What do you sleep on?

[greencybermummy]

Please talk to me about what you all sleep on these days. Been a long time since I camped (as a Guide!) and we are taking the plunge and going with 2DD's. Been offered plenty of equipment to borrow but unsure what the best things to sleep on are.

Many thanks

We put the thin silver sheets from pound shop on the floor, then air bed, then bed sheet, then pillows and quilt, then knitted blankets and cushions. I don't travel light! :)

Silver backed Picnic rug on floor... Then self infating mattress... Single sheet on top of that and then me in a sleeping bag.

Thermorests for adults - thicker than a bed roll and self inflated honeycomb sort of structure so comfy but doesn't take up lots of room like an air bed and doesn't need inflating with a pump or anything. Surprisingly comfortable. DS's in inflatable ready beds. Sleeping bags plus extra blankets. Boys and I wear socks, DH thinks we are wimps

Self inflating mats, then sleeping bags and sometimes blankets although warm enough without.
Mats are surprisingly warm. I now sleep better when camping than at home!

What mats do you have kahlua?
Am contemplating buying one for me to sleep on. DH loves his massive Gelert double airbed but he's 18 stone and I NEVER sleep comfortably with him on it - I get tossed about like you wouldn't believe!

V intersted in the SIM's.

We use ones from Costco. They are about £17 I think. Have had them a few years now and still going well.
I can just imagine how you would get thrown about on the air bed, I don't like them just for that reason!

kahlua, you've confirmed it for me. You're not the first to say about the Costo ones. That's it. I'm off to Costco!
Ta!

How thick are the costco ones?

I really fancy a self inflating thing rather than an airbed because they're supposed to be warmer, but are they as comfy? I need something really comfy because of my bad hips [I'm 93 you know]

Looked at the airic ones today but my goodness, they're a bit pricey.

The Costco ones are 7.5cm thick and so very comfy. I sleep on my side and have no problems. Even my bad back disappears!!

Waterproof picnic blanket as base layer for tent, then yoga mat/foam sleeping mat plus self-inflating mat (we have cheapo Tesco ones, not very thick but work fine) then sleeping bag plus fleece blanket - Ikea do good cheap ones, which are very warm, light and easily washable. That combination just kept me very cosy during a wet weekend in Wales .

I don't like airbeds because of the hassle of pumping them up, and the noise they make if you turn over in the night. Self-inflating mats are also warmer to sleep on, I think.

Thermorests for us and the kids, straight on the floor and then sleeping bags and blankets on top. Went camping in the rain amd cold this weekend and we were as snug as bugs.

We have a double airbed but it has two 'chambers' so it doesn't matter if dh and I move independently

we have a thin sleeping bag spread underneath it and then the airbed and then another sleeping bag as a 'mattress topper' and then a double sleeping bag

I don't travel light either. I don't subscribe to the view that if you're camping, you don't actually need to sleep

The dses have self inflating mats, dh has an aeorbed, I have aerobed, self inflating mat and blanket on top.

I hate being really low to the ground so the aerobed suits but it's much more comfy with a sim on top.

We don't travel light either. I'm of the opinion that a good nights sleep means you can cope with most things when camping!

The kids are happy enough on (cheap) roll mats with (cheap) 3-season sleeping bags.

Dh & I have Aldi SIMs (5cm deep) and (I think) 2-season sleeping bags.

I keep meaning to get some silver/foil backed picnic blankets to put underneath

After airbed disasters (cold, take up too much room in tent, deflate I could go on) we switched to self inflating mats and sleeping bags. Oh my god how fantastic are they. I had been dubious until I borrowed a friends thermarest following an airbed disaster on our last trip.

This time we camped during that rainy half term- kids on kids outwell ones (£15 each...only about 3cm thick) and us on go outdoors north ridge alpine mats (£34 each 2.5cm and fold up TINY). I have Reynaulds syndrome so get cold very easily but was toasty, and my 2 year old slept better camping than at home. We were also on rocky ground near a stream- didn't feel them at all through the mat. I didn't notice any difference between the Thermarest and my cheaper mat- apart from mine was a lot easier to get into the stuff sack. Only negative issue was we slid around the first night (we camped on a severe slope but moved the next night) Next time we're taking some sticky rug underlay (like a rubber mesh) from ikea- was about £2 and can be cut into squares, I'm sure other places do it too.

I have really curvy hips and sometimes even an air bed is painful for them. I camped for 6 weeks on one years ago and actually had bruises on each hip

Would a self inflating mattress be thick enough? What's the thickest you can get?

Try looking at the thermarest Dreamtime. It's expensive though. And big. But it has squishy memory foam layer on top of a SIM. No bruised hips though.

The thickest 'normal' SIM would be about 10 cm I think.

Have a look on Alpkit at their Dozers. I have a thermarest basecamp but I think it is only about 7 cm.

Thanks guys. We've spent a fortune on camping stuff this year, so I might invest for next year. Would love one as I hate sleeping on an airbed and so does DH. The kids always fall off theirs too!

£120 in the SALE! Wowsers! That is expensive!

Yes it is expensive, but it looks so very comfy lovely to sleep on, I actually had one delivered but had to send it back because it was a beast when rolled and I wouldn't have been able to get it in the car. That's a good price! LOL! I paid more than that last year!

Blimey! I might have to sneak one on the credit card when DH isn't looking!

I've got a Dozer, which is meant to be 10cm - treated myself earlier this year. I have still never slept on it. We also have some Aldi sims (fine, but don't let the DC bounce on them) and DS1 has a second-hand Wee Airic. I've butted the Aldi sims against one another with adhesive velcro strips which keeps them together, and a fitted bedsheet goes over three sims (me, DH and DS2). Foil-backed Aldi picnic blanket under the mats. (Keep meaning to look out our foam playmats for this purpose.) Woollen blankets on top.