Update: My uncle said to skip the $60 camp pillow and just use a stuff sack, and he was dead right

Lucas Schmidt · 2026-10-12T04:00:05.510842+00:00

My uncle has been backpacking the Ozarks for like 30 years and when I showed him my gear list before a trip to Arkansas last month he laughed at the inflatable pillow I had picked out. He said just stuff your puffy jacket in a sack and save the money and the weight. I ignored him at first because I figured a real pillow would help me sleep better after a long day of hiking. Two nights in I was tossing around because the thing kept sliding off my sleeping pad and made this crinkly sound every time I moved. Third night I shoved my jacket in a stuff sack like he told me and honestly I slept better than I had the whole trip. It weighed nothing, packed down smaller, and I didn't have to worry about a leak or a puncture on the trail. Now I'm wondering if I've been overpacking other stuff too. Has anyone else had a cheap trick work better than the gear they spent real money on?

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Update: My uncle said to skip the $60 camp pillow and just use a stuff sack, and he was dead right | Camping Gear Reviews - Babble Community