Duvets or sleeping bags?

[fairybells]

Last summer was our first summer of camping and I had bought us all new sleeping bags, well I hated mine and our DD refused to sleep in hers and ended up using it as a duvet on top of her. DH doesn't mind either way, so I'm thinking about taking our duvets this summer. We are a family of four so the way I figured is two double duvets rather than single ones. The duvets are huge though, 13.5 tog, they would take a lot of space in the car compared to the sleeping bags. I tried and failed to squeeze them in to the compression bags so what are my alternatives? How can I pack them compact or do I just stick to the sleeping bags? What do you take with you and if you take the duvet how do you pack it in the car?

Duvet all the way! I haven't taken a sleeping bag in years. We also have a gigantic double air bed so we really camp in comfort

However, we don't have children so we can pack the back seats of the car with said air bed and duvet

Hmm I doubt the kids want the duvet for the drive...
cakesandphotos how do you pack them duvets in the car?

I'm thinking about convincing my DH that we need a roof box I need luxury!

We take duvet and sleeping bags. They are a bugger to pack. DH places them flat on floor and folds them longways first, before rolling them up tight. He then ties them tightly with twine. I can't manage it though, bloody things spring open on me.

We take sleeping bags now! After years of freezing despite a bulky heavy duvet!

We have new sleeping bags though, they're called "Pods" and are extra wide so you don't feel claustrophobic around your feet!

I like the idea of taking both! That way then if we get cold we have the sleeping bags as a back up! I think rolling them up using straps or rope might be the only option. And buying a roofbox

I think we just fold it up and shove it on the back seat. Like I say, no children = more space in the car! A roof box is definitely on my list for when we have a baby though!

We are duvet campers. I wouldn't change to sleeping bags until the DC are a bit older. We have had to many wet beds/sick children over the years who have then been able to crawl into bed under the duvet with us rather than having to sort anything else out in the middle of the night. We have a roof box but I think the duvet generally gets used as a blanket in the car or laid kind of flat over everything else in the boot and squashed in as best dh can manage (packing the car is the biggest nightmare of the year).

Just be aware that sleeping bags provide a layer under you. If you use just a sheet on top of an air bed you might end up cold.

Why didn't you like your sleeping bags? Are they too narrow? Too nylony? I can't bear Mummy bags, and have a wide bag with a cotton lining.

I'm with soul.
I couldn't sleep directly on an air bed or similar. I hate mummy bags though. Lovely roomy one with cotton lining. And blankets for under and over if you're cold!

We take duvets. Each person has a duvet, pillow and fleece blanket. Each set gets packed in a vacum bag. You can get ones with a hand pump to use when coming home. They are then stored away in same bags. It just takes a bit of effort to get all air out using hand pump.

We all use sleeping bags. If really cold I take a spare fleece blanket for the kids. Both have grown up with them and are fine with them. I hate standard mummy sleeping bags asfeel too restricted so have a longer length wider men's sleeping bag as I'm 6ft that works ok we use them on air beds.

SoulAccount I don't like how the sleeping bags restrict movement, also I don't like the material they are made of.
Anyway here's the update: I found a perfect sleeping bag! (I hope!) Vango cocoon, its wide enough for me to wiggle around in and also the material inside is some sort of microfibre that makes it feel all velvety. I'm hoping this will be the perfect solution! We sleep on self inflating mattresses which we insulate underneath and also use blankets and sheets on top of them. I didn't get on with airbeds, woke up with back ache every morning. Now just hoping the weather would get warmer so we can go camping!

I should add that I will be taking a single duvet for our DD, it'll fit in easier than our huge double duvets.

I have a sleeping bag with a silk liner

I don't like to be restricted in a sleeping bag, either. Mine is 1m wide, an older version of the Vango Aurora Grande.

But unlike every other MN-er, it seems, I am frequently too hot when camping and often unzip it all the way down so that I can stick a leg out.

Duvets

One o line the boot with, three I fold them and place them on the seats- like seat covers. It's awkward to do the belt up but we manage.

For 4 of us we take 4 duvets- 4 doubles- one for under each of us and one for over (dds sharing , dh and i sharing)