What valve, where to purchase and how to attach for a pillow

If you use the search for heat sealable nylons you'll get in the neighborhood of what you're looking for. For the nylon I'd recommend Rockywoods:

http://www.rockywoods.com/Fabrics-Kits/Heat-Sealable-Nylon-Fabrics/Heat-Sealable-70-Denier-Ripstop-Nylon-Fabric-with-TPU-Black

For the valve as you mentioned the therm-a-rest style is easy enough to find, I'm not sure where Koombay used to get theirs. I've also found the red alpacka inflator but for a pillow it wouldn't be the best solution. Here is the valve you mentioned.

http://www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/accessories/valve-repair-kit/product

Hope this helps.

I hope my comments on pillows I've tried helps with your project.

I bought one (Cocoon Hyperlite Pillow, 2.4 oz, $29.95) from REI and returned it yesterday. At any level of inflation this pillow did not work for me. My head felt very unstable, as if it would roll to either side if I didn't work at keeping it positioned.

At REI, the help has a very liberal attitude to customers trying out stuff in store. I laid supine for 10 minutes with my head on each of three other pillows, Exped Air pillow 2.6 oz $39, REI Flash 1.5 oz, $29.50 and the Cocoon Sleeping Bag Hood Pillow 3.5 oz, $25.95. These three pillows gave me a stable feeling. The differences between these pillows included maximum height, coverage and the contact surface. All three pillows, unlike the Hyperlight, have internal structure consisting of a panel or two of material running right to left connecting the top and bottom surfaces. I'd emulate the Cocoon Sleeping Bag Hood Pillow or the Exped b/c they work for me. The REI Flash felt too small (Height, width & length) for me.
I have so many unstarted/unfinished projects, I dare not take on this one. I spent my cigarette money on an Exped (five year warranty)

Honestly stuffing closed, but partially inflated ziplocks (5 or greater) inside a stuff sack works betters to my mind, and is *much* more comfortable, not to mention simple and lighter. Something about the multiple chambers makes it more like a regular pillow. You can even get a nice stable bowl for your head. Plus with the ziplocks you can sub in what, if any, spare clothes you have. Works better as a pillow, at least to my tastes, and everything has multiple uses. Buy one of those reversible fleece covered stuff sacks (like the thermarest one, 1.6 oz) and you can up it to a fancy fleece pillow – nice for warmer weather then you head isn't already covered in fleece.

If that set up works for you you should be done. First time it takes a bit of experimentation until you know about how much air and how many bags works for what you like. Still DIY away until you get what works – but seriously multiple Ziplocs for the inflatable parts – they rock!

Zip lock bags!!!

Some people can think outside the bag better than others.

I love your idea, for simplicity, initial cost, repair cost and flexibility.
Repair strategy: no patch kit required–just bring one or two spare ziplocks!

Ockham's razor award!

Edit: Unencumbered by a good memory, I filled and applied a little weight (under one pound) to some ziplock bags, generic and brand name. They leaked. Well, I can still freeze my razor clams in them. On my next trip, Exped pillow comes along. Cheers!

Thank mike clelland. I'm just one of the happy beneficiaries.

The smaller bags but more of them are what make this more than just an alternate to a blow up pillow.

Starting to hijack this thread a little, but what ziplocks do you use, Marko? I tried with freezer quart bags (with the double zip, not the slider) and they deflated on me in an hour or two. Long enough to get to sleep, but then I would wake up in the middle of the night with a flat pillow and a headache. Maybe more, but smaller ziplocks is the key? I think I only used 5 or 6.

And back to the original discussion, I highly recommend trying to copy the Exped design – I ended up buying one and I love it. Best backpacking purchase I've ever made. It has some internal "baffles" that hold the middle of the pillow together, so that it inflates less in the middle than on the sides. You end up with a spot for your head to naturally rest.

Thanks for the ideas. My first thought of a pillow to try is something like this:

http://www.campmor.com/klymit-pillow-x.shtml?source=CI&ci_sku=98136&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw=

But with a longer rectangular shape. The next style would be like the Exped one.

I'll give the zip lock baggies a try. But, that just doesn't seem like it would work. But, I thought the same thing about an "upside down fire" and that worked great.

Is there anywhere one can get the valves like the Exped pillow?

Ditto on ziplocks not really holding air well. I've had good luck with Opsaks holding air though. The 12 x 20 large is a nice pillow size. Stuff a puffy jacket in it, and it's an insulated pillow as well. Shove it in a T-shirt for a pillowcase and it's pretty comfy I thought.

After a while, the zipper on the Opsaks wear through the plastic and they weep air, but a strip of vinyl electrical tape over the outside of the zip seems to seal it up again.