Backside Line
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow tops our suggestions for ultralight backpackers who account for each gram of their packs. Many minimalists move on backpacking pillows altogether, opting to stuff their spare garments in a stuff sack to restrict weight and bulk.
Hyperlite upgraded this minimalistic method with a sturdy and waterproof Dyneema stuff sack that turns inside out to show a Polartec fleece lining for a softer sleeping floor. You merely stuff this reversible stuff sack together with your spare clothes at evening for a viable sleeping resolution – one with a detrimental web weight because you’re repurposing different supplies in your “pillow.” This was, by far, the lightest, most packable possibility we examined whereas backpacking the Gila Wilderness and a bit of the Continental Divide Path.
These things-sack-by-day, pillow-by-night technique is a distinct segment resolution for weight-obsessed backpackers. By itself, the HMG Stuff Sack Pillow offers no consolation or assist. Its worth stems from its unparalleled weight financial savings and packability – that’s why it’s an Editor’s Decide on our record of the greatest tenting and backpacking pillows. We extremely advocate the Hyperlite Stuff Sack Pillow for critical ultralight hikers who calculate their pack weight in grams.
How We Examined
This was examined whereas backpacking the Gila Wilderness and a bit of the Continental Divide Path by CleverHiker gear analyst Jory Brass.
Fast Specs
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow
Finest Minimalist Pillow for Ultralight Backpacking
CleverHiker Ranking:
4.5/5.0
Value:
$59
Weight:
1.7 oz.
Pillow Kind:
Stuff sack
Execs
- Extraordinarily light-weight
- Unparalleled packability
- Doubles as waterproof storage
- Fleece lining provides consolation
Cons
- Requires further clothes for consolation/assist
- Crinkley materials will be noisy
- Costly
Consolation
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow isn’t made for consolation – it’s made for weight financial savings and packability. The sack itself isn’t a lot thicker than a plastic grocery bag. For it to supply any cushioning or construction, you want to stuff it with spare garments and kit, reminiscent of baselayers, socks, midlayers, and (ideally) a puffy. Gear analyst Jory Brass discovered the HMG Stuff Sack reasonably snug when stuffed along with his Patagonia Micro Puff Jacket. Nonetheless, when he wanted to sleep in that jacket on a surprisingly chilly 20-degree evening within the Gila Wilderness, he was lower than snug sleeping on the few tender objects he had left in his pack.
Consolation isn’t these items sack’s power, however Hyperlite did add a twist to spice up the consolation: the within of the sack is lined with light-weight Polartec fleece. By turning the stuff sack inside out, backpackers can take pleasure in this cozy fleece materials towards their faces for a softer sleeping floor than the mesh, nylon, and polyurethane coatings of typical stuff sacks.
Weight & Packability
Weight and packability are the place the HMG Stuff Sack Pillow shines. With a listed weight of 1.7 ounces, it’s the lightest possibility in our lineup. The truth is, it’s so gentle and packable that it arrived packaged in a typical envelope. That’s the advantage of Dyneema – “the world’s strongest fiber” – which is a major improve over widespread, polyurethane-coated nylon dry luggage. The premium Dyneema composite materials makes these items sack pillow surprisingly sturdy. CleverHiker Senior Senior Gear Analyst Casey Handley received almost seven years and 4,000 miles of use out of this waterproof, light-weight surprise.
When you’re already utilizing it as a stuff sack, the HMG Stuff Sack Pillow really has a detrimental web weight since you’re repurposing objects that you simply’re already carrying. That is the low-weight possibility for backpackers who prioritize weight and packability over all the things else.
Assist
The draw back of all the load financial savings is the Hyperlite Stuff Sack pillow offers zero assist by itself. You’ll want to stuff it with spare clothes out of your backpack to construct up assist in your head and neck. Thus, the stuff sack ranked lifeless final in assist in contrast with the opposite backpacking pillows we examined.
Even so, the Hyperlite Pillow supplied Gear Analyst Jory Brass ample assist when he stuffed it along with his Patagonia puffy jacket on a take a look at journey within the Gila Wilderness. The truth is, that mixture supplied extra assist than the Western Mountaineering Down Pillow because of its larger packed quantity.
In fact, that technique solely works for those who’ve packed spare layers – like a puffy – and don’t must put on them in a single day. CleverHiker Founder Dave Collins loves the Hyperlite Stuff Sack Pillow, however he’s had nights the place he wanted to put on his puffy jacket whereas sleeping, which robbed him of his “pillow.” Likewise, Jory wanted to put on his puffy in a single day within the Gila Wilderness when the temperatures have been 25 levels colder than forecasted. That meant the very best pillow stuffing left in his pack was chewy granola bars, gloves, and worn socks and underwear – not excellent for assist or consolation.
Ease of Use
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow can also be extraordinarily straightforward to make use of. As a stuff sack, there’s restricted options and no valve to decelerate setup. It encompasses a easy zipper closure and see-through materials that makes it straightforward to maintain monitor of the contents you’ve packed inside. To rework it right into a pillow, you merely flip this reversible stuff sack inside out to show the tender, fleece lining. This took lower than 5 seconds in our discipline testing.
We additionally just like the multi-purpose nature of these items sack pillow. On high of its use as a backpacking pillow, it is a premium stuff sack. With a waterproof zipper, sealed seams, and waterproof Dyneema composite shell, these items sack doubles as a dry bag that may preserve our electronics and insulating layers dry throughout the day.
When used as a pillow, it could actually present a water-resistant casing to guard a down jacket from loft-killing moisture. In earlier opinions, CleverHiker testers additionally most well-liked the zipper of the HMG stuff sack to different stuff sack pillows, such because the Zpacks Dry Bag Pillow. That’s one other added worth of this easy-to-use stuff sack pillow.
Ought to You Purchase the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow?
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow is a chief various for individuals who don’t wish to carry the additional weight and bulk of a real backpacking pillow. Not a lot heavier or bulkier than the standard plastic grocery bag, this fleece-lined, reversible stuff sack pillow stands out for its weight financial savings, packability, and flexibility.
Nonetheless, for those who’re after consolation and assist on the path, you’d be a lot happier with the inflatable backpacking pillows and compressible foam tenting pillows that we additionally examined and reviewed. Within the stuff sack pillow class, the HMG Stuff Sack reigns supreme with its premium Dyneema composite materials and fleece lining. That’s why it’s our Editor’s Decide as the very best stuff sack pillow for ultralight backpacking.
What Different Tenting Pillows Ought to You Take into account?
For extra choices, please browse our full information to the greatest backpacking and tenting pillows. Based mostly on our side-by-side testing, we additionally advocate these ultralight backpacking pillows:
Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow Assessment: The Aeros Premium Pillow weighs solely 2.7 ounces with a packed dimension that’s barely larger than a lime. On the identical time, it packs loads of assist and air-pressured cushioning that doesn’t depend upon further garments in your pack.
NEMO Fillo Broad Elite Pillow Assessment: The broad elite model of NEMO’s well-liked Fillo pillow can also be ultralight and ultra-packable. Its luxurious face material is far softer than the Hyperlite stuff sack’s fleece lining. It additionally offers again sleepers with a degree of consolation and assist that’s exhausting to match in a sack filled with spare layers.
ZPacks Medium-Plus Dry Bag Pillow: The HMG Stuff Sack Pillow is similar to the Zpacks Medium-Plus Dry Bag Pillow. Each have an identical value and weight, although the Zpacks pillow is a bit of longer and made with barely thicker Dyneema material. Based mostly on aspect by aspect testing, the HMG pillow ranked larger than the Zpacks stuff pillow on our record due to the extra handy zipper placement. Nonetheless, each are nice decisions for ultralight backpackers who wish to improve the stuff-sack sleeping expertise.
