A down travel pillow was this hiker's dream
“Our train got there at 10:30 at night, and everything in town was closed.” That’s how one traveller describes her trip from Paris to the resort town of Chamonix, near Mont Blanc in the Alps. The trip was a whim, one of those larks undertaken by those bitten by the travel bug.
View full article →
Pillowpacker Pillow Rides Again
That's according to Bill Mooney of Tennessee, and I quote: "My favorite traveling companion. PillowPacker Rocks." So, don't be shy about taking your Pillowpacker pillow with you wherever (or however) you roam because with your Pillowpacker pillow....it's like sleeping at home!
We appreciate seeing pics of our pillows in action like those from Alaska and base camp on Mt. Kilimanjaro among many others in previous posts and testimonials. Send us yours!
Happy and safe trails Bill and happy Pillowpacking!
Toronto Star Travel Editor Discovers Our Pillow
The Toronto Star travel editor took one of our pillows for a work-out and wrote that it was one of 4 "must" items to take the next time you travel. We're not sure about the other 3 but definitely any of our pillows are a "must"....leave your shoes behind but never leave home without your trusty sleep buddy, your pillowpacker inflatable travel pillow.
Here's the link to here post:
So far this year our pillows have been reviewed in the LA Times, Winnipeg Free Press and the Toronto Star.
Winnipeg Free Press Review Of Our Pillow
Copy editor Kelly Taylor of the Winnipeg Free Press took one of our pillows for a "road test", a reasonable analogy since Kelly is also the WFP automotive critic.
|
Kelly Taylor is not normally encouraged to sleep on the job. Here's what he had to say.... If you’ve ever stayed awake at night in a hotel room thinking to yourself, "If I just had a bit more pillow..." there’s something on the market you might like. Created by Canadian company Pillowpacker Pillows, the inflatable travel pillow tucks away neatly in a suitcase and inflates with just a couple of puffs. A quick-release valve makes easy work of adjusting the pressure inside the pillow to the user’s preference. |
|
On a recent trip to Finland, the Pillowpacker came in handy, supplementing the pillows at the Scandic Simonkentta Hotel in Helsinki and later at Santa’s Gisele Hotel in Saariselka. Kept in my carry-on, it was a welcome companion for the economy-class flight from Copenhagen to Toronto. The pillow folds into a tube about the size of a football and features an outer pillow of either hypoallergenic microfibre, duck down or goose down. An outer cover is available in a variety of colours. Prices range from $90 for a pillow with a microfibre cushion to $225 with premium Hutterite goose down. (Geese have religion, who knew?) |
Pillowpacker Prize Won By Laurie F. of Ottawa
At the recent National Womens' Show we offered a prize of a silk sleeping liner to the winner of our contest draw. That prize was won by Laurie F. of Ottawa which she claimed earlier this week at Pillowpacker World Headquarters in Briitannia Village.
We also offered contestants the option to exchange the value of their silk sleeping liner toward the purchase of any of our world class inflatable travel pillows and Laurie exercised this option. Laurie selected one of our microfibre models which Garry presented to her along with all the accessories that accompany our pillow sets.
We wish Laurie a lifetime of comfortable Pillowpacking!
Down Versus Feathers – What’s The Difference – And So What?
There is a lot of confusion with terminology as it relates to products used as natural filling in garments, bedding and, more specifically, in pillows. What’s the difference and why should you care? Well there is a very significant difference that I’ll try and explain and which will bring us to the So What aspect of this article.Both feathers and down come from birds which is about the extent of their similarity, and ducks and geese are the birds in question.
Let’s start with Down. Down is the undercoating of waterfowl. It consists of millions of light, fluffy filaments, growing from a central quill point. Down is naturally very fluffy and light and has the marvellous ability to breath and “wick away” body moisture. Every ounce of quality down has about 2 million fluffy filaments that interlock and overlap, creating a three-dimensional structure or cluster that traps air that makes down so desirable. The ability of these filaments to trap air is called “loft”. Down continually re-lofts and molds itself to the body without clumping. Because of its resilience, you can scrunch it up or flatten it out and it will still bounce back to its original shape in order to maintain its warm and fluffy properties.
Goose clusters are generally larger than duck clusters and typically come from older, larger birds. As a result, their down tends to produce higher fill powers, be more resilient and durable than duck down. Because a duck’s diet is usually more diverse than a goose, which eats only grass, goose down also tends to have fewer odour problems than duck. This is not an issue with Pillowpacker Pillows All our down is produced by Feather Industries, the largest processor of feathers and down in Canada, and exceeds all Canadian and International cleanliness standards.
Feather Industries only buys feathers and down from farmers who follow their policies regarding the ethical treatment of animals, which include but are not limited to, no force feeding (and whenever possible, free range fed) and absolutely no live plucking. No waterfowl are ever raised solely for the harvest of their down. Using down from livestock provides farmers with an additional source of income and reduces waste. Feather Industries buy feathers and down from the Canadian Hutterites and Brome Lake Duck, the two sources of down in our down pillows.
Feather Industries uses eco-friendly processes to wash, clean and sanitize the down to the highest international standards. The by-products and cleaning agents are 100% biodegradable. The end result is a product with a much lower carbon footprint than synthetic alternatives. The adherence to these strict standards and the vigilance to ensure that these ethical policies are practiced by all partners continue to make Canadian Feather Industries one of the most respected companies in the industry.
Now what about feathers? Feathers on geese or ducks are the outer covering of the bird. They have quills, repel water, and make it possible for the animal to fly but have little loft compared to down. Rather than forming clusters they are basically a relatively straight structure with few of the benefits of down.
Finally: So What? Why should you care? For one thing you want to be assured that what is claimed to be in your product actually IS in it. You want and need assurance that you are getting what you pay for! Mostly people who have allergies express concern about down and worry that down will affect their allergies. Most of the time, any allergic reaction to down bedding is usually due to impurities trapped in the down, not the down itself. Our down has been prepared to the highest standards and is deemed to be hypoallergenic, which means that it has been specially cleaned and processed to screen out impurities. However, those who suffer from avian allergies may opt for a microfibre pillow because of the bacteria- and mildew-inhibiting and hypoallergenic properties of the manufactured fibres.
At Pillowpacker Pillows we pend a lot of time worrying about details so that you do not have to. Our website has many articles related to down (and microfibre) that will go a long way to helping you decide what product is best for you. As a starting point follow this link and browse further at your own pace: https://www.pillowpackers.com/blogs/more-information/57857347-more-about-our-down
Pillowpacker Pillows adds new Down pillow to our Premium pillow line-up!
Beth and I are pleased to announce that we have added a new member to our Down family of Pillowpacker pillows. It is another premium pillow, naturally 100% Canadian content, so we can certify that what we say is in the pillow is actually IN the pillow. We've added this pillow because of a new business partnership with another supplier, Marie L'Oie from St-Jérome, Québec; here is a picture of Beth with the owner, Nancy Simon of Marie L'Oie.
The details: Our Canadian White Down outer pillow is filled with 5 ounces/150 grams of a premium mix of white goose down (minimum 25%) and white duck down (maximum 75%) from Lake Brome, Quebec. The white down clusters provide a loft of 560-575 and are contained in a down-proof shell of 100% white cotton, 260 thread count. The pillow size is 20X14 inches (51x36 cm) and has a full-length zipper opening. Pillowpacker® Canadian White Down pillows are made in Quebec and bear the Down Mark, your assurance that the down is of the highest quality.
This product is so new we only made it available at the National Women's Show earlier this month and it is not yet added to our website selections. This will take us a bit of time but in the meantime anyone interested in buying one can benefit from the Trade Show price of $150 (plus tax) until we do so. We expect the price to be in the $175 range when it is added to our site. Anyone wanting to order this pillow should send me a "Contact Us" form request and I will process orders manually so as to bill only the lower price. Here's a pic of our new pillow family member:
Pillowpacker Pillows Launches New Pillow Model at National Women's Show
Pillowpacker Inflatable Travel Pillows will be launching a brand new premium pillow model at the upcoming National Women's Show at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa April 8 and 9. We will be located in Booth 205 so please join Beth and Garry over the coarse of the Show. Our new pillow is a luxurious Canadian product made of natural white down from Québec and we will be offering it a discounted introductory price available only at the Show.
We have a co-branded coupon for the show attached to this post so download it and use it in conjunction with your admission tickets.
How important is comfort when you travel? A few things to consider!
Let’s start with some idea of what constitutes comfort. At home it can as simple be a pair of cozy well-worn slippers or a favourite sweater on chilly days. But when you are travelling you may be well outside your “comfort zone” in more ways than one.
Travellers may find comfort in indirect and direct things. Indirect things may include peace of mind through confidence that your trip and plans are all nicely looked after whether made by yourself or a trusted travel consultant. Loose ends or uncertainty at this stage of your travel experience can be very disquieting and “uncomfortable” So, get this aspect looked after with confidence and add to your comfort. See our blog post “Book it yourself or use a Travel Expert? - Ten things to consider!” for more details.
Another indirect aspect of comfort may be related to hygiene. Hygiene is increasingly on travellers’ list of concerns, especially to “exotic” places but even to non-exotic locations like some major North American cities. What could be a concern going to North American hotels with brand name recognition? Well many travellers have told me that pillows are very much a new issue. Some hotels now provide many of them but they are exaggerated in size or firmness. So bringing your own “personal” pillow can deal with this concern.
A further issue with hotel accommodations is the increased use of strong detergents or other additives to the washing of bedding that can irritate skin and cause discomfort. Naturally, travelling to more exotic places compounds the likelihood that hygiene is a major concern. In addition to the importance of bodily hygiene there may be factors such as protection from insects of various “hazard” ratings.
Silk sleeper liners are designed to add a significant degree of protection from either of these latter two factors. Lightweight and packable these liners fit inside beds or sleeping bags to add a layer of separation of skin from hotel bedding.
What about the importance of good sleep or quality rest while en route and at your destination? Flights of short duration are not much of a comfort concern but what about long haul non-stop legs of 15-20 or more hours? Now we’re talking about real comfort and discomfort concerns. Here is what Carole Gobeil, travel specialist with Far Horizons has to say about comfort related issues….
“What I am finding more and more in my years as a travel consultant, is that the biggest challenge for my trip and for my clients is the flights. The delays, the tight squeeze on the plane, the terrible food, enduring some strong perfume scents, listening to the constant noisy humming sound for many hours, the bad air that we breathe and the germs that we share are all part of the picture. We sit next to someone who has a cold, and next thing we know we have a cold 3 days later. Not getting any sleep on a long flight definitely affects how we feel when we arrive at our destination; tired, dehydrated, and adapting to a different time zone are all part of the challenges traveling by air today. So how do I make it easier?
I would say using my amazing Pillowpacker travel pillow is an added touch for some comfort while traveling by plane today, not only as a head pillow, but sometimes for seat or back support. It is versatile, and an easy to pack carry on travel item. I don’t travel without it today. I even use it in my car travels, train, jeep safaris and even camping. My Pillowpacker pillow, combined with a full bottle of water on hand, sleeping mask, ear plugs (or those fancy ear phones), my sandals or slippers (I take off my boots), comfortable loose clothes, extra layers to use for extra warmth (as it gets pretty cold on some of those planes), extra vitamin C and some eucalyptus, I am ready to get on board my flights.
I also see that more and more of my clients are opting to travel in business or at least in some premium class. It just makes their whole travel experience more enjoyable overall. Bottom line, it’s a combination of small things that add up to make one’s travel experience more comfortable and enjoyable.”
So, in summary, your travel comfort can be enhanced by indirect and direct action. Indirect factors include taking steps to relieve stressful aspects like uncertainty by having confidence your travel plans will bring no unpleasant surprises, often assisted with a travel expert. Direct action includes adding your personal hygiene items and sleep / comfort-enhancing products that easily store in your carry on luggage.
