Side Sleeping with Nemo’s new Fillo King Camping Pillow

If you’re like me, and a large percentage of the human race, you prefer to sleep on your side. I try to avoid falling asleep on my back in fear of snoring my wife awake. Or even waking myself from a comfortable slumber. So I typically roll onto my side, curl up and drift off to sleep. Easy to do at home on my memory foam mattress and multiple pillows. Not as easy while traveling Overland and camping. Fortunately, Nemo Equipment must have a few side sleepers among the crew because they’ve got our back. First, the spoon shaped sleeping bags. Now the larger Fillo King Camping Pillow.

With a full 6 inches of height, the Fillo King offers “majestic sleep for the broad shouldered”. Having owned the original Fillo Backpacking Pillow for years, I’ve come to appreciate the build quality and comfort of Nemos Fillo line. The Original model is a great option for backpacking or kayak camping where space and weight are of paramount importance. For Overland camping, I really wanted a fuller sized pillow for comfortable sleeping in our roof top tent. My sleep system still lacked the perfect pillow.

We brought full sized pillows from home which were too big to leave in the tent. And sat awkwardly in the back seat taking up a ton of space. Then we purchased travel sized bamboo pillows on Amazon similar in thickness to our pillows at home. They offered a much smaller footprint but still too thick to leave in the tent when folding up. When I saw the Fillo King at Outdoor Retailer last summer, I knew this might be the ticket. Bigger in size than the Original Fillo plus a full 6 inches thick, this inflatable pillow can also be deflated flat. And will easily be left inside the tent with our sleeping bags when we pack up. A major plus now that vehicle cabin space is at a premium in the FJ Cruiser.

Nemo Fillo King Features:

• Rolls easily into an integrated stuff sack.
• 6″ I-Beam baffled air cell creates a pillow-like shape.
• Updated valve
• Ultra-soft jersey blend cover offers a smooth and clean, cooling feel.
• Upcycled soft foam filling provides cushy loft and reduces waste.
• Protected by the NEMO Lifetime Warranty.
• MSRP: $69.95

As soon as I opened the package, I inflated the Fillo King and slept at home with it. My wife laughed as we woke up in our king sized bed and me with my new camping pillow. I was well rested and my busted shoulders weren’t crying in pain. I sustained several shoulder injuries while serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment that still plague me. Making side sleeping a real challenge at times. To make sure it wasn’t a fluke, I slept the following night with the Fillo King and again woke up in good shape.

A trip to the Upper Peninsula to ski at Mount Bohemia found “pillow” on the packing list. So I deflated the Fillo King and rolled it in with my Nemo Disco 15F and off we went. Although we were sleeping on beds in a cabin, linens were not part of the deal. The Fillo King packed small yet slept large. I actually over filled the pillow initially but easily adjusted the inflation pressure while laying my head on the pillow with the new inflation valve.

As good stewards of the environment, Nemo found that the wasted foam from their premium self inflating sleeping pads had another use. As filling for the Fillo King Camping Pillow. This provides a cushy loft and reduces manufacturing waste. On the outside of the pillow, Nemo uses an ultra soft jersey blend cover. Which offers a supple feel yet remains cool when sleeping on it.

Measuring 17″ x 14″ x 6″ thick, the Fillo King rolls into its included stuff sack for easy packing. This is the solution for Overland travel that I’ve been seeking. Thick enough to sleep on my side without destroying my shoulders. Yet thin enough when deflated to leave in the roof top tent. I’m looking forward to the snow melting and the start of our Overland season. With several trips planned, I’m hopeful that sleeping will be the same relaxing and rejuvenating process that it is at home.