Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Inflatable pillow experience

I am tagging along on an Alaskan moose hunt. We will be camping 10-14 days. Today they suggested that I get a good inflatable camp pillow. The two other guys don't particularly like their pillows. Any suggestions?

Yeah, I just bought one of those boxes of wine with a spout in them; drink the wine then flush out the inside by holding the spicket open a few times. It can be blown up like a pillow afterwords. The biiger the box the better. Peak inside the box and see that it is a plastic bladder instead of a silve myler bladdder.

I have one of these and like it.

https://klymit.gathroutdoors.com/collections/pillows

I bought a cheap one on Amazon years ago. Still works fine

LIKE THIS

I’ve used two. Didn’t like them one bit.

What I DO like is a Dyneema stuff sack/dry bag for my sleeping bag (quilt) that then turns inside out and has a thin fleece liner on one side. Stuff some clothes into it, you got a pillow. My wife made ours but they are copies of something you can buy. In this way, you ring the bell of multi-functional gear, which is always the goal out there.

Or, stuff your puffy into the thin fleece you carry (right?) at night, great pillow. I did that for 6 weeks this spring hiking the NM CDT. Just be sure to turn the fleece inside-out so you don’t get visible drool snail trails on it.

Pretty much in the same boat. They seem like a great idea but don't work out too well for me. I have a "lay flat" stuff sack which is sil-nylon on one side, some sort of velvety material on the other. I use it for my spare clothes in my pack and put enough in it for the right "loft" and use it for a pillow at night. The inflatables .. well, I sleep kind of quartered midway between side and stomach and trying to breath through something air won't go through more or less sucks. I also don't like the feel of the inflatables. So far. I haven't given up / the search continues.

Yep, the notion of multi-use gear is key to reducing weight.

The stuff sack trick is what I have always done in the past.
Sounds like it is still a very good way to go.

I'm telling you, the inflatable route is better.....

The Klymit XL works pretty well for me. I’m a side sleeper, so I need some extra height in my pillow.

The stuff sack idea with clothing inside works okay, but tends to be too shifty for me and really needs a shirt, or something, wrapped on the outside to avoid the plastic feel on the face.

With the right inflatable, not over inflated, it is - at least for me.

Sea To Summit Aeros Ultralight...

I use the Sea to summit Areos, not the ultralight. For a long time my go to was spare clothes in the stuff sack, but Over time I carry less spare clothes and sometimes use insulation layers while sleeping leaving me with a very small pillow. As a side sleeper a enough pillow is pretty important so I went for the inflatable, its not a real pillow, but works better than not.

I have a Klymit pillow on the way.

Thank you for the replies

Klymit luxe pillow

Put me in the Thermarest stuff sac pillow camp. Tried several inflatables and none were tall enough for this side sleeper

REI has a nice sale on them. I just ordered the Pilllow X in size Regular for $19.73 to compare it to the Sea To Summit I've been using for the last four years. Might be a better mousetrap. My wife got the Large version.

I have a left shoulder problem. I sleep on my right side with an extra pillow against my chest to support my left arm. None of the usual camp pillows are big enough so I have an old sofa pillow that I use. I'm too old for real backpack hunting but my llamas can carry the pillow just fine.

Using a stuff sack with extra clothes for a pillow is just slightly better than no pillow at all. If you bring a pillow case from home it takes up very little extra weight and is a much better surface to rest your head on as opposed to a stuff sack.

Hah, I just got the Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Large to compare to my Klymit X in Large. I’m a side sleeper so the extra height will likely help.

Thanks. Bought two for the kids to try. Seem better than my more expensive inflatable.

I was going to try the Outdoor Vitals for $6 and might still do that.

I actually prefer a stuff sack with clothes but don't always have enough layers!

Fold up your field jacket and use it.

It's also right there in the middle of the night if you need it.




GR

Sleep is worth its weight.

My opinion, either s2s or similar real pillow, skip the inflatables. I've found a 12x12 ish, maybe 10x10 'throw pillow ' compress quite flat, keeps its loft, and enough loft and warmth wins out over inflatables.


Or spend the $40 on a s2s compressible pillow and rock on.

Between the crinkle, the lack of sleep you're used to, you will be much closer to status quo than the alternatives.

I’ve had a couple of decent inflatables
The best iirc was a thermarest

Advice;
Don’t inflate it for a nap in the truck at 2500 ft and then drive up over 11K with it still inflated

LOL. Did it startle you when it popped?

I use an inflatable pillow but usually struggle with keeping it in place. This year I took an old Tshirt and sewed it closed part way down the body and shortened the sleeves and sewed them closed. I took a thin bungee cord and attached to each sleeve so that it wraps around my sleeping mat. Slip the pillow in through the neck and then inflate it. It’s a pillow case and keeps the pillow from moving. It worked perfect on a 14 day trip.

i just atke my house pillows with me. the added comfort is worth the extra weight. i have any kind of uncomfortable pillow I wake up with a god awful headache that won't g away.

Only thing worse than an inflatable pillow is no pillow at all. Don't over think it.

Take an extra set of 10 game bags. Use them until you kill a moose- if you do. Hndy for changing out wet, bloody, or torn 1st set. Or use your fanny pack, jacket, rain gear, or your extra set of clothes, if any. Do double duty with as much as you can.

I don't use a pillow at all in a bed, but I do when ground sleeping, per above.

Probably too late for your moose hunt, but Teton sports makes an ultra light pillow that fits perfect in a mummy bag. It has a washable case as well and its own compression sack. I tagged along with a buddy on a caribou hunt this Sept and didn’t bring mine, was a mistake, missed that thing, sleep is important when you’re living out of a pack. They are like $15.

I forgot about this thread.

I did purchase a Klymit deluxe for the trip.
One of the other guys brought 2 Cabela's camp pillows.
I liked the Cabela's pillow better than the pillow I use at home.

We saw several moose. Maybe 8 different bulls several different times during the hunt. But, none were legal.
We saw one grizzly about 500-600 yards away, 9 caribou, lots of grizzly and wolf tracks.

Beautiful scenery and lots of fun.

Thank you for all the replies.