Let's talk Pillows

Share your advice and personal experiences, post a gear review or ask any questions you may have pertaining to outdoor gear and equipment.
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: Let's talk Pillows

Post by RoguePhotonic »

I've always kept it simple. My pad has a stuff sack which I stuff my down jacket into and that's my pillow.
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sparky
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Re: Let's talk Pillows

Post by sparky »

my down jacket in a stuff sack is plush! couldn't ask for anything more really except maybe a pillow from home!
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gabe&mel
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Re: Let's talk Pillows

Post by gabe&mel »

A down jacket in a stuff sack works really well, though silnylon stuff sacks feel clammy to my face/neck. You can get a stuck sack lined with fleece to mitigate this. Or as others said bring a fleece and call it a day.

The Thermarest compressible (size medium) pillow is really cheap and really comfortable (side sleeper here) the only downside is that it takes up a large amount of space in your pack like half of my down quilt. Easy to wash but takes a few cycles to to dry. Prefer to take when camping. Switched from exped air pillow which packed really small and has benefit of being really light but not too comfortable.

This summer I made switch to Exped Downpillow (size large) and it hit the sweet spot of comfort, weight (6.5 oz w/o stuff sack), and reasonable packed size. Gets stuffed in with my sleeping bag. Cons: will set you back fifty bucks. A necessity ... no, but worth it to me.

Gabe
thermarest vs downpillow.png
thermarest vs downpillow compressed.png
edit: 9/20 photos cropped
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Last edited by gabe&mel on Sun Sep 20, 2015 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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alc101ma
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Re: Let's talk Pillows

Post by alc101ma »

gabe&mel wrote: This summer I made switch to Exped Downpillow (size large) and it hit the sweet spot of comfort, weight (6.5 oz w/o stuff sack), and reasonable packed size. Gets stuffed in with my sleeping bag. Cons: will set you back fifty bucks. A necessity ... no, but worth it to me.
Interesting, Gabe. I'll have to see if I can find this at the store and check it out. It seems to have a nice balance of weight, compressibility, and comfort.

Alan
Hiking and camping in the Bay Area and up the Pacific coast. Backpacking in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Catching backcountry trout. I write articles, stories, guides, and how to's for exploring the outdoors. http://www.loveto.camp
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rayfound
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Re: Let's talk Pillows

Post by rayfound »

Oh man, I want that exped downpillow.
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Bluewater
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Re: Let's talk Pillows

Post by Bluewater »

I usually don't carry extra clothes or even a stuff sack to make a pillow. I use two or three pillows at home and need the extra support due to breathing issues (mild apnea), so I really need something large.

After trying the Montbell, Kookabay, Klymit, Exped and FlexAir inflatables I finally settled on the Exped UL size large. It has enough height in "flat mode" and the shape is comfortable. For reading I tilt it up and it cradles my head and neck. 2 ozs.

I made a simple silk pillow case out of an old l/s shirt which feels much better than the plastic:) The material is flexible so I can stuff a down vest or wind pants when not wearing them as part of my sleep "system".

There was a good article on BPL last year that compared many of the models in 2014:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... ordan.html


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John Harper
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Re: Let's talk Pillows

Post by John Harper »

Brien wrote:I really like the Cocoon. Lightweight, compacts well and has two sides, one soft microfiber and the other nylon. My only beef is after I hand washed it I could never quite seem to get the inner bladder in position again.
If you wash it while partially inflated, you won't have that issue.

John
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KathyW
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Re: Let's talk Pillows

Post by KathyW »

I just use a stuff sack with clothing in it. I never go backpacking without some type of puffy jacket, but I'm a cold sleeper; so sometimes I wear that to bed and it's not always available for stuffing into the sack. That means I will stuff the sack with clothing that aren't always so soft including things like a hardshell jacket. Last year, I picked up a thermarest stuff sack pillow http://www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-r ... ow/product and found that it's still comfortable even when not stuffed with the softest clothing. This summer, someone broke into my house and the only things they took were coins I was saving - I had them in jars of pennies, nickles, dimes, and quarters and. Later when I was looking for my stuff sack pillow, I realized that was also missing. I guess they filled the missing stuff sack with the coins because they had left the empty jars behind (they didn't take the pennies). I knew I really liked my stuff sack pillow because I bought a new one right away as I didn't want to head out without one.

I also sometimes build up a platform under the pillow with my pack and other items - especially when I have a short sleeping pad with me because then I'm not able to put that under my head.
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Jimr
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Re: Let's talk Pillows

Post by Jimr »

All of this talk about pillows prompted me to pull out my old blow-up pillow and use it half inflated in my day pack.
If you don't know where you're going, then any path will get you there.
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Jimr
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Re: Let's talk Pillows

Post by Jimr »

gabe&mel wrote: Cons: will set you back fifty bucks. A necessity ... no, but worth it to me.

A bit cheaper than that book you have there :lol:
If you don't know where you're going, then any path will get you there.
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