I've just ordered SIMs

[Thumbcat]

After being talked down from buying a new tent the other day, I needed to buy something camping related and have just ordered these.

I've never tried a SIM before. My air bed is very nice but I get cold at night and I hate blowing up the bastard things, it takes as long as putting the tent up.

Please come and tell me that they're a bargain and that I'll be fabulously comfortable.

Mine is much thinner but I was still amazed at the comfort. Much better that the old air beds.
You will need to blow it up first time (and a few puffs thereafter). You're also supposed to store them unrolled, but I store mine rolled and unroll it a few days before camping so it self inflates better.

You won't regret it

They came! I'm really happy with them. They're comfortable and a good size, and rolling them up sufficiently to get them back in the bag was the closest thing I've had to a work out in a long while.

I think I'll do as Tiggy says and just unroll them a few days before a trip, otherwise my cat will be using them as yoga mats.

I'll be outside the tent drinking wine a lot quicker now I don't have to faff with airbeds

They do sound nice and fat. I have much thinner ones and am perfectly comfy. You will have your sleeping bag padding underneath you as well.

But I agree that rolling them up and getting all the air out can be a pain. I usually have one rough and ready roll and get most of the air out, seal the valve, unroll it, start again rolling tightly , undoing the valve once the air is pushing against it.

Do not let the cat anywhere near them! They will get punctured. Honestly, you don't need to unroll them before you set off, just leave them gently inflating while you do all your other camp jobs.

Good advice about the cat.

So, what with all I've heard about SIMs being warmer, I thought I'd book a couple of days camping at Easter. We camped at Easter once before and I froze at night (DS was fine). We also have some new fleece sleeping bag liners so I hope we can expand our camping season a bit.

Is anyone else planning to camp at Easter?

For the first time ever I am considering camping at Easter.

DS did a scout winter camp in Jan and I bought a pack of 10 hand warmers from Decathlon for £3 and he put a couple in his sleeping bag. They last 6 hours!

I saw the handwarmers in Tesco today and bought them

Great Camping Minds think alike!

We bought three of the Costco ones last summer when our air bed went pop. We're really happy with them, very comfortable and lots warmer than the air bed and so lovely to just chuck them in the tent when you arrive. A little more effort to deflate but we worked out a sitting/squishing technique so hardly the same as pumping for 30mins.

Could I buy two and put one on top of the other?

My DH will struggle to sleep if he is at all u comfortable wimp!