Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77 kg)
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western West Virginia, U.S.A.

Backpacking Background:

Last year I finally acted on a long time interest in backpacking, starting out slowly by day hiking, researching backpacking productsand techniques, purchasing gear, and doing a few overnight trips, including one solo. This year I took several two night trips in addition to some overnights, and I hope to do a longer trip in the spring. I hike and backpack mainly in the hills and valleys of West Virginia, and use a hammock sleeping system. For a two-day trip my typical pack weighs 22-30 lb (10-14 kg) including consumables, and I’m striving to lighten that a bit.

Product Information

Manufacturer: LuxuryLite
Year of manufacture: 2005
Date of Delivery: September 17, 2005
Listed weight: less than 4 oz (113 g)
Weight as delivered: 3.9 oz (111 g)
Listed Dimensions: 19 in x 15 in (48 cm x 38 cm)
Dimensions as delivered: 18 in x 14 in (46 cm x 36 cm)
Color: Black
Manufacturer Website: http://www.luxurylite.com
MSRP: $39.00 US

Components:
Fabric cover (measured weight: 1.7 oz or 48 g)
Foam Insert (measured weight: 1.7 oz or 48 g)
Inflatable plastic insert (measured weight: 0.5 oz or 14 g)
Inflation straw (measured weight less than 0.1 oz or 3 g)

Features:
Light weight
Packs small
Two layer internal structure (foam and air bag)
Fits inside mummy bag hood (verified by tester)
Inflates up to 6 in (15 cm) high (per manufacturer)
Non allergenic
Breathable cover
Inflate and deflate with ordinary soda straw

The LuxuryLite travel pillow consists of a black fabric cover with a short opening in the center of one of the long sides, a 3/4 in (2 cm) thick foam insert, and a plastic air bag. The pillow shipped with a bright pink straw for inflating the air bag. Inflating the pillow is simple - just unsnap the opening, pull out the valve of the air bag, insert the straw, and blow the air bag up to the desired level. For a detailed description of the components, packaging, and instructions, please see my Initial Report.

Field Information

The LuxuryLite Travel Pillow has been used in a hammock and on a camp cot with a 2.5 in (6 cm) thick mattress, at elevations from 550 to over 4000 feet (150 to over 1200 meters). Sleeping temperatures ranged from a low of 24F (-4C) to 70F (21C), and conditions included a variety of weather, detailed below by use. Pack weight varied between 22-30 lb (10-14 kg).

Use

My first test of the LuxuryLite travel pillow was in a screened half-cabin on a camp cot at Girl Scout camp, with weather conditions being dry and temperate at around 55-70 F (13-21 C) over a two night period. I found the pillow very easy to inflate and use. I immediately found out it is definitely best not to over inflate the pillow, and the 2 in (5 cm) height suggested by the manufacturer truly seems to be the most comfortable inflation level. At this level, the pillow has enough air to properly support my head and neck, and cradles my head in a manner similar to the compression level I normally experience with a fiberfill pillow. I normally toss and turn a lot before going to sleep and continue to move around some during the night, and I found the crinkly noise made by the air bag rather annoying. My bunkmates mentioned they could also hear the crinkly noise, but were able to go to sleep without complaining it was keeping them awake, so I concluded it must not sound quite as loud to them as it did to me.

Condensation on air bag insert

My next use of the LuxuryLite Travel Pillow was on a combination trip, with the first night being spent in a rustic lodge on a camp cot, and the second night being spent out on the trail in my hammock. Temperatures in the lodge dropped during the night to around 50 F (10 C) and on the trail to around 40 F (4 C). The pillow continued to sound very crinkly, but in spite of the noise felt very comfortable both in the cot and in the hammock. I did find the pillow has a tendency to move away from my head during the night, sliding toward the top of the cot or hammock. To my concern, I experienced some condensation on the outside of the air bag and in the foam insert during the second night, but it easily wiped away and dried out quickly.

Two weekends later, the LuxuryLite Travel Pillow joined me on a two-night group backpacking trip in the Cranberry Wilderness. Overnight temperatures dropped to around 32 F (0 C), and conditions were dry both nights, with the first night being calm and still and the second breezy. On both nights, I again experienced condensation on the outside of the air bag and on the foam insert, which I was able to wipe off with a bandanna and the pillow dried completely before the end of each day, in spite of being buried down inside my pack I found using the pillow in my hammock a bit of a mixed experience - it added welcome additional insulation under my head, but when my head invariably slid off it during the night, it sat annoyingly on the top of my head until I woke up enough to realign it.

The next weekend, I was back to using the pillow on a camp cot, sleeping in a platform tent. Conditions over the weekend were wet and humid, with rain most of the first night and second day. Temperatures the first night were moderate at around 50 F (10 C) and I noted minor condensation on the foam and outside of the air bag once more. Temperatures the second night dropped to around 35 F (2 C), and for the first time, I noted condensation inside the air bag as well as on the outside. This concerned me, because I wasn't sure I could get the inside of the air bag to dry out since the air valve has only a small opening. Once I got the pillow home, I gave the matter some thought, and decided to insert the straw in the valve to keep it open and place the open valve in front of a small fan to try to get the air to circulate inside the air bag and dry it out. I had my doubts that this would work, but to my surprise the interior dried out in a couple of hours and I happily packed the pillow away.

Frozen Condensation

A couple of weekends later, I experienced my first sub-freezing temperatures using the LuxuryLite Travel Pillow in my hammock on a two night backpacking trip. The first night was chilling at 24 F (-4 C), but calm with almost no wind, and with some extra insulation under my hammock, I slept warm and toasty. The pillow does serve as extra insulation, allowing my short RidgeRest foam pad to be used under my torso and more of my legs for extra warmth. I again experienced condensation both inside and outside of the pillow, which turned to frozen ice once I left my hammock. The amount of condensation was relatively small though and did not affect my ability to pack or store the pillow. During this trip, for the first time, the air bag began losing air, and was flat by morning on both days. I found the foam insert makes a reasonable pillow by itself in a hammock, especially when it's folded in half. The second night started out about 32 F (0 C) and breezy, but warmed up to around 50 F (10 C) by morning. I experienced less condensation that night, probably due to the breeze and warmer temperatures.

Carrying and Storing

I've experimented with a few ways of carrying and storing the pillow on backpacking trips, and I've sort of settled into a routine I find works well for me. When I'm getting ready to leave for my trip, I pack the deflated assembled pillow with the straw tucked inside the cover in a large waterproof stuff sack with my sleeping bag and hammock underpaid at the bottom of my backpack. I just cram it into the top, and it takes up very little space. If the pillow develops condensation overnight, the next morning I pack it outside the waterproof stuff sack, loose, near the middle of my pack. The pillow easily conforms around oddly shaped objects like my cook set or toiletry items and compresses well. I leave the straw stored inside it all the time, even when sleeping, between the foam insert and the air bag. I've found it isn't even noticeable at night due to the padding provided by the foam. The straw has taken a bit of a beating from being stored this way, flattening out to some extent, and developing a lot of crinkles, but so far has remained serviceable with no holes. Storing it this way means it's always easy to find, and always with me, so I consider a few crinkles a good trade-off.

Field Test Findings

With the air bag seeming to have developed a slow leak that causes it to deflate overnight, I will be contacting the manufacturer for replacement under the lifetime warranty for the air bag. So far the cover still looks like new, the foam remains intact, and I have not noticed any flattening or permanent compression. I have not yet had to wash the pillow, and it hasn't developed any odor or stains. The components of the pillow remain in place well during the night - neither the air bladder nor the foam seem to shift inside the cover.

The pillow is comfortable while sleeping on a cot or in my hammock, in any sleeping position (side, back, or stomach), although it does sometimes slide a bit and move out from under my head, requiring re-adjustment. When I curl an arm under the pillow, it's comfortable and not sticky or hot, which was an early concern I had. About 2 in (5 cm) of inflation seems the most comfortable level.

I've found the light weight and compressibility of the pillow a plus for both backpacking and camping trips, allowing me to save space and still pack a good sized pillow. Having to blow the pillow up each night is a minor nuisance, but doing so has become just one more camp chore that needs done. It's certainly easier than a lot of other chores such as filtering water or digging catholes. The crinkly noise remains annoying, and it is one thing I would like to see improved about the pillow. I would also like to see the opening made larger, which would allow insertion of extra clothing, since the current opening is too small to easily insert or remove clothing during the night. This would be particularly useful during cold nights, when I could stuff a jacket and/or fleece pants inside to keep them accessible during the night and warm when I want to put them on the next morning. It would also serve to allow a puffier pillow in the event the air bag fails again.

Test Plan

Over the remaining test period, I plan to test the LuxuryLite Travel Pillow at least twice more in my hammock, at anticipated temperatures of 20 F (-7 C) to 40 F (4 C) at elevations that may range from 550 to over 4000 feet (150 to over 1200 meters). I'm not experienced in winter camping, so I don't plan to test on weekends that have the potential to fall much below 20 F (-7 C), but hope to get at least one more backpacking trip in before the end of the test period. If weather conditions don't permit, I'll be testing the pillow at least a couple of times in my back yard for further analysis. Weather conditions may range from temperate to rain, or even snow. My pack weight will likely vary between 22-30 lb (10-14 kg) if a backpacking trip is possible.

I'll continue to monitor durability, performance, and comfort. It's likely I will have to replace the straw, and I'm curious if a standard straw will prove as durable as the original. I'll try inflating and deflating the pillow with a hydration system drinking tube to see if it could provide an adequate substitute for a straw. I'll also try soaking the pillow to see how quickly it will dry, and try washing both the cover and the foam insert. I'll continue to observe the interior of the air bladder to see if condensation becomes an increasing problem at cold temperatures, and whether mold or mildew develop.

Finally, I"ll be describing how my current warranty issue of the deflating air bag is handled.

Likes so far –

Compressible and easily packed

Light weight
Comfortable

Concerns so far –
Crinkly noise when using
Condensation sometimes develops inside (and outside) the air bladder
Failure of the air bag to remain inflated during my last trip

Thanks to LuxuryLite and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test the Travel Pillow.

Read more reviews of LuxuryLite gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant

Field Report

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