On Gear: My Thoughts Explained
May 27, 2019
How to Pick the Right Type of Camping Pillow
Planning to buy a camping pillow but don’t know where to start? Manufacturers offering various sizes, shapes and materials, and making the right choices can be daunting for any beginner. Definitely, you’ll want something that’s easy to use and maintain, and will not be hard to pack.
But first, what are your choices? What types of camping pillows are there?
The three major types of camping pillows are known as compressible, inflatable and hybrid.
Compressible
Compressible pillows are made with artificial fibers, feathers, different kinds of foams, or a combination. Compressibles are generally the softest of the three types and are the nearest thing to the pillows on your bed. Which means they’re also likely the most comfortable and user-friendly – just remove them from their stuff sacks! Compressibles made with feathers are the lightest and the most squeezable, but also the priciest. In contrast, while fiber and foam fills cost less, they are firmer and heavier. One thing about compressible pillows is that they are heavier in general, offer less back support, and take up so much packing space. But they should be fine for short outdoor trips.
Inflatables
Inflatable camping pillows, as you can tell from their name, are filled with air, making them the most lightweight and firmest compared to the others. Using this pillow only requires you to blow in air through a valve. What you’ll love about inflatables is that you can adjust their thickness and firmness just by adding or removing air. Clearly, you can just deflate them and tuck them into a wee bit of space your backpack. One problem with inflatables is the noise you’ll create when shifting your head. You can solve this by wrapping the pillow’s top part using a towel.
Hybrid
Hybrid pillows are no more than half the properties of compressibles and half of inflatables. The top layer is compressible to provide comfort to the head, while the bottom and sides are inflatable to provide back support. Campers usually go for the hybrid pillow, which is apparently quite the total package.
If you want to be comfortable at camp at night, sleeping on those ropes and dirty laundry just won’t cut it. And if you’ve ever had to deal with a nasty backache or neck ache upon waking up, you know only the right type of good quality camping pillow can be the answer. Lastly, before placing an order for a camping pillow online, find a seller with a good reputation. It always pays to do your research.