Thanks guys! Well here's the way I see it: a big pillow or blanket takes the body out of the sound. The bass drum is big for a reason, so why not let it breathe. I have always used blankets in the past, but have found that a small blanket just barely touching the head gives me a nice short boom (as opposed to the super quick thud you get when you over-muffle). If the blanket moves around though, you have to constantly rearrange it. This is a pain if you don't have a port hole. This is why I am interested in trying the felt strips... It's cheap, and you only need to get it right once; no fiddling with a moving blanket. That's my thought anyway.