Knee Pillow Brainstorm

**leiavoia** · 02-26-2018, 16:34

I want a better knee pillow. I need you to help me think of what i can use.

Requirements:

Ultralight weight for backpackers.
Big. As big as a regular bedroom pillow.
Can't just be clothes in a stuffsack. (UL backpackers don't have this much clothing and my jacket is already in use.).

What i'm thinking is to use a plastic bag and blow it up like a balloon, then close it shut with a twist/clip/tie/clamp/knot/thing. A plastic bag is light, small, and blows up big. I can put the bag inside a tougher stuff sack for rigidity.

If so, what sort of plastic bag can i use for this? I need something airtight, durable-ish, and roughly pillow sized.

Thoughts?

Thanks for your feedback.

**mrcheviot** · 02-26-2018, 16:48

Dutch sells (or used to sell) plastic bags that had a little one-way valve you could inflate & deflate with a straw, I'm not sure they're big enough but perhaps you could find something similar in the size you're looking for. Maybe there's a lightweight vacuum or packaging bag that'll be big enough.

**OlTrailDog** · 02-26-2018, 19:54

The answer is really pretty simple. You might want to get a hammock that does not require a pillow to be stuffed willy nilly about various body parts in order to be comfortable. Yes, comfort is obtainable. Personally, I chose not to inhabit a hammock that refuses to be comfortable by it's inherent design flaws.

**leiavoia** · 02-26-2018, 20:11

Originally Posted by OlTrailDog

The answer is really pretty simple ... Personally, I chose not to inhabit a hammock that refuses to be comfortable by it's inherent design flaws.

Hammock is fine. Back is not. So, no, it isn't that simple.

**JT4446** · 02-26-2018, 20:19

You could get an inexpensive dry bag which you can use for storage packing in and out. It should hold air well. More durable and useful than a plastic bag, maybe.

**Monkeyboy42** · 02-26-2018, 20:34

Originally Posted by JT4446

You could get an inexpensive dry bag which you can use for storage packing in and out. It should hold air well. More durable and useful than a plastic bag, maybe.

This would be worth a try. Most dry bags are not 100% air tight though. They’ll slowly leak air in my experience, especially under pressure. Definitely worth trying, and seeing if it holds up pressure enough though.

There lots of 3-4oz inflatable pillows out there, but the max out at around 17”. What size do you really need though?

**Vryce** · 02-26-2018, 20:41

Maybe a couple of inflatable pillows in some sort of bag? If you're blowing up a dry bag anyways. Some inflatable pillows might keep it inflated.

**mrcheviot** · 02-26-2018, 20:49

Originally Posted by OlTrailDog

The answer is really pretty simple. You might want to get a hammock that does not require a pillow to be stuffed willy nilly about various body parts in order to be comfortable. Yes, comfort is obtainable. Personally, I chose not to inhabit a hammock that refuses to be comfortable by it's inherent design flaws.

Okay buddy.. because knee hyperextension, hip tension, and/or lower back pain only exist in the imaginations of those who experience them.

**leiavoia** · 02-26-2018, 20:55

I do in fact have some inflatable pillows. I'm looking more for a dollar store hack than an off the shelf product.

I want to engineer something big enough to make me feel like i'm in recliner.

**bobamos** · 02-26-2018, 21:08

How about those bags used to store things in that you vacuum out the air. If it will hold a vacuum it should hold air too. They come in all sorts of sizes.