pillow recommendations

[spelt with a t]

I love my thermarests. As mentioned though, they aren't light, and I personally wouldn't go with the small size. The medium is perfect to double up for side sleeping; I don't think the small would do quite as well. It's super comfortable. I'll no doubt try some lighter weight options eventually, but I'll continue to lug the thermarest along while I dial in the rest of my kit.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Thermarest stuff-sack pillow (2.4 oz) stuffed with leftover clothes at night: Meh. Depends on what you fill it with. DriDucks not the best. A little crunchy sounding. Using the bag as a stuff sack can be a tad frustrating as items don't slide out (due to fleece liner) and the liner is prone to come out, inverting the sack. Minor criticism.

Thermarest stuff-sack pillow filled with seven half-filled-with-air quart Ziploc bags (4.2 oz). Advantages: Comfy. Everything's dual-use. Your head stays where you put it. Disadvantages: Heavy. Adjusting fill takes time as you're blowing into 7 ziplocs. Crunchy and loud as you roll.

Cocoon Hyperlight Air-Core (2.4 oz). Advantages: Comfy if you hold still. Feels a lot like a real pillow with its shell of polyester. Relatively quiet. Can't argue with the weight. Disadvantages: When over-filled, you feel you're perching on the pillow, and it will "roll you off." Discovered this continues to be an issue even as you deflate it to different levels–I find it difficult to keep the pillow under me at night, a frustrating experience. Returned the pillow; back to the stuff-sack.

[mik matra]

I tried a few pillows but nothing comes close to the comfort of my home pillow which I am obviously not going to lug around.

I tried a no pillow approach with using my spare clothes but found on colder outings I was wearing ALL my clothing so got stuck with my backpack which was not very comfortable.

I toyed with small light pillows of 5 or so ounces (140grams) but then they never had enough height. Tried self inflating ones but no good for the extra weight.

So I bought this;

It's a $2 dollar blow up travel pillow. At an affordable 1.75 ounces (49grams) it has been the best performing pillow thus far. I can blow it up as hard as I want or have it as soft as I want.

My only gripe now is that all the air mats I have used have had that very slippery material and the pillow slips and slides away all the time. Last trip I put the pillow into the sleeping bag's hood section and so far that is the closest to where I'd like to be with the 'pillow' case I have been to. In a last ditch effort I am toying with the idea of gluing a small bit (or small couple bits of) Velcro to pillow and pad and then it will never move!!

So at the moment it's still not perfect for me but as with most things it's a working progress.

[Backpack Jack]

I've tried a bunch of pillows also, like almost everyone posting here and could never find that perfect one, so I just made mine.

The first one I made was fine for a while, but I soon found my self wanting a bigger one.

The first one I made I bought some material from my local Joann's, I think they said the material was used for making wind breakers, it was nice and light and it had a good feel to it, and it came in my favorite color, blue! This pillow measures 9"x12" and 4" in loft.

The next pillow I made I used 1.1 breathable ripstop, it's a little heavier than the other material, but I ran out of the other stuff bummer!

This one measures 12"x14" with 5" in loft.

I used the same insulation on both pillows, it's called "Cluster Stuff" from Joann's
it's a Polyester fiber fill, it fills like down and looks like small airy cotton balls.

I washed my small pillow about 10 times now with now effect on it's fluffyness.

The big one weighs 6.8 oz ouch! and the little one weighs 4 oz.

[James Reilly]

I have been using an Exped Ultralight for about two years, aprox. 3000 miles. I like it a lot but I miss the soft feel of the red exped pillow. I think I might take the weight penalty and buy the red exped pillow next time I am in the market for new one.

[Dharma Dog]

Side sleeper here who needs a thick and comfy pillow just like at home. This new setup works really well for me..

http://sticksblog.com/2013/04/14/goosefeet-gear-stuff-sack-down-pillow-case-large-exped-ul-air-pillow/

[Andy Jarman]

Put two of these 0.85 oz (24 g)

http://www.ultralightdesigns.com/products/sleeping/flexAirPillowLg.html

inside one of these 1.65oz (47g)

http://www.zpacks.com/large_image.shtml?accessories/drybags/pillow_l.jpg

Total 3.4oz (95g)

The polar fleece deadens the noise and creates a soft interface, the Flex Air pillows should only be blown up part way. Use two so that if one bursts you can soldier on with the other.

Alternatively …. you could try using three of these;

http://www.ultralightdesigns.com/products/sleeping/flexAirPillow.html

to get firm support on the edge and soft cupping in the middle (96g).

[J Michael Orszag]

I own the following pillows

– Exped UL Medium (the Yellow ones – 1.6 oz)
– Exped Medium and Large (the Red ones) (2.8 oz and 3.4 oz)
– Exped Neck Pillow (the Blue one) (2.8 oz)
– Cocoon Air Pillow UL (3.7 oz)
– Big Agnes Air Core (4.5 oz)

and all seem to have pluses and minuses and depends a bit on what mat I am using/sleeping position and I am close to indifferent between them. They all pack nice and small which is important in many cases for me. I think the Exped Neck Pillow is fantastic and normally take that with the Exped UL pillow. I think the Cocoon is the most comfortable in many cases.

[Kevin Garrison]

I'v tried the Thermarest foam, Cocoon Hyperlite and the Exped. The Thermarest is a good car ccampingpillow due to its weight. I really don't like the Cocoon, at any inflation, as my head is always trying to roll off the pillow. I really like the Exped. I always flop around all night and it really works.

[Greg Mihalik]

Karen,
BPL doesn't stock anything any more.
The "store" is gone.

[Ken Thompson]

Greg, the store was open when she posted in 2011

[Greg Mihalik]

huhhhh….
guess so..
Delmar…?

[Daniel Russell]

I really like the Red Exped Pillow. It is soft and 2.8oz for the Medium, which is much larger than I expected. I hear the Exped UL pillow (yellow) is crinkly and not as soft to the touch… thus worth the weight penalty for me.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

"Delmar…?"

Guilty as charged. I reactivated an old thread–I'm pillow shopping and wanted to add my 2 cents.

Finally got the Red Exped pillow (based on Angelo, Andy, Alex, Kevin, Titus, and James' recommendations above) and all my pillow problems are gone. This is a great pillow. Easy sleeping, and your head doesn't roll off during the night.

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