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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Accessories > Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow > Owner Review by Michael Mosack
Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow
TESTER INFORMATION
I've been backpacking for over 30 years, doing solo and group trips, with and without kids. I do day trips, weekenders and week long trips throughout the year. I backpack in all climates and seasons, from summer desert trips to Spring/Winter camping in Michigan and Canada to tropical backpacking in the Philippines and rely on my backpacking equipment constantly. I tent, car and RV camp. I prefer to go as light as possible and am always trying new items. Quality and reliability of items I carry are paramount to me over price and weight. PRODUCT INFORMATION
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The pillow is listed as being made of brushed polyester. It appears that only one side of the pillow cover (in this case the softer orange colored side) is brushed polyester while the opposite (gray colored) side is not brushed, giving it a distinctly smoother feel. The pillow loft is urethane foam, which is sealed within the pillow cover and is loosely filled, not a solid chunk of molded foam. The cover material feels soft to the skin, yet does not slide when used against a sleeping bag. The pillow feels soft against my face with a supportive loft and does not seem to transfer ambient temperatures to my skin. If it is cold outside, the pillow remains a comfortable, almost neutral temperature. A drawstring goes around the width of the pillow about a quarter of the way down and becomes part of the lip of a sewn pocket for stuffing the pillow when packing. The cord itself, is routed through a sewn channel and exits through a standard type plastic cord lock. To pack the pillow, I just tightly roll up the pillow, thereby compressing it as I roll it towards and into the pocket. Pulling the drawstring will further compress the packed pillow and the cord lock will help ensure the pillow does not open up until it is released. FIELD USE
This has been the only pillow I've used during 450 nights in the field spread out over the past 18 months. I work in Afghanistan, traveling with military combat units and find myself using this constantly. Field conditions I've experienced while using this pillow include, hot dry summer night time temperatures over 120 F (+49 C), to winter temperatures below 20 F (-7 C). I have used this from 330 feet (101 m) to over 7,000 feet (2100 m) above sea level. I have also used this pillow at altitude while traveling by jet airplane, during international flights of more than 3 hours in duration. I found that this pillow was very comfortable throughout. SUMMARY Overall, I like this pillow very much. I have found that its size is very convenient for traveling, when used as a lumbar pad while driving or sitting for long durations, on backpacking trips as a standard pillow I've found this to provide me a soft yet supportive feel under my head as I sleep. The brushed polyester material maintains a soft feel and ensures that the pillow does not slide out from under my head, even when used with my sleeping bag. The pillow does not seem to be affected by temperatures as it does not feel cold to the skin and breaths well. It packs up small and does not take up very much space in or attached to my pack. It is easy to clean and is well made. Despite 18 months of hard use, many wash and dry cycles in machines, my pillow shows no real wear and no evidence of even a broken stitch. THINGS I LIKE
The ease of this pillow to use and clean THINGS I DON'T LIKE The cord lock seems unnecessary to me and it is hard, having occasionally been pressed against my head during the night. SIGNATURE
Mike Mosack Read more reviews of Therm-A-Rest gear Read more gear reviews by Michael Mosack Reviews > Sleep Gear > Accessories > Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow > Owner Review by Michael Mosack |