What's Your Pillow?

[Maddog61]

This one.
http://m.rei.com/mt/www.rei.com/product ... air-pillow" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have major neck issues, and am particular about pillows. I only have 3 nights on it, but so far it's really comfortable.

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2

[sparky]

I use my down jacket + whatever clothes I can spare

[giantbrookie]

Ah, there are very few things that I am more finicky about than my pillow. The configuration of my pillow set up in camp is one of the biggest keys for a good sleep for me. I spend a fair amount of time engineering it each night. The centerpiece is usually a holofill jacket (I'm allergic to down, sadly) or a fleece jacket, depending on what's along on the trip. I then have all sorts of things I use beneath and to the side of the jacket. This can include my rucksack, fishing gear, and all manner of odds and ends (at times, even my boots are part of this assembly) in order to build just the right shape that will not squish or scoot away too easily. If there appears to be no chance of rain, the rainfly will be part of the assembly. The small inflatable pillow is usually part of the mix, but it and the fleece jacket cover (preferred combo) by themselves are not enough and the pillow tends to squirt all over the place if I don't have it adequately shimmed. In the days before bear cannisters it was fairly common for me to include some of my food (bagged) as part of this assembly.

[Jimr]

I roll up my pants, wrap my down jacket around it, fold the bottom up and tie it together with the sleeves, then do the same with my flannel shirt to form a non-slip pillow case.

[sparky]

I am with you giantbrookie, my pillow is key, and I take time to get it right. When its right it is as comfortable as my pillow at home.

so what I do is usually start with a pair of socks. Then goes my ripstop jacket around the socks. Then the down jacket. I carry a montbell "alpine light" parka, so it has more down than a lot of the other models...and more comfy pillow!

So all that goes in a stuff sack. Then the stuff sack is then wedged into the hood of my sleeping bag. This keeps it right where I want it. I am a side sleeper and stomach sleeper. As long as the pillow stays put, I am a happy camper

Now when it is so cold that I need to be all cinched up in my bag, the pillow goes under the hood and I deal with shifting.

[oldranger]

Sparky

Pretty much what I do except I wear a balaclava when it is cold so my pillow stays in place.

Mike

[rlown]

Sparky

Pretty much what I do except I wear a balaclava when it is cold so my pillow stays in place.

Mike

I look back at your posts, OR, and like how much are you carrying really?

It's really simple.. The pillow is the fleece or whatever i happen to be carrying at the time that could make the pillow. No blow up thinggy. Just what I have at the time.

Glad some of you have rituals in how you fluff and fold. I just want to be warm and dry and have my head slightly elevated as I roll around during the night, regardless of conditions, and settle comfortably.

I always wear my beanie. then it doesn't matter. but i do fluff the "pillow" every few hours.

[fishmonger]

I stuff unused clothing into a t-shirt to get a pillow under my head. Never had a problem with that. I once used the lower part of my backpack hip belt area as a pillow, but that only works with the foam ground pads. I definitely don't carry a dedicated pillow. Fleece jackets are perfect for my needs, but for weight weenie reasons I dont' always bring a fleece, and those super light down jackets that replaced the fleece are useless as pillows.

[longri]

for weight weenie reasons I dont' always bring a fleece

When going light I occasionally wear all of clothes. And in that mode there just isn't that much remaining stuff to make a pillow out of. This is why I sometimes end up using my shoes underneath.

If I was one of those guys hiking in the five fingered shoes that wouldn't work either.

[LMBSGV]

I also use my spare t-shirt. It functions much like a pillow case. I stuff in one larger piece of clothing - for years, like Old Ranger, it was a wool sweater. When I decided that something a little lighter might be better (about the same time the sweater developed too many holes to use anymore), I got a warm polartec jacket. So now it's the polartec jacket and I fill in with whatever else is left. It depends on how cold it is that night. On a normal night, I'll add my polartec pants. On those really cold nights, I wear the pants.