ericgoldman's Full Review: Thermarest Compressible Pillow
In the past, I slept poorly when I went camping, no matter how tired I was. I finally realized that the pillow was the problem. I would ball up spare clothing into a pillow, but that didn't provide enough neck support. Now, when I go car camping, I bring my pillow from home. But what to do in other circumstances?
I have found my answer: the Therm-a-rest Compressible Pillow. I tried this pillow on a two-week Arctic rafting trip and it performed like a champ! No matter what the temperature or ground conditions, I slept well with complete neck support.
Unlike the Therm-a-rest sleeping pad, which inflates with air, the Therm-a-rest Compressible Pillow uses foam bits that expand when unfurled. Just roll out the pillow, give it a shake to spread out the bits evenly, and in a minute or two it's puffed up and ready for use. When not in use, the pillow can be easily folded in a few seconds into a self-contained "stuff sack"/pouch. It compresses into a small cylinder about 1/3 its opened size, making it fairly easy to pack except when space is at an extreme premium.
The Therm-a-rest Compressible Pillow comes in three sizes: small (12x16 inches), medium (14x18 inches) and large (16x23 inches). I opted for the small pillow, and it was completely sufficient in size for me. The pillows come in three styles/colors, none of which appeal to my aesthetic tastes. Then again, very few people use pillows to make a fashion statement.
The pillows are fairly light. The small pillow is only 7 ounces. I think the weight is trivial for most types of traveling, but I could see hardcore backpackers watching every ounce viewing this as a luxury they can't afford. Then again, many backpackers now have decided that the Therm-a-rest sleeping pad is worth the extra weight; I think this pillow is worth it too.
Indeed, I love this pillow so much that I will take it with me on all of my business trips to overcome those wimpy too-soft hotel pillows. The pillow is so light and small that I can easily fit it into my carry-on bag, even though space is already at a premium. No more sleepless nights on the road!
You can find cheaper travel/camping pillows, but I don't think they work nearly as well. So in that respect, this pillow is a great value even if it's a few bucks extra. Thank you to Therm-a-rest for helping me sleep better when I'm traveling!
UPDATE: My wife liked the pillow so much that she commandeered it on our last trip--preferring it to the too-soft pillows at the Four Seasons!
Compressible Pillows offer unprecedented portable comfort. They pack smaller and expand bigger than any pillows before perfect for everyone from trekk...More at Sunny Sports
The Thermarest Compressible Pillow offers unprecedented portable comfort. They pack smaller and expand bigger than any pillows before—perfect for eve...More at Oregon Mountain Community
Portable comfort Packs small and expands big Ideal for backcountry adventures and cross-country car trips Dimensions: 12 x 16" (Small), 14 x 18" (Medi...More at Amazon
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.