Pillow positioning??

It’s not wrong at all, so long as you’re comfortable.  You may want a thicker pillow if it’s on the ground instead of on top of the pad.

I haven’t used the small x-lite, but I have used 3/4 length pads in the past, and they worked OK for me.  If the cut-down z lite worked OK for you then I would expect the x-lite probably would too.

I have always used short pads (currently a prolite XS on a 36″ ridgerest) with the pillow off the pad but as DancingBear says it will need to be a thicker pillow.  I just use a stuff sack with clothes and maybe a platypus water bottle blown up.  I am 6’1″

Long pad and pillow on top here. I will put my shoes at the head end sometimes to make more height. But if using something as thin as a ccf pad then no issue with it being above the pad. YMMV.

I haven’t used a pillow in years. After trying various types, I one night decided to go without. Voila! Problem solved.

There  you have it. Go pillowless. Problem solved. Can’t hurt to try. Or maybe it can?

Makes trail sleeping easier and one less thing to haul.

Sleep on your back only Rodney?

Pillow positioning?

Well, i don’t know about you, but i usually put the pillow under my head….

“Oh, a wise guy eh… nyck nyck nyck”

And yet….that’s where the pillow goes. Short pad, mine usually goes on top of the pad, but I adapt to conditions…

When hammocking: no pillow. Not needed.

When ground-dwelling: pillow off pad. I use small inflatable FlexAir pillow placed on top of my cookpot (serving as my night pee pot) which is placed on the ground right @ the pad’s edge. This allows me to use short and XS pads in various combinations.

There is no right or wrong way-just do whatever works for you.  I’ve used short pads/long pads and in between pads. I usually do a bit of reading before going to sleep so my “pillow” goes on top of the pad for that activity and off the pad when I’m ready for sleep.  I use one small and one large FlexAir pillow inside my empty backpack.  It gives me a variety of pillow positions that I like since I tend to move around alot during the night.

KT, I found that mostly I’m on my stomach. Although on the back is not uncomfortable. Perhaps that’s why I found pillowless okay. The times I’m on my side, I find my hand is under my head to help with the more severe neck angle.

That said, I found I need a semi rectangular bag because of my nighttime movements. A true mummy is too confining.

I have some pads which are 1.5 inches thick, so if I position my pillow off the pad there is a steep drop which uses up about half the inflatable (or stuffable) pillow. Not good.

So, still experimenting, but here is my latest trial: More or less empty the backpack, flip it over so the back is up, clasp the hipbelt in reverse, and place my pillow on it. Takes care of most of the drop. But, if you try this, you’ll probably find a  gap between your pack and pillow which widens into a crevice as the night goes on. So, my latest iteration is taping 2 cords to the pad, and fastening those to the pack. Especially important with a less than full length pad.

Erica

Well, I start out with the pillow (Exped) on top of the pad (x-therm), but it nearly always slides off by morning.  I should probably try some method of keeping it in place, but I’m lazy about that for some reason.

With the Exped, you can thread an elastic strap through those handy little slotted tabs on the pillow, then loop the strap around the sleep pad. Works great for me.

Thanks, Bob, I’ll give that a try.  I walked into the sewing room after reading your post and found a piece of shock cord I recently cut off something or other, laying on top of my box of assorted materials, that looks just about long enough…the advantage of being untidy!

Thanks everyone for the replies. Sorry I kind of abandoned this thread after posting. The drop off from pad to pillow  is one of the concerns. With a foam pad, I’ve placed my pillow, or what ever im using as one, above my pad, since the pad is only 3/4 inch thick. This extends the pad just below my knees. With a full length inflatable it’s a no brainer to place the pillow on the pad. “Goosefeet gear” actually makes a down stuff sack, designed to hold an exped, with a cord to strap onto a pad. I think the xlite small is 48 inches. That won’t quite make it to my knees if my head is on the pad( not a complete deal breaker).

My other option is stick with a cut foam pad and clothing pillow as part of my “UL kit” and get a full length inflatable and a cushy pillow as part of a “lightweight luxury kit”.