HomeHikingHyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow Assessment

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow Assessment


Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow Assessment

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 go 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 reveal a Polartec fleece lining for a softer sleeping floor. You merely stuff this reversible stuff sack together with your spare clothes at night time for a viable sleeping answer – one with a unfavorable 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 bit 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 gives no consolation or help. 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 finest tenting and backpacking pillows. We extremely advocate the Hyperlite Stuff Sack Pillow for severe 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


Value:

$59


Weight:

1.7 oz.


Pillow Sort:

Stuff sack

Execs

  • Extraordinarily light-weight
  • Unparalleled packability
  • Doubles as waterproof storage
  • Fleece lining provides consolation

Cons

  • Requires further clothes for consolation/help
  • Crinkley materials may be noisy
  • Costly

The CleverHiker Editor's Pick Badge Logo with a pillow picture in the middle

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 offer any cushioning or construction, you should stuff it with spare garments and equipment, corresponding to 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. Nevertheless, when he wanted to sleep in that jacket on a surprisingly chilly 20-degree night time within the Gila Wilderness, he was lower than snug sleeping on the few gentle gadgets 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 get pleasure from this cozy fleece materials towards their faces for a softer sleeping floor than the mesh, nylon, and polyurethane coatings of typical stuff sacks.

A male backpacker rests on the Hyperlite Stuff Sack Pillow next to a hot spring
Stress-free on the HMG Stuff Sack Pillow subsequent to a backcountry scorching spring. – picture credit score: Jory Brass (cleverhiker.com)

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. The truth is, it’s so mild 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 marvel.

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

Hyperlite Stuff Sack Pillow sitting on a kitchen scale that reads 1.3 ounces
The HMG Stuff Sack Pillow is the lightest camp pillow we examined. – picture credit score: Jory Brass (cleverhiker.com)

Help

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

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

In fact, that technique solely works when 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 had been 25 levels colder than forecasted. That meant the most effective pillow stuffing left in his pack was chewy granola bars, gloves, and worn socks and underwear – not ultimate for help or consolation.

A bright puffy jacket is partially stuffed inside the Hyperlite Stuff Sack Pillow
Stuff a puffy jacket contained in the HMG Pillow for the most effective consolation. – picture credit score: Jory Brass (cleverhiker.com)

Ease of Use

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow can be extraordinarily straightforward to make use of. As a stuff sack, there’s restricted options and no valve to decelerate setup. It contains 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 reveal 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 items sack doubles as a dry bag that may hold our electronics and insulating layers dry through the day.

When used as a pillow, it could possibly present a water-proof casing to guard a down jacket from loft-killing moisture. In earlier critiques, CleverHiker testers additionally most popular 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.

Close up of Hyperlite Stuff Sack Pillow sitting on a boulder
The Hyperlite Stuff Sack is very sturdy and waterproof. – picture credit score: Jory Brass (cleverhiker.com)

Ought to You Purchase the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow?

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Stuff Sack Pillow is a main different 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, when you’re after consolation and help 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 the most effective stuff sack pillow for ultralight backpacking.

The Hyperlite Stuff Sack pillow turned inside out to show its fleece lining
The fleece liner of the Hyperlite Stuff Sack Pillow provides consolation. – Photograph Credit score: Jory Brass (CleverHiker.com)

What Different Tenting Pillows Ought to You Take into account?

For extra choices, please browse our full information to the finest 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 measurement that’s barely larger than a lime. On the similar time, it packs loads of help and air-pressured cushioning that doesn’t depend upon further garments in your pack. 

NEMO Fillo Luxurious Elite Pillow Assessment: The luxurious elite model of NEMO’s widespread Fillo pillow can be ultralight and ultra-packable. Its luxurious face material is far softer than the Hyperlite stuff sack’s fleece lining. It additionally gives again sleepers with a stage of consolation and help that’s exhausting 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 identical price and weight, although the Zpacks pillow is a bit longer and made with barely thicker Dyneema material. Based mostly on facet by facet testing, the HMG pillow ranked greater 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.