I've gone through many pillows, from various stuffings, to dedicated backpacking pillows from several mfgs.. None were perfect, some were almost adequate. Unless I've had really rugged days on the trail, I rarely sleep through the night, and had resigned myself to tossing and turning. I finally bought a Sea to Summit Aeros after some research and it finally may be the answer. I've used it for 5 nights now, and I'm actually waking up to the sound of birds and wondering where the night went. It seems to accommodate my side sleeping and laying on my back in equal measure. For reading I inflated it fully to prop up my head , just before lights out, I depress the valve button to make it a little softer. I got the large version, which is 4 oz. and packs very small. It's a weight penalty I can live with, as my energy level on the trail is improved with better sleep. I found the 2 part valve to work well. It inflated with a 6-7 puffs and deflates instantly. I hope it continues to work, as I'm very happy with it. I liked the covering material. It didn't slide on top of my Neo-Air, yet was soft enough on my skin. I've used cheaper, lighter solutions and they didn'y cut it. Worth looking at if a pillow is needed for good sleep. As I've gotten old(er) it's become a neccesity.
I got the premium, as the store i bought it in was out of stock of the regular. I looked at the reg, last week, and it was tiny! It's about half a tennis ball in it's stuff sack and weighs 2 oz. As I like to read with my head propped up, and have wide shoulders, the bigger is probably better for me, but i was tempted. If I'm near the store soon (EMS), I'll blow it up get on the floor and give it a comparison test. I must say, i wasn't even tempted to put something under the premium, it was fine as is.
Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
I have an inflatable pillow from the now-defunct KookaBay. I also bought a dry bag from ZPacks that has a fleece coating on one side (the dry bag turns inside out to expose the fleece). That bag is just the right size for my insulating clothing. The combination of the cuddly fleece, the air pillow, and whatever insulation I'm not wearing in bed makes a nice comfy pillow!
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey
I've been using the Aeros for about a year now as has my camping partner who went straight from the trip I bought mine for to get hers. So far they are the first pillows out of 30+ combinations we have tried that actually work!
They pack small, adjust easy, and even after some 45+ camping trips of different types still look brand new. Doesn't matter if it's in a hammock or on a pad in a tent or even just lounging around the house where I use it watching TV, they work great.
That's what I found didn't work for me, OM. My clothing changes from trip to trip and night to night.I needed something that adapted to different sleep positions, too. I don't mind the dedicated pillow. My wife uses a fleece lined stuff sack and our rain gear. She could stuff it with a rock and a branch and still sleep. Lucky. Thanks for the long term review, AM- just what I wanted to hear. Durable!
The best pillow I ever used was an MSR Dromlite 2L. It had the neat little flip-out on the cap that was perfect ffor inflating it about 2/3 full. The thing also made a pretty good water reservoir for carrying a couple extra liters to camp. (On a similar note, my favorite toilet trowel is an MSR Blizzard Stake, which also can be used as a tent stake if necessary - though not at the same time.)
For pure luxury, I used the 4L version, about half full. A bit too heavy for continual use, but really comfortable - especially with a fleece top wrapped around it.
Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
That's what the inflatable pillow is for! If it's a really warm night, I hardly inflate it at all. If it's a cold night when I need to wear my puffy jacket, or at least have it available for middle-of-the-night exits, I blow it up full. The inflatable makes up the difference when my wraps are not in the dry bag.
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey
I've tried other inflatables. They didn't work for me. This one does. To each their own methods. Granted yours may be far superior. I really wanted to just review one pillow that allowed me to sleep through the night with no interruption for adjustments, not engender a discussion on pillows in general and how this one could be bettered by 3 things in combination. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I did say I tried many different methods. I'll know better than to give any further reviews, as mine are obviously flawed and well, dumb, in some peoples eyes. HYOH. I need to go off-trail from this site, I guess.
Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Note that even if my pillow is superior (it probably isn't!), it is no longer made, the company having gone belly-up without warning several years ago. (I'm not sure if everyone got their money back.) Therefore I can't recommend it. It is light (about 1 oz.), though. Since it works for me, I don't intend to replace it until it falls apart.
Your reviews are excellent; please keep 'em coming! Just because some here prefer other options or (like me) don't intend to replace what they have, doesn't mean that your review is at fault! In fact, it is
Edited by OregonMouse (05/30/1512:28 PM)
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey
So, there are 4 types of this pillow. There is an ultralight and a premium, and in both versions there is a regular and large size. I just picked up the large in the ultralight version. It was a cm thicker and a little lighter. I will still put a little foam on the top, but will report how it performs after my July trip. large ultralight
_________________________
I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.
Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:
Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!