Ideas for tall and light pillow?

I have a similar issue. Wide-shouldered side sleeper, critical for me to get enough head elevation, or I get a sore neck/back.

The two main UL choices that I'm aware of are the yellow Exped, and the Sea-to-Summit Aeros UL. I have both, and the Aeros is better – it's a little hard to measure exactly, because they both have undulating surfaces, but I'd say the Aeros has almost 1" more height. The Aeros also has a more agreeable plush surface if you are resting your cheek on it directly.

http://www.seatosummit.com/product/?item=Aeros+Pillow+Ultra+Light+&o1=1&o2=1&o3=573-48

A BUFF makes a perfect pillowcase (for the regular sized pillow, not the large), into which you can stuff a few clothes for a bit of extra loft and softness. I sometimes stuff in my Montbell Ex-light puffy for a truly luxurious down-topped pillow.

Alternatively, if you want some dedicated UL luxury even when you're wearing all your clothes, Ben at GooseFeetGear will make you a case to fit. You can have a custom amount of down in it, with a pocket to stuff in extra clothes if available. He made one for me for the Exped that I was using before the Aeros came out, so you'd have to work out sizing with him, but it should be similar.

I had the same issue and decided to just get the Exped air pillow (non-UL version). It's not like I have a spare stuff sack available to put clothes in to make a pillow, so I would have to carry one anyway. That makes the added weight of the air pillow almost nothing.

+1

also a (very) wide shouldered side sleeper and as such constant issue at home, not just camping…
but just got the aero large premium – i can deflate just a touch and cradle it up just enough to get comfortable. Surface material comfortable. And I'll definitely try the idea above about using a buff and more clothes as needed.

fyi standard BUFF will fit, but there's an oversized BUFF that gives more room for stuffing

Thanks, everyone. Very helpful.

Any ideas on a MYOG….or something that isn't intended to be used as a pillow but works?

As much as I like to pinch my pennies…I love the challenge of making/modifying things…or just finding something off the wall that works.

Found a youtube vid by "minibull designs" that takes a piece of open cell foam and Swiss cheeses it. Pretty interesting, and looks cushy…but I'm not terribly crazy about open cell foam (ie sponge)…and I don't have that kind of foam.

"Any ideas on a MYOG….or something that isn't intended to be used as a pillow but works?"

I'm a side sleeper, so I feel your pain. Trying to train myself not to be, but it's not really taking.

When I go when there may be rain or snow (or a lot of tree sap), I bring a cut down closed cell foam sit pad (33g). I wrap this on the top of an air inflated Evernew bladder and put it inside a 6.5L (S) Sea to Summit stuff sack that during the day is used for my tarp setup.

It's a pretty good pillow if I'm wearing all my layers and can't make something softer… and trips where I bring the sit pad, tend to be the only ones where I sleep in all the clothing I brought.

After reading this thread, I'm switching to a buff over a bandana. As that seems a no-brainer pillowcase for this setup.

Downfall of this, is I can't have the bladder full and ready for the morning.

My wife got an outdoor seat cushion from Goodwill. It's service life ended but I salvaged some of the cushion and cut a piece for a pillow, made cover from supplex, 3.3 ounces for pad, 0.9 ounce for cover, pretty good for side sleeping

Thanks, guys. Great ideas!

While lying in bed last night, I remembered someone (maybe on these forums) mentioning a wine bladder some years ago. Has anyone used one?

I have similar sleep issues and am happy enough with these inflatable medical pillows: http://www.amazon.com/Graham-Professional-Medical-FlexAir-Pillow/dp/B004C2RKHS/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1437417568&sr=1-1&pebp=1437417571159&perid=1S5CZDA97XGQGFDHVF3P.

$0.75, 0.67oz. (size small). They have a slightly fuzzy surface that's acceptable against your skin, but it gets a bit sweaty on warm nights – but then you should have a spare garment to cover it with. They can be a little crinkly sounding. Not the most plush feel over all, but they fit the bill and are reasonably durable. I've been using them for several years.

I've tried a wine bladder, that is, I drank the wine and then looked at the bladder, said "this would make a good backpacking pillow" and then threw it in the trash. I have been having major campaign to throw out trash.

What I hate about air pillows, is my head rolls around on it.

Sea to Summit Aeros pillow has fuzzy stuff on it which is somewhat comfortable, and internal baffle that reduces, but not eliminates, head rolling.

The head rolling issue can be controlled by partially filling the pillow. I usually inflate my FlexAir's about half way for sleeping and full for reading when I want my head elevated. I also use two pillows (one small size and one large) that I put in my backpack at night. By shifting them around I can find a comfort zone that's determined by my mood of the moment.
As some know I have vested interest in the FlexAir Pillows because I sell them on ebay. The BPL discount I offer is still in effect–three for the price of two. From a previous pillow thread:

"DISCLOSURE: Before I get in trouble I must disclose I'm the one selling the pillows on eBay. So here is the sale as required–just send a note that you're a BPL member if you order 2 and I'll throw in an extra of what ever size you order. I guess that makes it 3 for 2 sale."

Large Pillows:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FlexAir-Inflatable-Pillow-Ultralight-Backpacking-Travel-Medical-New-Large-Size-/271535030493?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f38bfc0dd

Small Pillows:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FlexAir-Inflatable-Pillow-Ultralight-Backpacking-Travel-Medical-New-Small-Size-/271502527623?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f36cfcc87

Thanks, everyone. Love how helpful everyone is!

Don – What's the approx height on those pillows?

The large size height is approx. 7 1/2" and the small 6 1/4" (that's fully inflated. Full enough to bounce a quarter off of. The sleeping height for me is between 3 and 4 inches.

I've found these pillow cases ideal for bulking up with either an inflatable pillow, clothes, or both:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/HikeBikeDale