A couple of days late but no worse for wear, SkyMall Tuesday (yes, I know it's Thursday) is back with another installment. My mind, as it often does, wandered toward travel again this week. There is no lack of choice when it comes to travel pillows, and SkyMall offers a bevy of options. These days, however, no one wants a regular old travel pillow. It's almost 2013. It's an era of smart gadgets that handle multiple tasks. So why would you limit yourself to a pillow that does nothing but cushion your head? That's so Pillow 1.0! If you want to be hip, comfortable, and able to carry on all of your luggage, you need to consolidate your life and optimize your travel gear. That's why this week's featured product is perfect for the modern traveler. It combines a pillow and a hooded sweatshirt into a whole new product that's greater than the sum of its parts. Behold, the Grand Trunk Blackout Pillow.

Hoodies are the perfect airplane clothing, because temperatures fluctuate so much in-flight. When you're warm, you can push up your sleeves, unzip your hoodie, or even take off that layer if you'd like (you do wear shirts underneath your hoodies, yes?). When the cabin gets chilly mid-flight, you can zip up or put the hood on. However, packing a sweatshirt during the rest of your trip takes up too much luggage space. So, you might as well attach a hood to your travel pillow, right?

Think that you can very easily pack a pillow and a sweatshirt? Believe that a pillow that can't be deflated will actually take up more room in your bag than a sweatshirt? Well, while you enjoy those dirty pillows and blankets that the airlines provide, we'll be reading the product description:

The worst thing about a long plane, train or bus ride is being awake for it all. So pull out your secret weapon: the Hooded Travel Pillow. Since it's made of soft memory foam covered with fuzzy micro-fleece, your neck and chin can assume proper snooze position. Then, just pull out the stowable hood to cover your face for some primo shut-eye.

You know who sleeps well at night? Kenny from South Park. A privacy hood is the only way to fly!

Don't believe me? Well, perhaps this product video will convince you that your travel pillow needs a hood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Ob176Xi8Y

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