The Low-Tech Camping Trick To Make A Cozy DIY Pillow

Going camping can be a lot of fun, and there are so many great destinations for this activity around America — from the best lake camping spots in California to reviewers' favorite camping areas in the Smoky Mountains. The challenge with camping is that you need to be organized and pack well. For anyone who struggles with this, a tranquil camping trip can quickly dissolve into a stressful search for forgotten gear, then an uncomfortable few nights trying to make do with whatever you've got. This is especially true if you forget something crucial, like a pillow.

Fortunately, if you can't find your pillow on your next camping trip, you can make a new one on the go by using your sleeping bag's bag. That's right, that little pouch your sleeping bag goes into once it's all rolled up can become a pretty decent substitute. All you need to do is stuff it with some clothes, and voila, you've got yourself a pillow. Ideally, you should choose your softest clothes, avoiding any with zips or buttons.

A pillow may not seem like the most important item for camping, but it's actually considered one of the essentials, right up there with a tent, hammer, blow-up bed, camping chairs, and table. Getting a good night's sleep is one of the most important things you can do for optimal mental and bodily function. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, sleep affects how we think, learn, work, and interact with others. So if you're tossing and turning all night because you don't have a pillow, your trip may be ruined.

Maybe a DIY clothes-stuffed pillow doesn't appeal to you as much as your duck down pillow at home — fair enough. The obvious cons here are your clothes get all squashed and crinkled, your pillow is lumpy, and, in dire times, you're resting your head on dirty, smelly clothes. It's not exactly ideal.

One way people get around this is by choosing one item of clothing, preferably a clean hoodie, as the pillow stuffing for a cozier experience. You could even keep a spare hoodie in your car for this purpose. Other campers have used jumbo-sized plastic storage bags (Hefty has some decent ones) as pillows. Instead of filling these bags with clothes, they put one or two shirts inside (stops the bag crackling in your ear), then fill it with air. After that, slip the air-filled bag into a pillowcase to create an inflated pillow.

None of these options are going to be as comfortable as sleeping with your actual pillow. But they're a lot better than trying to rest your head on your airbed or hard ground. Speaking of camping essentials, have you ever considered packing fluorescent tape? It makes it easier to see your guy ropes and avoid tripping over them, possibly making it the smartest thing to pack for camping. Another great hack for winter camping is aluminum foil, which can keep your feet warm and dry.