Camping pillows: Which are best?

Camping is about immersing yourself in nature, getting away from the stuffy confines of modernity and losing yourself in Mother Nature’s wonderland. But you don’t have to suffer a bad night’s sleep just because you’re spreading your sleeping bag on the ground. When you’re ready to sack out, don’t rest your weary head on a rolled-up jacket or a sack of dirty laundry. Try a camping pillow, designed to be light, comfortable and easy to pack. We tested four brands.

First look: The Pacific Outdoor Si Pillow is a self-inflating, 14 1/2 -by-10-inch nylon cushion that weighs 8 ounces. Once the air is pushed out, you can squeeze it down to the size of a foot-long sub sandwich. Undo the screw valve and the pillow reinflates to about 3 inches thick.

Likesand yikes: Because the Si Pillow is, essentially, an inflatable bladder, you can adjust the size by blowing in more air. The big drawback of the Si Pillow is that the outer cover is made of a hard, slick nylon material that makes a racket every time you turn your head. The 411: $19, available at Sport Chalet and Adventure 16, or call (406) 586-5258, or go to www.pacoutdoor.com.