Camping- recommendations

[SM33]

We have finally taken the plunge and brought our own tent and I need to buy inflatable mattresses. Does anyone have any recommendations? The prices seem to vary so widely! Do I buy self inflating? Or just get a pump separately. Thanks in advance

Honestly, I wouldn’t go wildly expensive as they all have a tendency to get a hole in them. We use sleeping mats instead, some inflatable ones (they are a bit easier to patch) and then we have some cloth mats (like a futon mattress). Depends how much space you have in the car.

Self inflating is easier, but more likely to break and not inflate. If you get a pump (don’t get a manual one), keep in mind that most run off the cigarette lighter (or usb) in your car. This means you need to choose campsites where you can drive your car to your pitch, even if just for unloading. Some don’t allow cars on site at all.

Whatever you get, do make sure you have a tent that will fit the mattress through inflated or you have a very long lead in case you can’t get the car close enough. You won’t, for example, fit a double mattress through a tent door if you need to inflate it externally. Lots of smaller tents won’t even fit a single, so just think through the logistics of how you’ll actually inflate it.

Thanks so much very helpful. Space in the car is definitely an issue so will need to be inflating mattresses I think. Will get singles!

My best lasting self inflating mats have been Thermarest ones. Berghaus managed one camp.
OEX have survived a few now!

Did you know there’s a UK camping section in MN under Holidays? They will have loads of advice in there

I had a Thermarest but didn’t find it very comfortable so now have an Alpkit Dumo which is much better and much cheaper. It did take a while to figure out how to inflate it though as it’s like performing CPR on a mat.

If you’re new to camping and perhaps not so sure how much you’ll do of it in the future, I’d just go for a cheap ish one from eg Millets. I’ve used the ones for under £20 and although pp is right (they don’t tend to last) ime you have to spend quite a lot more for one that does. I also have a heavy duty one that I use to put guests up on, but that was closer to £100, but has been going years without a puncture.

The thinner self inflating mats eg Berghaus are light and easy to carry on a backpack, but aren’t particularly comfy- I use mine in conjunction with a foam roll when I’m backpacking.

We definitely need the thicker ones or I feel this will be the last time my husband agrees to go. He’s already complained about his back and we haven’t gone anywhere yet! 😂

I would get some decathlon inflatable bed frames as well and put the sims on top. We have the decathlon Sims but I think others are better. Good beds take up space but make it enjoyable so it's well worth it

We have thermorests but they are not overly comfortable (we motorcycle camp so can’t carry a larger mattress) i also have the king size one from Argos plus a pump that runs off usb.

We’ve got self inflating mattresses after years of airbeds. Have got a 10cm one which is as comfy as my bed at home.
If you want your husband to camp more than once I’d get one of those! Being up off the floor makes things nicer, so if you’ve space get a folding camp bed to put the mattress on.
Being able to get a good nights sleep is as important as having sufficient wine!

Definitely get a thicker one, as thinker one feel hard to sleep on and you're nearer the cold ground.

If either of you move around quite a bit at night, worth getting two singles if there's room for them.

We've only used cheap ones before. Some latest approx 35 sleeps, our current ones we've had years.

Get yourself down Decathalon and have a look at their own in house brand 'Quechua'. They will have a dozen plus tents on show that you can walk or climb into. If you just looking at UK camping between spring and autumn and you will be transporting the tent in a car you dont have to spend crazy money. Dont get sucked into buying some high tent designed to withstand a Himalayan base camp or that can packed down into 2kg bag and i would also stay clear of the inflatable tents.

Check out the Mn Camping Board!

SIMs are self inflating mattresses and have a layer of memory foam within them. The 'self inflating' property is because when you unroll them and undo the valve air rushes n and puffs up the squashed foam. No pump needed.

These mats are very comfortable for many, Decathlon do ones which are easy to pack down (rolling up a double SIM is hard work IMO - and I would get 2 singles if you go for this option)

SIMs are insulated against the cold in the ground. They are harder to puncture as they are nt made of simple plastic like air mattresses.

Then there are blow up beds. Traditional air mattresses, that you fill with air from a pump and some come with a built in pump - confusable with 'self inflating'.

Blow-up mattresses are much cheaper, puncture more easily, will need topping up as air gets colder at night, and also offer no insulation form the ground - they are a bag of cold air. Best with some insulation underneath or on top.

Whether people prefer blow up beds or SIMs for comfort varies widely and is very individual.

I would see if Decathlon / Go outdoors have displays where you can test them out.

I hate blow up beds as they just generally sink into the heaviest point, whereas a SIM squashes down according to your contours, iyswim.

I am v happy on a 10Cm SIM - and was on my 7.4Cm one, too.

Kids don't need such thick SIMs as they are lighter and don't squash them down as much.

We've tried many over the years and the best airbeds have been the cheap basic ones (from Argos, for example). You want a single one each to avoid waking each other up when one of you gets up for a wee, then a double topper (ours is like a thin duvet so doesn't take up much room) over them both followed by a double fitted sheet to hold it all together. Of all the set ups we've tried, this is the comfiest!

I just bought a really cheap one when I felt too old and uncomfortable on a roll mat (can't remember brand, sorry) but it was brilliant and lasted for years.

We will definitely need wine! 😂