2/25/2023 0 Comments The Best Camping Pillow You'Ll Ever Need! Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight PillowAfter a long day hiking with a 30 lb pack, nothing sounds better than getting some good, restful sleep. And nothing is worse than waking up the next day with a stiff neck because your make-shift "pillow", made up of stinky clothes or a flat stuff sack, moved around in the middle of the night. Now, you're not only tired but you"ve got an aching neck too. What fun! The best camping pillow we've found is the Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow because it's lightweight, comfortable and helps you get a good night's sleep! So let's dive deeper into why we think this is the best camp pillow around. You Need a Pillow! Generally when I look for backpacking gear I look for versatility and items that have more than one use, when possible. A simple handkerchief that you use to wipe sweat from your head can also be used to filter chunks from nasty water, when necessary. Not always the most desirable use but a second use nonetheless. I try to avoid dedicated items altogether. But in this case, I will acquiesce. So Why A Pillow? Let's face it; if you sleep poorly it can ruin your whole day. When I've been backpacking or even camping, I've tried everything from a rolled up jacket (which ended up sliding all over the place) to a stuff sack filled with clothes. After waking up several times in the night to adjust both of those options, I decided I needed an actual pillow to get a good night's sleep. I chose the Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow. The Aeros Ultralight Pillow weighs in at 1.9 oz. That's it! That even includes the small stuff sack that comes with it. It's also incredibly small when rolled up taking up a very small footprint in your pack. You'll hardly know it's there! It's Easy To Use The pillow has a great valve system that has two flaps; one to inflate, the other to deflate. Two or three breaths fill the pillow easily. And the one way valve keeps the air in until you want it out. Awesome! The valve also has a small button on the inside of the first flap that allows you to dial in your comfort level of firmness to the pillow so it's easily customized to you. When you're done and ready to move on, pull the second flap and the pillow deflates really quickly. Roll it up, put it back in its little stuff sack, and you're ready to go! It's Comfortable! No one wants to sleep on a balloon. At least I don't think they do. Do they? The Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow is truly comfortable. I was really surprised. It has a soft texture to the outside that feels comfortable against your skin. Again, I was truly, surprised! I expected it to stick to my face when I awoke in the morning but that's not the case. I sleep well with this pillow. Truth be told, this pillow does not feel like your pillow at home. So, don't expect that. What you will get is a lightweight, comfortable pillow that will allow you to get the good sleep you need to pack on more miles tomorrow! Check out our full review here: All in all, I'm really happy about the purchase of this pillow. Three of the four of our family members have this pillow and I'm getting my youngest son his own too. After a recent trip to Redwood National Park, he's ready for his own camp pillow too.
Hope you get a great night's sleep and we look forward to Seeing You Outside!
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So, if the average grade of this trail is 11% and we have 3 miles to go, we should be on top in about
2 hours and 15 minutes. That's how many of my conversations go with my oldest son, Trevor. He loves math and is very good at it. Forget the GPS or pedometers. He's constantly figuring out how far we've hiked, how far we have to go, what the incline in percentage is, when to leave, when to turn back (if necessary), how many calories we've burned and so on. We call it "trail math". I admire that he can do these equations in his head and do them quickly. I like math. He loves it. And he loves to share it when we hike. It's a connection we have and it helps pass the time, especially when you're exhausted and the only other things you can think about is how hungry you are and much your feet hurt. People find lots of ways to connect in nature. My youngest son, Ryan, has always had a great imagination and has put it to use in his art and stories. He tends to be quiet on our hikes or in camp. That's because he's busy creating new characters and new story lines in his head. He imagines his characters hiding in a cave on a rock face he just saw or moving silently from treetop to treetop or how they might live in a harsh desert landscape. Once he's finished, he shares them with the family around the campfire that evening. And those conversations can last through the night. Our family builds connections by being in the outdoors and through conversations with each other. Everything from what to eat for dinner to politics, school, work and how each other's lives are going. Connections with each other and the bonds that are created at these times are really important to me and my family. And those moments have created some of my fondest memories. As human beings, we spend so many of our days and much of our time worrying about things, working and being distracted that we don't really talk to one another and we certainly don't let nature work its way into our lives. We drive to work in a tin can, surrounded by others in tin cans that we choose to ignore unless they cut you off. Then you probably have a few choice words for them. We get to the office, do our job, get back in the tin can and drive home only to start the process all over again the next day. While some people truly enjoy their careers, most are simply going through the motions until the weekend. And nature sometimes takes a back seat in our lives. We start to feel disconnected from the world. Sometimes, we just feel lost and we begin to wonder if this is all there is. Well, it's not. John Muir, the great poet laureate and conservationist, once said, "In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks." Hiking, camping and spending time in the outdoors are the times when people can reconnect again. Study after study has shown that spending time in the outdoors and being in nature, is good for your health, both physically and mentally. It relieves stress. It creates a place where you to connect with the natural world, other people and, ultimately, yourself. These outdoor places, be it a National Park, a local campground or even a local community park, can begin to bring a peace back into your life, especially when you share it with a loved one. Many times when I'm outdoors I just take a moment. A moment to breathe. Just a moment to be surrounded by these beautiful places and to sit quietly beside my wife, on an old fallen tree, and take it all in. That's when I feel the connection. And it's times like these that can create connections for you, your family and friends too. But that's not the only time it happens. It can happen when you're sitting in a camp chair around a campfire with the smell of the pine trees and the smoke from the fire pit surrounding you and laughing at a goofy joke your son just told you. Or when you're enjoying a cup of coffee in the chill of an early morning while a Blue Jay squawks and complains loudly in the distance, listening to the sounds of the family stirring in the tent and awakening to a new day. But it also happens when a good friend starts a conversation. When they share a bit of their world with you in the coolness of the forest or the magnificent expanse of the desert. That's when it begins. The outdoors has that affect on you. It's the chance to connect with another person in places of peace and beauty. And to me, that's when it all adds up. That's when all the days spent working long hours, stressed out and fighting traffic just goes away, even if it's only for a little while. It's when the beauty of these special outdoor places take hold of you and you reconnect with your family, friends and the world. Because in the end, those are the only things that really matter. So, get outside and be a part of these places. Go for a hike or just a stroll. Marvel at the grace of an eagle as it soars high above you or let yourself gaze for some time at a small fish in a pond as it searches for food. And take a friend or loved one. Ask them how their life is going. Find that connection again with them and with the amazing natural spaces around you. You never know where you'll end up. Unless you ask my son. He'll let you know to within the nearest 1/10 of a mile. Author: PhilJust a guy who loves the outdoors and wants to share it with you. ArchivesCategories |
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