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!
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