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#135708 - 06/30/10 11:41 AM Packing Peanut Pillow
DJ2 Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 1348
Loc: Seattle, WA
I recently made a pillow out of packing peanuts. Here is a picture:



I simply filled a .6 ounce stuff sack with them. They weighed about 1 ounce so the the total weight of the pillow is 1.6 ounces. The pillow is about 6" in diameter and 12" long. The packing peanuts are soft and flexible and more like closed cell foam than styrofoam.

This pillow isn't for everyone. The peanuts make a crunchy sound when I move around. This doesn't bother me but might bother my wife when she camps with me. It also takes up about 300+ cubic inches of pack space. I use a large pack and have plenty of extra volume so this doesn't matter to me. If you are down to your last few cubic inches of pack space this won't work for you.





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#135712 - 06/30/10 12:32 PM Re: Packing Peanut Pillow [Re: DJ2]
Rick_D Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 2939
Loc: NorCal
That's darn clever. Presuming you have the room the weight is negligable. I don't think the noise would bother me with my head inside a sleeping bag hood.

Now, you can pack a nice piece of stemware for mealtime. grin

Cheers,
_________________________
--Rick

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#135721 - 06/30/10 06:57 PM Re: Packing Peanut Pillow [Re: Rick_D]
OregonMouse Online   content
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
The stemware might make the pillow a bit heavier, though!
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

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#135726 - 06/30/10 08:18 PM Re: Packing Peanut Pillow [Re: DJ2]
Trailrunner Offline
member

Registered: 01/05/02
Posts: 1835
Loc: Los Angeles
"Packing Peanut Pillow"???

I dare you to say that ten times as fast as you can.

I have seen/tasted packing peanuts made from some sort of edible corn starch. They literally melt in your mouth. Add some hot sauce for a tasty dual use meal after your last night out!!! And if you ever crave a midnight snack........
_________________________
If you only travel on sunny days you will never reach your destination.*

* May not apply at certain latitudes in Canada and elsewhere.

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#135730 - 06/30/10 10:17 PM Re: Packing Peanut Pillow [Re: Rick_D]
DJ2 Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 1348
Loc: Seattle, WA
I like your stem ware idea. Perhaps this thread should be combined with the one on lightweight alcohol.

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#135731 - 06/30/10 10:19 PM Re: Packing Peanut Pillow [Re: Trailrunner]
DJ2 Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 1348
Loc: Seattle, WA
I think you are on to something here. If the edible peanuts had no smell then eating them in the tent would be OK, bear wise.

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#135745 - 07/01/10 04:56 PM Re: Packing Peanut Pillow [Re: DJ2]
DJ2 Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 1348
Loc: Seattle, WA
Packing Peanut Pillow Progeny (i.e. 2nd draft) photo is shown below:




Used lighter fabric and fewer peanuts so it now weighs about 1 ounce and is the size of a 6" sphere. Yellow color should also show up better at night.

Stem ware is included for scale.

Current peanuts are not edible (I tried eating them)
---------------------------------------------------------------





Edited by DJ2 (07/01/10 10:22 PM)

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#135753 - 07/01/10 06:25 PM Re: Packing Peanut Pillow [Re: DJ2]
finallyME Offline
member

Registered: 09/24/07
Posts: 2710
Loc: Utah
Originally Posted By DJ2



Current peanuts are not edible (I tried eating them)



Way to sacrifice in the name of science. wink
_________________________
I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.

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#135771 - 07/02/10 12:28 PM Re: Packing Peanut Pillow [Re: DJ2]
CrowKel Offline
member

Registered: 06/22/10
Posts: 30
Loc: Alberta
There are older packing peanuts that used to be made out of cheezies, sans cheese. So like blank corn pop type dealies.

I've tried them, dry and bland and yucky. They were in a parcel I got during Christmas a decade ago, yea I was young thats why I ate them... However, if you try to sleep on them, they will compact into dust. So use the styrofoamies or closed cell foam or whatever the heck you mentioned.

As for a pillow. I have a memory foam square, its not toooo light, but I can put it under my bottom when I am sitting, or under my head. I jsut have to remember not to eat the beans...........lol


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#135783 - 07/02/10 02:45 PM Re: Packing Peanut Pillow [Re: CrowKel]
DJ2 Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 1348
Loc: Seattle, WA
I like your dual use concept. I'll have to give this pillow some more thought and see if I can find another use for it. Maybe I can turn it into a nice warm hat or a cod piece.

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