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Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Camping

Self Inflating Mats

19 replies

MrsBauer · 10/08/2008 20:34

Are these any good??

We currently use airbeds and they take up loads of room in the car and i'm constantly repairing punctures. I admit we have only bought cheap airbeds from Tescos.

It's got to the stage where the kids need new airbeds (had little ones with sides) and our double is punctured again.

Are these mats any better? What brand would you recommend etc

Ta

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Donk · 10/08/2008 21:00

I love my thermarest - its not as comfortable as an air bed - or my normal bed, but I sleep well on it and don't wake up with a sore back or anything, and it packs up so compactly!
Thermarest are quite expensive, bu I've had mine for about 20 years and its still going strong...

Blandmum · 10/08/2008 21:02

I have fat airicks , which had their first outing this year.

Excellent, much more comfortable and warm than airbeds. We have really good camp beds, but I don't think I'll use them again, and the mats are so good and so much easier to set up.

Donk · 10/08/2008 21:06

I love my thermarest - its not as comfortable as an air bed - or my normal bed, but I sleep well on it and don't wake up with a sore back or anything, and it packs up so compactly!
Thermarest are quite expensive, bu I've had mine for about 20 years and its still going strong...

Lilymaid · 10/08/2008 21:11

Choose your Airic here. Similar quality to Thermarest but considerably cheaper. Very comfortable (especially the Fat Airic).

anniebear · 10/08/2008 21:19

how small are they wen deflated?

Blandmum · 10/08/2008 21:21

fat airics are not for people who are hiking. Mine is about 75cn by about 20 cm. fine if you have the space in the cat. Not fat airicks are thinner IYSWIM

MrsBauer · 10/08/2008 21:21

I have just been looking at the airics, thinking Fat airics for me and the old man!
Do you think the kids would be ok on a thinner one, they are only 3 and 5.
Or what about this one Any experinces of this? Only slighter cheaper than the airic though

OP posts:

anniebear · 10/08/2008 21:24

have only just bought a tent today! we were just going to get a couple of Tesco doubles

Now a bit worried after reading this! But cant afford two of these ones

Lilymaid · 10/08/2008 23:34

Alpkit give the deflated/rolled sizes of Airics on their website. The Fat Airic is given as 65 x18 cm.

ShePeeTeePee · 11/08/2008 10:42

We decided to save space and money by buying regular rather than fat Airics. I think they're great - couldn't feel the ground at all (Although I prefer firm beds to squishy ones anyway). Wee airic are good for younger kids, though you may possibly need to upgrade them when they get taller (I'm still in denial that this will happen).

bluesushicat · 14/08/2008 20:10

I bought aldi ones for the kids but we 'borrowed' them when our air mattress deflated. They were surprisingly comfortable and the boys were fine on the ground . I'm going to buy some airics for us now - am converted.

notsofarnow · 16/08/2008 14:34

we had self inflating ones from aldi or lidl a few years ago only the dc have used them on guide camp but i'm going camping next week so goingto give them a try.

MrsBauer · 17/08/2008 11:18

Well I have gone for it and looked at it as an investment. I have bought 2 fat airics for me and the old man and the regular ones for the kids. I hope they arrive quickly, so I can take them with me on Friday!
Thanks for everybodies advice

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OhYouBadBadKitten · 18/08/2008 22:53

Having got back (literally) from the alps with our new airics I can highly recommend them. We've the regular ones. I also invested in a warm sleeping bag (snugpak softie or summat like that I think its called) My arthritis in my back barely murmurmed for once. I was so comfortable. I tend to get very cold and the temp got close to freezing so I put on my usual layers but was so warm I had to shed them all in the night!

kiwibella · 27/08/2008 15:28

another vote for the fat airics here!! We purchased two for dh and I after reading several references on mn... and slept like a baby for the whole week.

Of course, sleeping like a baby for me means being up once or twice a night with the lo... but these mats were really comfy.

melrose · 27/08/2008 16:10

Oh so glad I found this thread. Have a double auirbed but it deflated overnight on our hols this weekdn and need an alternative. Is this the way to go? What about campbeds??

MrsBauer · 27/08/2008 16:59

I too can recommend the airics. Had a very comfy weekend They are expensive but they will (hopefully) last for years and I'm sure I would have soon clocked up the money on replacing airbeds.

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kiwibella · 27/08/2008 17:20

personally, I don't like airbeds cos my dh is so much bigger than me. These were a perfect solution.

Crunchie · 27/08/2008 18:51

I love the self inflating jobbies. We got them last year for us and it ws so much better than tyhe airbed, now got them for the kids too. It also saves HUGE amounts of time when setting up camp, we simply unroll and chuck them down when we first unpack, and by bedtime they are perfect

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