This can be a gear overview in regards to the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow in 2022.
If you’re in search of an ultralight pillow that packs up small and robust sufficient for a weekend tenting journey or multi-month thru-hike then this may very well be for you. I’ve been utilizing this pillow for the final couple of months and right here is my in-depth overview.
In-Depth Overview: Therm-A-Relaxation Air Head Lite Pillow
Therm-A-Relaxation Air Head Lite Pillow
Weight Common:Â 2 oz / 58 grams
Weight Massive:Â 2.8 oz / 80 grams
Professionals:
> Ultralight
> Mechanically cleanable
> Very small packed dimension
> Mushy to the contact and Snug
Cons:
> Not as snug as your pillow at dwelling however good for an ultralight pillow.
I used the Therm-a-Relaxation Airhead Lite Pillow for a few months of testing to see simply how good it will be as an ultralight backpacking pillow. It’s ultralight and ideal for the ultralight hiker wanting a snug pillow with minimal weight and pack dimension.
Whereas it is probably not as snug as your pillow at dwelling that isn’t why you’ll need a pillow like this. However the compromise in dimension, consolation, and sturdiness makes it price it.
Total, if you’re an ultralight hiker and are in search of an ultralight pillow then think about the Therm-a-Relaxation Air Head Lite Pillow as the perfect available on the market in 2022.
Materials
The Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow makes use of polyester mushy stretch knit cloth that’s mushy to the contact. The nonslip cloth retains the pillow properly within the hood of your sleeping bag. However throughout my testing, I discovered the pillow was higher suited for use exterior the sleeping hood and on the bottom of the sleeping pad. As talked about earlier it does fairly a very good job of staying in place and is comparatively non-slip.
Consolation and Assist
Firstly, let’s make it clear that the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is an ultralight pillow and won’t be as snug as your pillow at dwelling. With 4 inches / 10 cm of top, there may be greater than sufficient help to maintain you snug at night time.
When the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is matched with an ultralight sleeping pad and sleeping bag or backpacking quilt it varieties a very good partnership for a very good night time’s sleep. And a very good total sleep system for people who need to carry the least quantity of weight, however with probably the most quantity of consolation.
The outer mushy stretch knit cloth is mushy sufficient to make it really feel good in opposition to the pores and skin however lacks the mushy velvety really feel of another light-weight backpacking pillows.
For males with a beard or stubble, the outer cloth is sweet and there may be solely a really minimal rubbing sound.
The pillow matches properly into the hood of sleeping baggage and all however the fussiest sleeper will discover it snug. Facet sleepers, again sleepers, and abdomen sleepers ought to discover this pillow to be excellent.
If something may very well be improved it will be the outer materials that touches your pores and skin. Whereas it feels good in opposition to your pores and skin there are another ultralight pillows which have a way more plush and mushy feeling cloth however nonetheless preserve the identical weight. Having mentioned that, that is the go-to ultralight pillow that I take advantage of proper now.
Pillow Dimension
There are two sizes within the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow vary.
The regular-sized Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is 15.5 inches x 11 inches x 4 inches / 39 cm x 28 cm x 10 cm which is my most popular choice. It packs right into a small stuff sack that’s sufficiently small to slot in your pocket.
The big-sized Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is eighteen inches x 12.5 inches x 4 inches / 46 cm x 32 cm x 10 cm. It packs into a really small stuff sack.
Weight
The regular-sized Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is 2 oz / 58 grams.
The big-sized Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is 2.8 oz / 80 grams.
Total, the burden of those makes these pillows finest suited to ultralight hikers and backpackers who need the lightest pillow that can be snug.
Sturdiness
The Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is an inflatable pillow that’s sturdy sufficient for lots of of nights of use with out situation. However as it’s inflatable there may be at all times the opportunity of getting a gap. Most of those points might be associated to person error or attempting to make use of it exterior in areas with spikey crops or packing it inside your pack close to sharp objects that will rub in opposition to the stuff sack. I counsel packing it inside your sleeping bag can be a good suggestion.
Some hikers could attempt to sit on this when it’s inflated which is a positive technique to trigger injury. When you use this product as a pillow then it’s greater than sturdy sufficient to final for lots of of nights of use and abuse.
The Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow comes with a restricted lifetime guarantee which is sweet to know for those who do have any points. Additionally, I can affirm that the customer support division is likely one of the finest within the enterprise.
Ease of Use
Merely take away the pillow from the stuff sack and with two or three breaths will probably be inflated. When first utilizing the pillow you’ll want to mess around with the quantity of air contained in the pillow to find out what strain offers the perfect really feel for you. After you have received that dialed in you might be good to go. The valve and mouthpiece work nicely and are easy too.
Find out how to Care For Your Pillow
After a little bit of use, there might be a little bit of sweat and grime on the pillow. Merely hand wash the pillow with gentle cleaning soap or tech wash to wash the pillow. Air dry earlier than storing.
Worth
In contrast with related camp and backpacking pillows the Therm-a-rest Airhead Lite Pillow within reason priced and sits in the course of the vary in comparison with different light-weight backpacking pillows. Some cheaper pillows exist and there are additionally some dearer ones. Total, respectable worth for cash.
Therm-a-rest Airhead Lite Pillow Vs the Relaxation
How does the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow evaluate with all the opposite ultralight and light-weight backpacking pillows?
For ultralight backpackers, this is likely one of the finest available on the market in 2022. There are solely a few different pillows that may compete for weight, consolation, and pack dimension reminiscent of these from Nemo and Sea to Summit. For anybody anticipating a pillow as snug as your one at dwelling chances are you’ll be disillusioned however there are others on the market that could be extra appropriate. Make sure you take a look at the way it compares with different ultralight backpacking pillows.
Conclusion
Total, the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite Pillow is likely one of the finest ultralight backpacking and mountain climbing pillows for 2022. A mixture of light-weight, small pack dimension and good consolation make it a good selection for individuals who think about these options to be of the utmost significance. Whereas the outer cloth is good and mushy to the robust it may very well be softer. Possibly that’s the reason another light-weight pillows are heavier because the outer materials provides rather a lot to the burden. Having mentioned that it’s a massive enchancment on earlier fashions and pillows from a few years in the past that weren’t so snug. I like this pillow a lot it’s my present ultralight pillow that I take advantage of for mountain climbing and backpacking journeys. A winner.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions
In terms of ultralight backpacking pillows the Therm-a-rest Air Head Lite is likely one of the finest available on the market. It isn’t solely light-weight however snug, and sturdy, and packs as much as a really small dimension. Excellent for backpacking.
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The writer, Brad McCartney from BikeHikeSafari is a small unbiased adventurer and out of doors gear tester who owns and runs BikeHikeSafari.com.
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The writer, Brad McCartney is a really skilled triple crown thru-hiker, adventurer, and bike tourer having spent 1000s of nights sleeping in a tent and sleeping bag (Learn extra). He was a supervisor of an outside retail retailer and may be very skilled in what’s essential when utilizing and testing gear for opinions like this.
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