Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow Evaluate

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 strategy 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 answer – one with a damaging internet weight because you’re repurposing different supplies in your “pillow.” This was, by far, the lightest, most packable choice we examined whereas backpacking the Gila Wilderness and a piece of the Continental Divide Path.  

These items-sack-by-day, pillow-by-night technique is a distinct segment answer for weight-obsessed backpackers. By itself, the HMG Stuff Sack Pillow supplies no consolation or assist. Its worth stems from its unparalleled weight financial savings and packability – that’s why it’s an Editor’s Choose on our listing 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 piece of the Continental Divide Path by CleverHiker gear analyst Jory Brass.

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, it is advisable stuff it with spare garments and equipment, akin to baselayers, socks, midlayers, and (ideally) a puffy. Gear analyst Jory Brass discovered the HMG Stuff Sack reasonably comfy when stuffed along with his Patagonia Micro Puff Jacket. Nevertheless, when he wanted to sleep in that jacket on a surprisingly chilly 20-degree evening within the Gila Wilderness, he was lower than comfy sleeping on the few gentle objects he had left in his pack.  

Consolation isn’t these things sack’s energy, 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 choice in our lineup. Actually, it’s so gentle and packable that it arrived packaged in a standard envelope. That’s the good thing about Dyneema – “the world’s strongest fiber” – which is a big improve over frequent, polyurethane-coated nylon dry baggage. The premium Dyneema composite materials makes these things sack pillow surprisingly sturdy. CleverHiker Senior Senior Gear Analyst Casey Handley acquired almost seven years and 4,000 miles of use out of this waterproof, light-weight marvel.

For those who’re already utilizing it as a stuff sack, the HMG Stuff Sack Pillow truly has a damaging internet weight since you’re repurposing objects that you simply’re already carrying. That is the low-weight choice for backpackers who prioritize weight and packability over every thing else.

Help

The draw back of all the burden financial savings is the Hyperlite Stuff Sack pillow supplies zero assist by itself. You have to stuff it with spare clothes out of your backpack to construct up assist in your head and neck. Thus, the stuff sack ranked useless final in assist in contrast with the opposite backpacking pillows we examined.

Even so, the Hyperlite Pillow offered Gear Analyst Jory Brass enough assist when he stuffed it along with his Patagonia puffy jacket on a check journey within the Gila Wilderness. Actually, that mixture offered extra assist than the Western Mountaineering Down Pillow as a result of its larger packed quantity.

In fact, that technique solely works in the event you’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 one of the best pillow stuffing left in his pack was chewy granola bars, gloves, and worn socks and underwear – not supreme 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 includes a easy zipper closure and see-through materials that makes it straightforward to maintain observe of the contents you’ve packed inside. To remodel it right into a pillow, you merely flip this reversible stuff sack inside out to show the gentle, fleece lining. This took lower than 5 seconds in our subject testing. 

We additionally just like the multi-purpose nature of these things sack pillow. On prime of its use as a backpacking pillow, this can be a premium stuff sack. With a waterproof zipper, sealed seams, and waterproof Dyneema composite shell, these things sack doubles as a dry bag that may maintain our electronics and insulating layers dry in the course of the day.

When used as a pillow, it could present a water-resistant casing to guard a down jacket from loft-killing moisture. In earlier evaluations, 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 first-rate 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.

Nevertheless, in the event you’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 Choose as one of the best stuff sack pillow for ultralight backpacking.

What Different Tenting Pillows Ought to You Contemplate?

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 Evaluate: The Aeros Premium Pillow weighs solely 2.7 ounces with a packed measurement that’s barely larger than a lime. On the identical time, it packs loads of assist and air-pressured cushioning that doesn’t rely on further garments in your pack. 

NEMO Fillo Huge Elite Pillow Evaluate: The large elite model of NEMO’s fashionable Fillo pillow can also be ultralight and ultra-packable. Its luxurious face cloth is far softer than the Hyperlite stuff sack’s fleece lining. It additionally supplies again sleepers with a stage of consolation and assist that’s onerous to match in a sack full of 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 analogous price and weight, although the Zpacks pillow is slightly longer and made with barely thicker Dyneema cloth. Based mostly on facet by facet testing, the HMG pillow ranked increased than the Zpacks stuff pillow on our listing due to the extra handy zipper placement. Nevertheless, each are nice decisions for ultralight backpackers who wish to improve the stuff-sack sleeping expertise.