Klymit Pillow X Travel Pillow,

I have owned two of these Klymit X Pillows for almost two years. I also have two each of the Klymit Static V Sheets and Klymit Static V Pads. The sheet and pillow are absolutely amazing together, and are both fantastic pieces of engineering that none of Klymit's competitors (surprisingly) seem to have picked up on. The pad needs improvement - especially with the air valve - but I'll get to that in another review. My son is an Eagle Scout. Over the past seven years, we have tent camped over 125 nights, with many of those spent deep in the backcountry. We've also spent nights sprawled out wherever we could find space on a catamaran, and on uncomfortable cots and flat mattresses in rustic cabins. As he's aged, our camping habits have changed. The bulky Coleman pads and sleeping bags were replaced with feather-light Thermarest pads and narrow Nemo mummy bags. Those had their own limitations, and were in turn replaced by new gear. We've learned what works and what doesn't, and have realized the need to have a variety of gear options for different seasons and scenarios. I purchased our Klymit sleep systems shortly before we embarked on a 5-night sailing trip in the Bahamas. I wanted something that would pack down small because we had to fit all of our gear into 45L duffel bags, and I also wanted an additional option for warm-weather backpacking. The Klymit Static V with sheet and pillow fit that bill nicely, especially when paired with a Horizon Hound 55 degree quilt. The whole system packed down so small that it could be contained in a 2 gallon Ziplock bag along with a Flextail air pump and a pair of sleep shorts and t-shirt with room to spare. While this system was purchased for a specific purpose, it has become my go-to for warm weather camping and any cabin camping. This review is specifically for the Klymit X Pillow, and it is my second favorite part of the sleep system (the first being the Klymit Static V Sheet). So much so that we have begun using the sheet and pillow on another manufacturer's pad that is better insulated and has a better air valve system. You definitely do not need to use the sheet and pillow together, but they make a fantastic combo. The X Pillow fits nicely into the protective pillow sleeve on the Static V Sheet, though it can hold a larger pillow as well. First off, the X Pillow is TINY. As an ultralight backpacker, I greatly appreciate not only the size, but also the miniscule weight of this pillow. I previously had a Sea to Summit Aeros pillow (which is also super lightweight), but the shape and thickness of the Aeros were always a problem for me. I could never get it inflated to a comfortable thickness, and would wake up with a sore neck most mornings. With the X Pillow, I don't have that problem. I just inflate it to full thickness and the unique "X" shape cradles my head perfectly, whether I sleep on my back, side, or stomach. It's actually surprising to find such comfort in such a small pillow, but the design just works. Kudos to Klymit for such an impressive design. As I mentioned, I typically use the X Pillow in conjunction with the Klymit Static V Sheet. I would not want to sleep with my face directly on the pillow for the same reasons I would not want to sleep with my legs or other parts of my body directly on the sleeping pad. It isn't a comfortable material, and it really needs to be protected from sweat, body oil, and other grime to prolong its life. If I don't have my sheet, I will occasionally use a small pillow case, but even the cases sized for travel pillows are way to big for the X Pillow. It would be great if Klymit would come up with some type of washable cover for this pillow as an alternative. As far as inflating the pillow, it can be done in just a few breaths. I usually carry a small air pump and use that instead in order to help keep moisture and bacteria out of the inside of the pillow. Deflating can occasionally take a little patience, as you have to squeeze each of the chambers until all of the air exits through the valve. Once deflated, the pillow easily folds up and fits nicely into its tiny pouch. It's mostly flat inside the pouch, whereas the Aeros pillow rolled up into a more round shape. The X Pillow takes up less space and costs about half as much. Win/win. Overall, my Klymit X Pillow has become my favorite camping pillow. I haven't used the Sea to Summit Aeros at all since I purchased the X Pillow. For colder weather car camping, I do prefer my Thermarest foam pillow (with a small pillow case I purchased at Walmart). But for backpacking and warmer weather camping, the X Pillow is definitely my go-to. I should note that I did just purchase a Zenbivy Light sleep system. Their pillow is an inflatable bladder that fits inside of a case that straps down to the hood in their sheet. I'm going to try it out, but if I don't like that pillow I'll definitely try to find a way to fit my X Pillow into that case. And my son will definitely continue using his Klymit X Pillow and Static V Sheet with a new Nemo pad and REI Magma quilt.