Noticing all the inflatable pillows at the lake campsites now.

We used to just roll up a jacket. It's wild how a little comfort has become standard gear.

3 comments

3 Comments

My old sleeping bag stuff sack filled with a fleece worked for years. I mean, it was basically a firm pillow and saved packing a separate thing. Still do that sometimes if I'm trying to keep my pack light.

the_barbara2mo ago

That fleece trick is solid. A puffy jacket works even better, it sort of molds to your head. The real key is using soft clothes, nothing with zippers or buttons. Stuff it all the way full so it doesn't just flatten out in the night. Makes a huge difference compared to a half empty sack of lumpy gear.

hannaht912mo ago

Tried the stuff sack trick exactly once and woke up with what felt like a bag of rocks under my head. My own fault for using a rain shell and a pair of socks, I guess. Now I'm that person with the tiny inflatable one, fully converted to the comfort cult after a few bad nights. The line between toughing it out and just being stupid got real clear somewhere around age thirty.