What mats/mattresses/beds for kids?

[vacaloca]

Going camping next week. DD1 is 5, DD2 is 3 and DS just over 1. We have one ready bed for DD2 and I seem to remember DD1 used to sleep on a couple of foam mats. I'm now wondering if it would be better to get some self-inflatable mats for all three and get them all to sleep together. I don't think the travel cot would fit in the tent, or at least not in the pod.

Are the cheap self-inflatable mats okay for children? I don't think I can spend £40-50 on something like a fat airic or thermarest. Or should I just get some airbeds instead?

We had self-inflating mats for the children at that age - from Decathlon. I can't remember how much they were, but the children's ones are pretty cheap and seemed to do the job OK.

Thanks, that's good to know. i realised I posted this at a time when I imagine the whole of this board is actually camping rather than on MN!

We have a couple of Kampa junior airbeds - only £14.99 each and they can't roll out.

We're camping next weekend + following week to avoid the bank holiday rush. We get 2 weeks holiday from school

outwell junior self inflating matresses go down a storm here.

We went to the camping shop today and the only thing they ahd were teh Outwell self-inflating mats so we got those. Seem pretty good.

what age are your kids that sleep on those amazonianwoman?

DS is 2.2, DD is 5 next month. She's pretty tall (115cm?) and doesn't have much space left but she's such a wriggler she'd roll off anything else. If she used the top raised side as a pillow she'd have quite a bit more space - would then last through next year I reckon?

We use a Kampa bed for DS1 (nearly 4) and a My First Ready Bed for DS2 (nearly 2). The Kampa bed is much better quality and much more comfortable I think; we will get another when we have some spare cash

The Kampa looks great, I think I'll get one for dd (she'll be 2 when we camp) what combination of blankets/sleeping bags do you use on it?

Haven't used them camping yet! Just overnight indoors when we've been away.

I used the following with DD's ready bed when she was just 2:
long sleeved vest, PJs, fleece all-in-one, 2.5tog Grobag, fleece blanket over the top & tucked in. It was August bank holiday and pretty cold at night.

I'll do pretty much the same next week for DS, except I've cut up a foam mattress to fit inside/on top of the airbed for extra insulation. DD has a Vango nitestar convertible sleeping bag. I'm hoping that + fleece PJs will do the job!

I usually dress boys in fleece pj's (sometimes with a layer underneath), they both have an outwell sleeping bag, with a fleece blanket over the top if required. I usually put a picnic blanket under the beds too.

Actually DS1 is spoiled; I also put one of those fake sheepskin mattress covers on his kampa bed to make it all snuggly

Thanks for the advice, I do worry about her gettting too cold

We got back yesterday from camping with DC (5, 3 and 1). I put foam mats down, self-inflating outwell mattresses on top, then they had sleeping bags and a thick blanket on top. DS (1) had grobag and footmuff instead of a sleeping bag. DD2 woke up saying she was cold the second night, so I put a fleece jacket on top of her pyjamas and she was fine after that. The other two slept through the night without problem.

Ds's have just upgraded from millets camp beds to Outwell kids mats with success. there's a ;rge fleece blanket underneath in their pods to insulate and they said they were fine, they do wear jumpers at night camping anyway.

Was thinking about thekampaones fords4 nextyear but might gor for an outwell 3/4 trek mat as we have one anyway and it appeasr to be a perfect size LOl

Peachy, I don't suppose you were camping in Cambridgeshire last weekend? I saw a kid with a football shirt that said 'Peachy' on the back and thought of you. Don't know enough about football to know whether there's a player called Peachy.

OOh no, mine have the name on their rugby shirts LOL as do I.

Must be even more of us about LOL (seems to be the thing with the name- BIL goes by it as well- I suppose you roll with it or get bullied at school, thank goodness I didn't get it until I married LOL)

Lidls has a double self inflating mat right now. I got it for my two to share.

amazonian - what you going to use for your dd next? my ds is 5, he's a bit shorter than your dd, but I'd rather getting something that will last him?

washersaurus, where did you get the fake sheepskin from?