Stopped buying expensive camp pillows after a disaster last trip

My inflatable pillow popped on night two in Shenandoah and I spent the rest of the trip using a stuff sack stuffed with my fleece jacket. It worked so well I haven't bought a camping pillow since. Anyone else found a random item that beats the gear you already own?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannahcraig14h ago

Wait, hold on, let me push back on that a little. I actually think the expensive pillows are worth every penny if you're a side sleeper like me. A stuff sack with a fleece in it was never going to give me the neck support I needed to wake up without feeling like I'd been in a fight. I tried that hack once on a trip to the Rockies and woke up with my head at a weird angle, so I ended up just folding my arms under my head, which was even worse. At least a good inflatable pillow has some actual loft and doesn't shift around like a bag of dirty laundry.

thomasgonzalez14h agoMost Upvoted

Got the same problem myself. Tried the stuff sack trick once on a trip to the Smokies and woke up with a crick in my neck I couldn't shake for days. Ended up buying one of those inflatable pillows with the built-in loft, the kind that's got a foam layer on top. That thing saved my trip, honestly. I still use it at home sometimes when my regular pillow feels too flat. Just makes a huge difference when you're actually trying to get real rest, not just survive the night.