Last time I went hiking, I didn't really plan for a pillow and paid dearly for it. Anything I improvised didn't really work. Having just completely retooled my kit for the future, I rethought my pillow options. I tend to be a side sleeper so I really need something to prop up my head. For my hike this summer, I thought I would use the UL trick of using my clothes bag for a pillow. But unfortunately, in the summer I won't have enough extra clothes to make this work. I shopped around but wasn't too happy with the camping pillow options. They all seemed pretty heavy and pretty expensive. Then I saw someone recommend an inflatable, disposable hospital pillow, available from medical supply stores:
http://www.colonialmedical.com/flexair-pillow-P-2451.html
I ordered three (size large) for $0.95 each. With shipping it came to $2.60 each. You could get up to 5 for the same shipping cost which would bring the price down to $1.94 each. I then went to the fabric store. They have two big bins of fleece scraps. For $4.50 I got a piece of very soft, stretchy forest green fleece that is about 62" long and 23" wide. This is enough to make three pillow cases so the total cost for one pillow and case is $4.10. I cut a piece of fleece 23" by 19", folded it in half with the fuzzier side in, and sewed the ends together (along the 19" length. This gave a flat pillowcase that was 11" by 19" (the same size as the pillow) and open on both ends. The pillow has an internal valve. You insert a plastic drinking straw (comes with the pillow) in a hole in the side of the pillow. It takes about 4 breaths to inflate. When you pull out the straw, the valve seals. To deflate, insert the straw and squeeze. It is about 7" tall when inflated, or if you use it on its side, it's about 9" tall. It seems quite comfy. I'll try it in bed tonight. The pillow weight about 1 oz and the case about 1.5 oz for a total of 2.5 oz.
http://www.colonialmedical.com/flexair-pillow-P-2451.html
I ordered three (size large) for $0.95 each. With shipping it came to $2.60 each. You could get up to 5 for the same shipping cost which would bring the price down to $1.94 each. I then went to the fabric store. They have two big bins of fleece scraps. For $4.50 I got a piece of very soft, stretchy forest green fleece that is about 62" long and 23" wide. This is enough to make three pillow cases so the total cost for one pillow and case is $4.10. I cut a piece of fleece 23" by 19", folded it in half with the fuzzier side in, and sewed the ends together (along the 19" length. This gave a flat pillowcase that was 11" by 19" (the same size as the pillow) and open on both ends. The pillow has an internal valve. You insert a plastic drinking straw (comes with the pillow) in a hole in the side of the pillow. It takes about 4 breaths to inflate. When you pull out the straw, the valve seals. To deflate, insert the straw and squeeze. It is about 7" tall when inflated, or if you use it on its side, it's about 9" tall. It seems quite comfy. I'll try it in bed tonight. The pillow weight about 1 oz and the case about 1.5 oz for a total of 2.5 oz.