Hint: Try a Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Pillow
What is the biggest factor in sleep comfort? I might suggest it’s the pillow. And, if you’re traveling, an absolute must take along is the uber-compact and ultra-lightweight Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow Ultralight.
I recently toured the Upper Peninsula’s Lakeshore Trail at Pictured Rocks in a four-day backpacking trip. At the end of each day, I was only too happy to lay down, and relax. The Aeros Ultralight pillow never disappointed.
Clever Design
While all inflatables have a valve to inflate and deflate, the Aeros Pillow has a multi-functional, three-way valve. Opening the top flap, you can blow through a small screen until the pillow is inflated. After trying it out, you might find as I did that it was more comfortable slightly under-inflated.
To slightly deflate, push the center of the valve to adjust the firmness and then close the outer tab to lock the unit.
To deflate, flip open the bottom tab and instantly the pillow is flat and ready to be rolled up and stored in its little sack. The rolled-up pillow is so small it can be hidden in the palm of your hand and weights just 2 oz., so it’s small enough to take anywhere.
Comfortable on the skin
I’ve used other inflatable pillows over the years and without a pillow case or a cloth laid over top, my skin would sweat and I’d be looking for something to separate me from the vinyl of the pillow.
Not so with the Aeros Ultralight Pillow. They use a soft-to-the-touch, stretch knit fabric that is comfortable next to the skin.
Great ergonomics
Their pillow line shows some real forethought and engineering. My Aeros Ultralight has a slight crescent shape, meant to center itself over your shoulders, especially if you are a side sleeper.
Gentle, curved baffles are designed to cradle your head in the center of the pillow. And, if my recent backpacking trip was an indication, all these features come together to do a great job and will be a standard item on my backpacking checklist.
Four Models
The Aeros Ultralight comes in four models: the Regular, like I used, which is 14.2 x 10.2 x 4.7. There’s also a Large model which is 17.3 x 12.6 x 5.5.
The Deluxe model is completely rectangular, and measures 23.5 x 16 x 5.5. Then, there’s also the around-the-neck model called the Travel model which is made for airplane travel.
An Entire Line
Checkout the entire line of sleeping bags, liners, pads and pillows at their website: seatosummit.com
Stay tuned for our article about backpacking in the U.P.
Disclosure: Sea to Summit provided the Aeros Ultralight for us to test for purposes of doing this review. No compensation was paid, and opinions expressed are, as always, strictly our own.