Pillow woes

Simon,

I use a setup similar to yours but I do use the big agnes air core inflatable pillow topped with an arrowhead equipment bear pillow. It works great for me as a side sleeper also.

I have considered using a montbell down inner jacket in place of the AE pillow to save weight when I am not needing it for extra warmth in my sleeping bag

I have decided just can't sleep on an inflatable pillow.

I'm looking for a high fill down pillow. I'd be happy to request a custom pillow, but so far, I haven't found anything.

Where do you suggest I look for a custom down pillow?

I'm not exactly objective here, but give the WM cloudrest a shot. If you're in Cincinatti, you're probably pretty close to ea WM dealer. Give one a call, see if you can head out and actually pick one up before buying. A little heavier than you're looking for, but its comfy as hell (or at least mine is). Also, if its really an issue, you can cut off the attached stuff sac to save some weight.

Edit: stupid spelling/punctuation

Think the subject line says it best. I'm a stomach sleeper and looking for a pillow. At home I use a thin pillow and usually sleep on my arms croosed under my head anyway. Clothing stuff sack not doing it anymore. Have read the Cocoon Down pillow squishes to much for back sleepers but may work for me. Also the Cocoon Hyperlite seems that it may work.

Any experiences out there?

Tangent- What's with the discrimination toward Stomach Sleepers? Where's my awesome sleeping bag?

I got a Feathered Friends pillow for my son to use in the car and he discovered a cool way to make it thinner or thicker. If you prefer the pillow thinner, you can just pull the stuff sack out and push some of the down out of the pillow. To go thicker, the built-in stuff sack can by pushed inside of the pillow (so it's like a giant down mitten) and you can stuff items inside of it. Whatever you stuff in there is still covered with tons of down and an Epic shell so it's not lumpy. Pretty brilliant design.

Have it… hate it… it just compresses under my head like there is nothing there at all

I'd be happy to find it a new home

I have the exact Cocoon Down Pillow that you speak of and I, like Kari, hate it. I went through a half dozen plus pillows before I gave up and removed all my requirements of it needs to be this, and it needs to be that. It only needs to be comfortable. Period. I wanted to try a Nemo Fillow but couldnt find one I could look at. I wasn't buying any more pillows sight unseen. My next to last pillow was the Exped red pillow, good and almost made the cut but not tall enough for me as a side sleeper. I finally found comfort in the Green Exped Comfort pillow I found at REI. It weighs over 10 oz's but I don't care anymore. No more pain in my neck waking me up at 4AM. It's comfortable.

That being said, PM me if you want the Cocoon Travel Down Pillow. Pay shipping and it's yours or anyone else that wants it.

Looks like reading everything….montbell U.L. is the winner.

Any other suggestions for Ultra light and for a side sleeper?

Right now, I use the REI trekker pillow case, but stuffing it is not always the best available option.

I use a 1oz inflatable pillow from my local pound store. Flock finish is nice. Tears easy, but only a dollar fifty to replace if the sticky tape fails, so who cares.

This may sound weird, but sometimes I'll just sleep on one of my trailrunners as long as it's not covered in mud. Plenty of support, somewhat soft, doesn't make any noise, and doesn't weigh a thing.

I've also tried inflating a 1 liter platypus bottle. It's comfortable, but a bit noisy and easy to roll off of.

Mostly I just use whatever clothing I'm not wearing.

I like that it has a higher and lower side and that it has a brushed side and a smooth side. I am a side sleeper and it has plenty of height. Only down side of the air pillows is they can move around on you but that can be remedied somewhat by wrapping it in piece of clothing.

I tried this and while sleeping directly on the shoe wasn't great, I found the putting both shoes (the tongue side) under the mat, it gave a nice curved raise to the mat. With a neo air it seemed to work pretty well.

+1 for the mont bell. I use it with a Big Agnes IAC pad. I sewed a couple of bungie cord loops to the pad on the outer edge of the pad and then attached a few small plastic hooks that can clip into the mont bell pillow at its corner holes. This has worked extreamly well so far. It keeps the pillow in place without having to put it inside the hood of my bag.

Empty 4 litre wine bladder blown up / 34 grams
Also use it to carry water and add flotation to pack when swimming rivers!
Cost = $0
(But be careful when you use it as a pillow and a water bladder at the same time!)

I know this is an old thread, but I find that most inflatable pillows become a lot more comfortable if you only half inflate them.

I have a trekmates inflatable pillow, which comes with a nice soft pillow case with a bit of cushioning on the top. If I inflate it as much as it can go, it has a more rounded shape and is very stiff, not comfortable at all. However, if I only half inflate it, it becomes a lot softer and has more give in the cushion.

the BPL pillow is a luxury to me when I think of the years of using my jumper when I was young. each to their own, I guess. I'm just happy to be out, and warm and dry at night is as much I want most of the time.
all the best
craig

an all down pillow will not work for you as described. like others, it just compresses too much and doesn't work. what WOULD work for your situation is something I think goosefeet did awhile ago. a half down/half pouch pillow that you could fill with anything you want. i think an inflatable pillow inflated about halfway would be perfect. then the down on top would provide the bit of luxury you're after…

oh here it is:

https://goosefeetgear.com/products/3-down-pillows

you want the 'stuffsack model'

Compression is the key. I have a FF down vest; packed into a buff, then turn the buff sideways into another buff, perfect for side sleeping. Soft yet firm. Amazing pillow. Terrible height for back sleeping.
Key is having the right size stuff sack for your down item, be it a buff or whatever. Get some fine fleece from Joanns and experiment with different size stuff sacks (or whatever) to compress the down item to the right firmness/size. My FF down jacket would need a larger "container" to get the right height/firmness. Guess you could experiment with plastic bags, tying off as you go, instead of sewing until you get the right firmness.

Air pillows: In a single chamber air pillows the air just moves from side to side as your head adjusts. Instead, use two air pillows in your favorite covering (stuff sack, fleece stuff sack, etc). Your head will be cradled.

But air isn't soft. At least not at the pressure our head is going exert on it (or our body when in a pad). Air just moves around, equalizing pressure on the inside. So add some clothing (like a rain jacket) on top.

Air pads are great to support our bodies from the ground, but are not really soft. Foam pads are soft, as they compress when pressure is applied. Down is soft, as it compresses when pressure is applied. Air is hard. If contained in volume, it doesn't compress very much when pressure is applied.

Steve

I didn't read all the posts so maybe somebody already mentioned this but I got a GooseFeet pillow with about 1oz of overfill and it's worked great for me. They also have the option of a sleeve sewn in so you can fill it with extra clothes if you need it bigger.

^^two posts up^^

I just took an old bed pillow that I liked but didn't use and cut it to the size I wanted and sewed it back up. It works just fine and packs nicely.

Every pillow I've ever tried to take backpacking has failed me miserably- air, filled, foam, doesn't matter.

My boots laid sideways (as if in a shoebox) and placed under my air pad fails slightly less, so that's what I've settled on. If my boots are muddy or wet, I use a stuff-sack, or my pack liner and cram everything I have into it, then it goes under my pad.

Ingredients:

Flexair pillow, 2
Thermarest pillow case (either travel version or ultralight version, they are the same size)
Down garmet or soft clothes
Vacuum sealer, like used for food storage bags

Method:

Seal and cut in half the Flexair pillows to 7×10" in size. Be sure to cut off the side without the valve :)
Place these on the bottom of the pillow case, and your clothes on top. The squarish nature of the Flexair pillows keeps them from coming out through the fold entry of the pillow case, and their size is perfect for the pillow. Having two cradles your head. A down sweater/jacket adds cushion. Flexair pillows can be inflated/deflated to adjust height.

Weight:

Each Flexair pillow cut in half is 0.3oz, and the pillow case is either 2.2oz or 1oz.
So total weight is either 1.6oz or 2.8oz, depending on which pillow case you go for. Or make your own out of lighter material.

Cost:
2 Flexair pillows $3.50 plus shipping, http://www.jacksrbetter.com/Pillow.htm
Pillow case: about $15 plus shipping

Space in pack: Very flat…

Steve

I have the Nemo Fillo which is super comfy but super heavy. I am going to try a system similar to Steve's – combining a Montbell air pillow with my Montbell Thermawrap vest and a custom 1 oz pillow case.

I am using something similar to what you describe Stephen and I agree that it works well! My substitute is a Big Agnes inflatable pillow with the thermarest pillow cover and my down vest or jacket. Weighs more but I use the BA as a seat cushion as well