Almost as comfortable as this.

 

Space A Travel Comfort Sleep Kit

Yes, I’m a bit of a gearhead and not ashamed to admit I like my comfort as I age.  For those who don’t know about military Space A travel, I have a post on that very subject dated April 9, 2013.  Sometimes, you will be able to hop an aircraft with sufficient room to spread out a bit or even sleep on the floor which is kinda nice on a long overseas flight.  This kit is designed with that in mind.  Although my Space A travel sleep comfort kit was put together primarily for Space A travel, it could just as easily work for commercial travel where you think a long delay could occur.  Like, oh, the possibility of a blizzard or some other weather related delay could cause you to have to stay at an airport overnight or longer.  Or, it could be used for an overnight visit at a friend’s house or stay at the bedside of a relative at a hospital if rules allow.  The entire kit (in dry bag) weighs 3.6 pounds and fits nicely on the top of my travel backpack.  Dimensions of the dry bag I’m using purchased at the camping section in Walmart measures 14 inches in length and 7 inches in diameter when packed.  So what’s in there?  The biggest comfort item is a Thermarest Trekker Large Torso inflatable pad (comes in its own bag, measures 25 by 45 inches inflated and weighs about a pound).  It’s kinda spendy but I waited a bit and managed to buy it (like most gear I get) on sale.  In hind sight, I should have spent the extra $20 and got the full length large one.  This one is fine for torso coverage and does really well keeping me from the floor but my legs extend a bit beyond the end of the pad and I just prefer to get the full-out comfort the full size would provide.  Other contents include a silk sleeping bag liner (silk is the way to go on a liner), a Byer Traveller Hammock at around ten ounces with substituted bright orange cordage for low light conditions in case I'm allowed to hang instead (hospital is not going to let you hang, of course), a Cocoon ultralight air core pillow (also spendy but packs small and weighs about 4 ounces).   Also in the bag are foam earplugs that came with the sleep mask below but I will replace with the better Alpine Sleepsoft earplugs I have when traveling.  The neat travel case they're in will have to go--I'll put them in a tiny ziploc type baggie instead for space and weight savings.  I also have a Dream Essentials Sweet Dreams Contoured Sleep Mask.  It looks pretty weird but is very comfortable.   I also carry two large black plastic trash bags which can be used as an emergency bivvy (see April 12, 2013 post).  However, I modified one of them by cutting a very small slit in one of the bottom corners and taping a three inch length of 5/8 inch clear plastic tubing to it.  This serves as a homemade version of an Instaflator which I purchased (and recommend).  Here’s their site   http://themillair.com/  which includes a video demonstration of the commercially made one.  I use this instead of blowing up the air mattress by mouth—a lot easier, no moisture in the pad from breath, and I like pack contents to be dual use if possible.  By the way, I made a much smaller version from a bread bag and the 5/8 inch clear tubing to inflate the Cocoon pillow.  More gearhead stuff tomorrow unless an expected guest article comes in.  Too bad I don’t get paid to promote these products, eh?

Contents of green dry bag (left top to right bottom):  microfleece blanket, Thermarest Trekker inflatable pad, silk sleeping bag liner, Cocoon pillow, trash bag, trash bag, sleep mask kit.

Left to right:  silk sleeping bag liner, hammock, microfleece blanket.  Trash bags, sleep mask kit, and dry bag are on the blanket.  Blanket is on the Thermarest pad and the Cocoon pillow is also on the pad.