a couple of times inside plastic grocery bags and then finally relented and got the Exped UL medium. I have never regretted that purchase. It works much better for me when attached to the air mat with an elastic strap.
Harriman10.jpg

Good point with regards to the pillow moving.

Some more pillow talk...


1) Depending on type of material used, inflatable pillows can be noisy and/or stick to the side of your head. This is probably pretty obvious, but wrap 'em in some clothing when stickiness or noise is an issue, or buy or make a pillow case. One trade-off: the clothing I use for this purpose has little silvery trails of drool visible, as though slugs invaded throughout the night.


2) As cmoulder alludes, when a plasticky inflatable pillow sits directly atop a tent floor or on an inflatable mattress it tends to slide around like two well-lubricated lovers on a Slip-n-Slide. (I have no experience with this, unfortunately.) This gets even worse when your camp spot isn't entirely level, as mine never seem to be. To combat it, I use a dab or two of grippy silicone seam-sealer on the cool side of the pillow. The strap is a great idea too. It may add a few grams, but it encourages a much deeper sleep and keeps everything in its rightful place.


3) When puncture appears a probability, as it frequently does here in the desert (or when sleeping atop pine needles), it's worth placing something extra under the pillow before laying down to rest. I use an additional piece of clothing or my shoes for this, along with the wrapped piece of clothing. This also applies to an air mattress of course, but after a few punctured Therma-Rest$, I'm back to good old-fashioned foam, except in winter. The pillow, on the other hand, is a lot easier to protect (it stays put on a foamy mattress better than it does atop an inflatable one) and so I'm sticking with it from here on out. (I'm just not sticking to it.)

[cmoulder]

Fortunately I'm a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal and am not bothered by the pillow's noise/sticky characteristics.

But it does get icky enough eventually to bother even the densest Neanderthal, and I have found it cleans up fairly well with rubbing alcohol. Tried Dawn and some other soaps/detergents and nothing else worked nearly as well.

[DLP]

I use REI flash pillow. Weight: 1.13 oz
I made a .5 oz fleece pillowcase for it.

Extra clothes do not work for me, as I often put my coat on at 3am.

[Sandy of PA]

A Buff makes a perfect pillow case and still works as a buff.

[Uriah]

A Buff makes a perfect pillow case and still works as a buff.

I know some people who sleep in the buff, but I don't imagine that's the kind of buff you speak of.

[DLP]

...inflate my 2L platapus bladder as my pillow.

I've used a 1 liter Platy filled with water. It sloshed a little but was okay. lol! Inflatable is better.

I took a SlumberJack pillow and cut it in half and used that my first trip.
https://www.campmor.com/c/camp-pillo...-x-10-in-41424
It is super heavy at 5 oz, but still my favorite pillow. I take it when I go with my husband. Backpacking with husband is like weekend car camping - minus the car. With no bear can, I take all kinds of luxuries- like 5 oz pillows!

Oh! SlumberJack pillow is now only 8-ish oz. My old one weighed way more... You get two 3.9 oz pillows for $11-ish if you cut one in half.