I came across this company Kookabay who will make pillows to your requirements and they also do a lightweight range of sleeping mats. So unless i come up with something else i may be making an order.
It was interesting to see that the sleeping mats and pillow are indeed quite lightweight and pack size is tiny so i thought i would share it here. Unfortunately the website doesn't give information like U vales etc. but a quick email would resolve that.
If you are in the market for a new mat/pillow duo, you might want to consider these although i know that ordering from the US can be a little expensive and takes time.
Below you will find a list of weight conversions from the US ounces shown on the Kooka Bay web page to grams..
Mats:- 72"x20"x2.5" Mummy 354gr
60"x20"x2.5" Mummy 289gr
72"x20"x2.5" Rectangular 422gr
60"x20"x2.5" Rectangular 354gr
46"x20"x2.5" Rectangular 272gr
Pillow 12"x7.5"x3.5" Inflated. 37gr
Alan, you found what looks like an interesting product. I have not used a Neo Air, I have a Prolite Reg. The reasons for this is 1. The Neo air does not look that comfortable to me - it may be but then my second reason - 2.Unless there is a good reason I don't like buying new gear when I have perfectly serviceable items.
ReplyDeleteWhilst the Prolite is pretty light,I find it quite large when folded up - so the Kooka Bay or POE mats may be worth a further look.
Thanks for bringing it to our attention
Mark
Hi Mark. I bought the Neo-Air because it came out at the time my old std thermarest broke down. All the reviews were raving about how good it was. When you consider the weight and pack size it is ideal. I just find it hard to sleep well on it, as does Sheila.
ReplyDeleteLike my post says, info on the web page is limited so if you are interested send them an email and find out what the specs are. It's good that they will do bespoke gear too.
I have the Kookabay pillow, in a larger version. It's quite nice... but also quite slippery. I find it a little unpleasant to sleep on. I was thinking of getting one of the Exped air pillows, which feel softer to the touch, and weigh almost the same as my larger Kookabay.
ReplyDeleteHi Mark,
ReplyDeleteI am pleased you commented as i was going to order a bespoke one. Do you find it uncomfortable due to it being slippery or it's just uncomfortable, full stop.
If it slides about what about applying some silicone sealant on the bottom side to stop it happening.
I havn't seen the Exped pillow yet but i shall have a look and see if it compliments the height of the Neo air... Thanks.
Sorry - I replied but it obviously didn't go through.
ReplyDeleteI had SilNet on the bottom, but it still slid around a bit on my Ether Elite. I used it semi-inflated, and it was just something in the texture of the nylon material, and the 'rolly-ness' - where my head didn't rest in one position.
I'm a side sleeper, and I found I was repositioning it a lot at night.
Another nice thing about the Exped is it has two holes to tie it in place. The surface is much softer - it has a coating that feels soft and warm, very unlike the nylon of the Kookabay. More like a real pillow.
I might sell my Kookbay and get the Exped.
Hi Mark, Just got back from being away a couple of nights. Hence the late publishing of your comment.
ReplyDeleteThe Exped seems to be a nice pillow and looks well made. At 85gr or 3oz it's a reasonable weight too. I think i will order one or two. Thanks.
Hi Guys - Email Bender at Kookabay re "slipperiness" (is there such a word!) of his pillow/mattress combo. His website is crap, but he is good at personal communication and advice.
ReplyDeleteAlan, the weights you gave are for the heavy fabric, 70d I think? The weight Bender gave me for the 60 is 238g, the 46 is 187g and large pillow is 43g - all in 30d - that's pretty good!!
I was wondering - does the pillow sit on the mattress or at the end - If latter, is there enough height to act as a "pillow" above the height of the mattress?
Any comments? Cheers Rob
PS - my blog is at lightweighttramping.blogspot.com
hi Rob,
ReplyDeleteYou know more than i do if you have sent him an email. I didn’t get that far. In the end i chose an Exped pillow and because i had bought a Neo-air i am stuck with it for a while.
The weights i put on this post were just direct conversions from the website to save people doing the conversion for themselves.
I took the new materials for 2010 to be as per the website but obviously it has not been updated.
Re the pillow, if he has kept the same dimensions, the pillow is 1 inch higher than the mat and i presume that you can use it on or off the mat or in the hood of the sleeping bag. There doesn’t seem to be any way of retaining the pillow on the mat. Although velcro would help if you wanted to go that way.
Appreciate you viewing my blog Rob and i will check yours now that i have the address. Cheers.