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Pillow Talk

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    • Pillow Talk

      OK :) now that I have your attention, what do you use for a pillow?

      This is the one piece of gear that I just can't settle on- it literally keeps me awake at night. I have tried the one piece inflatable pillow, the folding inflatable Climate? pillow, I have sewn a fleece like cover to one side of a clothes bag, and I have just used my cuben clothes bag with my buff pulled over it. So far the clothes bag/buff combo has worked best, but sometimes it is too lumpy and I fiddle with it for what seems half the night trying to get the lumps out. Anyone use one of those compressible pillows? ?(
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • I tell everyone I use my food bag but I don't. My food bag is beside me in the tent.

      I use my pack as a base, then my sleeping bag stuff sack packed loosely with my rain gear and clothing. The stuff sack is cuben fiber so I lay my fleece pullover on that for comfort.
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • on my thru i got used to sleeping without a pillow after short period of time.

      but now that most trips are of the weekend or week variety i've gotten soft and need something. i have a 15 year or so old therma-rest knock off pack master pillow. works fine, but i'm sure there are lighter and less bulky items available. i'll be following this thread.
      2,000 miler

    • i didn't need a thermarest until i was 30. i didn't need a pillow until i was 35. my far vision is still great, but about 10 years ago i started throwing a pair of cheap reading glasses in my pack for map and journal reading. i wonder what the next concession to age will be?
      2,000 miler

    • What I love about my Kelty PK50 pack is that the clothing comparment/bag is removable and has buckles that allow it to be clipped back into the pack. It's opening is a dry bag closure that runs the length of the bag on its underside rather than a top opening. And it really is shaped like a pillow.

      I unclip the bag and while leaving my few clothing items in the bag, I blow up my Exped L pillow and then stuff the pillow into the PK50 clothing bag. This has worked like a dream and has felt like a real pillow.
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • I have the Big Agnes memory foam pillow and don't like it but I don't remember why. I also have the thermarest compressible pillow and love it, it's very comfortable. It fits snugly in the collar of my sleeping bag and doesn't fall out when I'm tossing and turning. It's a luxury for a non-gram weenie :).
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Just use my clothes bag. Now that most of my hiking is during the summer and always trying to reduce weight, it does not have very much substance so I also put my sleeping bag and pad stuff sacks in it and my phone (at the bottom naturally).
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • max.patch wrote:

      i didn't need a thermarest until i was 30. i didn't need a pillow until i was 35. my far vision is still great, but about 10 years ago i started throwing a pair of cheap reading glasses in my pack for map and journal reading. i wonder what the next concession to age will be?


      Yeah I remember in college when people would visit offering them my bed and sleeping on the floor. I can not imagine doing that now.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • For the last two years I've used my foodbag as my pillow. I wrap the bag in a fleece, or my most comfortable piece of clothing to make it softer.

      To misquote Hunter S. Thompson " I can't say I recommend it, but it's always worked for me"
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    • On the AT I used the little airline pillow I stole on the way over. Put it on top of my clothes bag. For the Camino I have a little down hiking pillow. Will use it on my clothes bag or on top of the (presumably heavily used) provided pillows in the aubergues.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • max.patch wrote:

      i didn't need a thermarest until i was 30. i didn't need a pillow until i was 35. my far vision is still great, but about 10 years ago i started throwing a pair of cheap reading glasses in my pack for map and journal reading. i wonder what the next concession to age will be?


      I've been told that memory is the second thing that goes...or was was eyes...maybe hearing...i don't know anymore.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • Drybones wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      i didn't need a thermarest until i was 30. i didn't need a pillow until i was 35. my far vision is still great, but about 10 years ago i started throwing a pair of cheap reading glasses in my pack for map and journal reading. i wonder what the next concession to age will be?


      I've been told that memory is the second thing that goes...or was was eyes...maybe hearing...i don't know anymore.


      Can't remember, can you?
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • I have tried many methods.

      I tried stuffing extra clothes in a stuff sack. My 1st cold night cured me of that. I don't carry extra clothing and the clothing is only extra when it is warm. The cold night left me with no pillow. Besides, it was not comfortable enough for me.

      Next I tried the Llbean Camp Comfort Pillow.

      It is comfortable, but a bit heavy.

      Next I tried the pillow Odd Man Out sent me. It is very light but not comfortable enough for me. I am a side sleeper and need a pillow with some substance.

      Don't laugh. Okay, laugh if you must. I am currently using the smallest Wal*Mart Mainstay pillow. It is lighter than the LlBean pillow and more comfortable. It has a good balance between firm and soft. It weighs 8.5 ounces. That is heavy for a gram weenie like me. However, I really need a comfortable pillow and this thing is very comfortable.
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • Re: Pillow Talk

      my concerns with pillows are: comfort,weight, and how much real estate will it take up in my pack. i think i will next try my inflatable inside my clothes bag with my vest over the inflatable. i ve got to find something that works by April.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      my concerns with pillows are: comfort,weight, and how much real estate will it take up in my pack. i think i will next try my inflatable inside my clothes bag with my vest over the inflatable. i ve got to find something that works by April.


      i will mail you one of my thermarest pillows to try. I have 3 of them so there's no rush in getting it back to me.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Re: Pillow Talk

      TrafficJam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      my concerns with pillows are: comfort,weight, and how much real estate will it take up in my pack. i think i will next try my inflatable inside my clothes bag with my vest over the inflatable. i ve got to find something that works by April.


      i will mail you one of my thermarest pillows to try. I have 3 of them so there's no rush in getting it back to me.



      cool beans TJ! thank you
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • BirdBrain wrote:

      ...
      Next I tried the pillow Odd Man Out sent me. It is very light but not comfortable enough for me. I am a side sleeper and need a pillow with some substance.
      ...


      This is the one

      colonialmedical.com/flexair-pillow-P-2451.html

      And I made a DIY fleece pillow case for it. Only weighs a couple of oz. Works OK. Not ideal. One trick with inflatable pillows is if they are too hard, you roll off, so you have to under inflate. This one is big enough that even under inflated it works OK for me. Another big advantage is it's real cheap.

    • odd man out wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      ...
      Next I tried the pillow Odd Man Out sent me. It is very light but not comfortable enough for me. I am a side sleeper and need a pillow with some substance.
      ...


      This is the one

      colonialmedical.com/flexair-pillow-P-2451.html

      And I made a DIY fleece pillow case for it. Only weighs a couple of oz. Works OK. Not ideal. One trick with inflatable pillows is if they are too hard, you roll off, so you have to under inflate. This one is big enough that even under inflated it works OK for me. Another big advantage is it's real cheap.


      I'll have to try this one, I can afford it and it's light enough I can carry it...thanks for sharing.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • Pillow Talk

      I've been using the Cocoon inflatable pillow and hate it. Even when under inflated you need to balance your head on a balloon. However the packed size and weight are worth considering. Thinking about taking one of my wife's small throw pillows, making a better (more manly) cover for it and sacrificing a little room in my pack.
      RIAP

    • Trebor wrote:

      I've been using the Cocoon inflatable pillow and hate it. Even when under inflated you need to balance your head on a balloon. However the packed size and weight are worth considering. Thinking about taking one of my wife's small throw pillows, making a better (more manly) cover for it and sacrificing a little room in my pack.


      I agree on the Cacoon, I felt like a bobble head, did work though inside a dry bag with a few clothes to give it substance and filled with minimal air to achieve the right height.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • i'm tempted to buy a geoduck but it costs more than the pillow i use at home. i wonder if i can eat it if i don't like it? :)

      (i think the person who came up with the word geoduck didn't know how to spell very well.)

      on my thru i carried a water bag which i sent home in damascus since i only used it once. i tried using it as a pillow but it was even less useful as a pillow than a water bag.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 2 times, last by max.patch ().

    • Drybones wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      ...
      Next I tried the pillow Odd Man Out sent me. It is very light but not comfortable enough for me. I am a side sleeper and need a pillow with some substance.
      ...


      This is the one

      colonialmedical.com/flexair-pillow-P-2451.html

      And I made a DIY fleece pillow case for it. Only weighs a couple of oz. Works OK. Not ideal. One trick with inflatable pillows is if they are too hard, you roll off, so you have to under inflate. This one is big enough that even under inflated it works OK for me. Another big advantage is it's real cheap.


      I'll have to try this one, I can afford it and it's light enough I can carry it...thanks for sharing.


      Hey Drybones. When you order, you will find you can buy several before the shipping cost goes up, so you could buy a few (they are so cheap). I got the large size. I have not tested this rigorously, but I think the pillowcase I made may help with the "bobble head" effect of inflatable pillows. I made the case a little smaller than the pillow and it's a soft stretchy fleece, so when inflated, the case keeps the pillow from fully inflating even when fully pressurized, and when you put your head on it, it can give a bit as the fleece stretches out. If you send me your address, I can mail you a scrap of fleece to work with.

    • BirdBrain wrote:

      I have tried many methods.

      I tried stuffing extra clothes in a stuff sack. My 1st cold night cured me of that. I don't carry extra clothing and the clothing is only extra when it is warm. The cold night left me with no pillow. Besides, it was not comfortable enough for me.

      Next I tried the Llbean Camp Comfort Pillow.

      It is comfortable, but a bit heavy.

      Next I tried the pillow Odd Man Out sent me. It is very light but not comfortable enough for me. I am a side sleeper and need a pillow with some substance.

      Don't laugh. Okay, laugh if you must. I am currently using the smallest Wal*Mart Mainstay pillow. It is lighter than the LlBean pillow and more comfortable. It has a good balance between firm and soft. It weighs 8.5 ounces. That is heavy for a gram weenie like me. However, I really need a comfortable pillow and this thing is very comfortable.


      -1... FWI, JK...
      1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish...

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      my concerns with pillows are: comfort,weight, and how much real estate will it take up in my pack. i think i will next try my inflatable inside my clothes bag with my vest over the inflatable. i ve got to find something that works by April.


      i will mail you one of my thermarest pillows to try. I have 3 of them so there's no rush in getting it back to me.


      How many heads do you have??? Just sayin'... :P
      1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish...

    • odd man out wrote:

      Drybones wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      ...
      Next I tried the pillow Odd Man Out sent me. It is very light but not comfortable enough for me. I am a side sleeper and need a pillow with some substance.
      ...


      This is the one

      colonialmedical.com/flexair-pillow-P-2451.html

      And I made a DIY fleece pillow case for it. Only weighs a couple of oz. Works OK. Not ideal. One trick with inflatable pillows is if they are too hard, you roll off, so you have to under inflate. This one is big enough that even under inflated it works OK for me. Another big advantage is it's real cheap.


      I'll have to try this one, I can afford it and it's light enough I can carry it...thanks for sharing.


      Hey Drybones. When you order, you will find you can buy several before the shipping cost goes up, so you could buy a few (they are so cheap). I got the large size. I have not tested this rigorously, but I think the pillowcase I made may help with the "bobble head" effect of inflatable pillows. I made the case a little smaller than the pillow and it's a soft stretchy fleece, so when inflated, the case keeps the pillow from fully inflating even when fully pressurized, and when you put your head on it, it can give a bit as the fleece stretches out. If you send me your address, I can mail you a scrap of fleece to work with.


      Thanks for the offer but I always just put a tee shirt over my pillow, works okay and I don't carry anything extra.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.