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Pillows

In a related vein... how do you keep your pillow in place through the night?
The Trekology Aluft Pro inflatable pillow that I currently use has a retaining strap that I position around my sleeping pad. It is also ergonomically wedged shaped, 5 inches on one side and 3 inches on the other side. I prefer to place the 5 inch portion under my neck with the 3 inch portion under my head facing away from my shoulders. This helps lock the pillow in place and I find this position the most comfortable.

I sleep on both my back and side and prefer a tall pillow. The 5 inch portion is taller than most inflatable camping pillows available and I can add further height by placing soft items in the underside of the removable cover if required.
 
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I use clothes stuffed into the sleeping bag’s compression sack. For years, before it dawned on me I should wash that sack once in a while. The sack lost a couple shades of grime when I washed it.
 
I like inflatable pillows. They pack really small and the firmness is easily adjusted. I have a variety of sizes of homemade pillow cases since the pillows themselves don’t seem to last all that long. So I have had a number of different brands of pillows and have no brand preference, they just need to be on sale when I need one. My air mattresses also have homemade covers made out of old sheets. Using these covers makes the pillows and mats more comfortable, especially on warm nights.
 
After years of experimenting with clothes in a stuff sack and slippery mini pillows, I tried an LL Bean camp pillow and haven’t looked back. It’s bulky but fits in my sl bag stuff sack. Can’t recall how old it is (it’s old) but it has flannel on both sides - the current offering has flannel on one side only and is too firm for my tastes.
 
I used to use a stuff sack stuffed with spare clothes which was OK but I now have an inflatable pillow (I don't recall what brand) and it is very nice. I can vary the amount of inflation to suit my needs.
 
I used to be able to sleep anywhere, anyhow, with a pack or helmet for a pillow... no more. I'm well past the age where I can go to bed fine and wake up injured... it's happened! And then it takes a week to get that kink out of your neck and back. A good pillow is no longer a luxury item while camping.

Years back, in my late 30s, I just used some spare clothing in my sleeping bag's stuff sack and called it good. I even made a silnylon bag with a piece of fleece on the side for this (still use it, but with an air pillow). I moved off the ground into a hammock in my early 40s and discovered that my neck placement needed to be different, and bought a cheap self-inflating air pillow that weighed about a half pound. I eventually ponied up and bought a Sea to Summit Aeros at 3oz or so and have been very happy with it. Well worth the cost. I like that you can adjust the thickness with the amount of air. Inflates easily.

On the ground, I usually take my shoes and put the heels together, spread the toes open a little, and set them under my head under my groundsheet, then use the air pillow on top, as normal, and it gives me a little extra boost in height not needed in the hammock. Sometimes I use a piece of split firewood or a rock or two to keep the shoes from sliding away from me.
 
Somewhere I ran across a recommendation for the Coop travel pillow which is filled with shredded memory foam and decided to try it. It is heavier and less compact than the camping pillows that others have mentioned but I really like the comfort of the Coop pillow for side sleeping. According to the FAQs on the Coop website the memory foam in the pillow will feel firmer the colder the temp. and will feel solid at temp. below 50 deg. so maybe not a good choice for cold weather camping, though I haven't had a problem with it in Louisiana.

 
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