Bloody camping!

[CampingCaroline]

We go camping every summer. I am so fed up with having to buy new airbeds every year! This year I gave the Tesco £7 ones a miss and bought £30 ones and they still deflated overnight and 2/4 got a puncture.

In a shop I tried one of those nylon camp beds with fabric stretched across a metal frame and it felt so uncomfortable.

Short of hiring a van, and taking our actual beds from home, does a non-inflatable, comfortable way to sleep in a tent actually exist, that will last a few years?

Airbeds lose pressure overnight anyway even if they don't have any punctures. I've slept on them indoors and if I'm using it for several nights and keep topping it up it not so bad, but the first night I'm waking up with my arse on the floor. In a cold tent I expect it's even worse.

We have ex-military canvas camp beds. They are proper cotton canvas with a sturdy frame, a good size and comfortable, I put a 100% wool blanket on the top of the bed as extra cushioning. As it's all natural fibres that morning tent dampness is much reduced.

Airbeds lose pressure overnight anyway even if they don't have any punctures

The red and blue ones really don't. We just slept for 4 nights at a festival on ours and didn't top it up once. They are so much better than the others.

What an earth are you lot doing to get punctures in air beds?! I have a standard one from Argos and it’s been brilliant, no puncture and stays pretty firm until the next morning....

I'll echo everyone else - I had a double posadas with a vango SIM on top, really comfy. The other option to look at would be a carp/fishing bed, they're big but meant to be extremely comfy.

Camp beds need a roll mat between the bed and your sleeping bag or you will freeze. Why would you take an air bed camping? Use a roll mat, you can get really good quality self-inflating roll mats these days that are very comfortable and won't suffer the same puncture risk.

I hate camping beds though, they're so unnecessary and take up so much space - but if you must then use a roll mat or thick blanket between them and the sleeping bag.

Best option though is a hammock, just sayin ;)

Get an Alpkit Dozer. It's like sleeping in bed at home :-)

YY to Alpkit Dozer