How thick is your SIM?

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

I’ve been enlightened to the fact that my freezing nights might come to an end with the help of a SIM. I’ve found one on offer for £40 which is 7.5cm thick. Is that decent enough?

We don't have self inflating mats, but exped downmats which are hand inflated. It makes a huge difference in terms of warmth. If you're not too fussed about portability then 7.5cm sounds good to me.

Just looked those up and they look great but unfortunately a bit out of my price range. There’s 5 of us to buy for 😫

We fly and camp so need something portable. If you're car camping the 7.5cm mat sounds good - it'll likely be just as warm as more expensive offerings, just heavier and less portable. If you already have mats, then adding a duvet over the top to sleep on top of will make a big difference too. We often winter camp with a cheapo inflatable airbed with a duvet over the top.

Ah I see. We camp in the Uk and have a very large car so size and weight not really an issue. We currently have air beds and sleeping bags but thinking of switching to duvets too! I’m such a cold sleeper but my family don’t seem quite as bad as me.

Air beds alone are very cold, colder than even a thin mat normally. If you already have airbeds I'd go with airbed, duvet on top, then inside a sleeping bag on top of that/or under a another duvet. The main thing is getting some insulation from the ground. An airbed gives virtually no insulation

Georgie which SIMS are you looking at? They sound like a good price.

I have a 7.5cm SIM and it’s great, but I do put it on a camp bed

We have 12cm ones and they are sooo comfy!

They are outwell ones. I think I will go for it.

They have 10cm ones too for £58.50

Where did you find them?

we have the thin ones. one inch maybe?
they are comfy enough for me and nice and cosy.

Take a hot water bottle! Pop it in your sleeping bag when you nip to the shower block to do your teeth, then snuggle up in a nice toasty sleeping bag when you get back. I find if I'm warm going to sleep then I sleep well, and much to DHs disgust, I refuse to go camping without my hot water bottle.

They’re in Go outdoors. Hot water bottle on my list too! Thanks

Also, we don't bother with mats, we all have airbeds and underneath them we layer a few Ikea £1.50 fleece blankets.

That what we do now kitty and I just freeze my backside off. I’m always cold.

Definitely try a hot water bottle then. I have mine to hug as the temp drops in the evening, then reboil for bedtime. Thermal socks? A hat?

Aldi currently have 5cm mats for £15

I bought one to try out this weekend but DS nicked it for Scouts. Sigh. But I have packed my H.W.B. so I'll survive.

How thick are your sleeping bags? We bought four seasons ones which are amazing, never been cold since.

Try looking at the inflatable air camp beds at decathlon, one of those with a sim on and you will have one of the comfiest and hopefully warmest nights camping. We take duvets and sleeping bags and just vacuum pack them. This along with the all important hot water bottle, a fluffy dressing gown and fluffy socks and you should be toasty!

I have a Thermarest (20 years old but still going strong) SIM which is about 2cm and a 4 season down sleeping bag. Toasty even a few weeks ago when we went and it dropped to 0 overnight.

We have a 10cm AND a 5cm. The 5cm was from when we had camp beds but we prefer to sleep on the ground as its flatter. We are fat bastards though

I put the SIMs inside a double duvet cover and lay a fleece underneath for more insulation. We don't use sleeping bags anymore and just take our duvet from home.

Fatty here too 🙋‍♀️

And I think that’s my problem with sleeping bags, the bloody things never stay zipped up! The slightest move and I burst out

Do you have a decent sleeping bag? Buying a four season one was a total revelation to me. I think mine was about £60 from GoOutdoors a few years ago.

I bought the biggest available sleeping bag when I was pregnant. best buy ever. it's really cosy and more like a duvet all around.

I find a normal duvet lets in cold through the gaps