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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Original poster

best self inflating mattress?

28 replies

lottaluvin · 13/04/2010 16:15

Just returned from 4 days in Brugges, we had a super king size air bed I bought in Argos last year, it's got 3 chambers so is quite high off the floor, loved the size of it, but sleeping was a nightmare:

  • so cold my kidneys nearly fell out (and we were in Army sleeping bags)
  • we had to sleep head to feet to stop the roll together
  • we still rolled together
  • my husband was at the back so climbing over me resulted in a nauseous bouncy castle type effect
  • by morning it was nearly flat, thankfully we had an electric pump but what a faff!

I need a good night's sleep camping or I can't cope with hyper ds and dh! I can't wear earplugs - I'n paranoid ds will unzip and stroll out, he woke screaming one night as he couldn't get the zip of his pod open and needed a wee! I've tried eye masks but they slip and strangle me in the night lol, a good bed is all I need!

I looked at some self inflating mats in A.S Adventure in Brugges but was a bit self conscious about lying on one in the middle of the shop (not a small girl)! Also you need a full night I think to test.

Anyone recommend something non airbed?

OP posts:
Slubberdegullion · 13/04/2010 16:53

We have thermarest base camps and we love them.

We camped all round Oz with (borrowed) thermarests so I'm afraid the brand was burned into my head when I went to buy some here. I wish I had pushed the boat out even more than the long long way I had already pushed it out and gone for the XL (there are even posher ones but you are into the realms of serious money then).

I would have preferred a bit more width, (not that I'm a fat arse mind more because I like to sleep curled up and there's a bit of knee overhang with the Large.

Still, other than that I couldn't fault them. We've NEVER been cold at night on them, and I can sleep on my side no problems.

The fat airics also get lots of good reviews here, but I've never done a compare and contrast so I'm a thermarest girl all the way.

flame17 · 13/04/2010 17:26

I am a Fat Airic girl and I have been very impressed with them. Been using them about 18 months and never been cold or uncomfy. I sleep on my side and my hips have been fine.
My only niggle is falling down the gap between the two when trying to get warmer snuggle upto DH, but I hear you can get a strap to fasten them together.

thrifty · 13/04/2010 19:58

we bought fat airics last year, but have only used them once so far. if you have a costco near you, they have some at the mo that are about £22 each and also 7.5cm thick when fully inflated (same as a fat airic). we were certainly warm enough onthe airics (much better than the airbed), it took me 3 nights to get the pressure right, for personal comfort, staying on it was the only real problem we encountered as we'd pitched on a slope and have nylon outers on our sleeping bag, dp and I were asleep ontop of each other in a corner of the tent with the airics uphill from us!

Original poster
lottaluvin · 14/04/2010 10:43

Have a friend with a Costco card so might have a look soon. Thermarest look great nd i am kicking myself for not buying in Belgium where they were a lot cheaper, but they are very pricey here...but I keep telling myself cheaper than buying countless unsatisfactory airbeds lol...Hadn't heard of the Fat Airics before, so thanks for bringing those to my attention guys!

OP posts:
overmydeadbody · 14/04/2010 19:06

I have just bought airics for DS and myself after years of sleeping in a sleeping bag straight on the floor of the tent, and they are amazing! I just bought the regular ones, not the fat ones, and ordered them from alpkit.com as postage is free and you get ten pounds off if you buy too. I recommend that site if you want affordable airics.

overmydeadbody · 14/04/2010 19:09

fat airics and you get £15 off if you uy two!

MisSalLaneous · 14/04/2010 19:16

As suggested above, I highly recommend the Fat Airics too. Excellent value for the quality.

overmydeadbody, so glad to see you like them, I wondered what you thought!

maxybrown · 14/04/2010 20:56

Can I just ask please......(don't shout at me please bear with me)

Why is it cold on an air bed and why are the mats not cold. OUr budget witll not stretch to thermorests I'm afraid.

I have camped on an airbed before and was only cold the first night so need some help! We have just sold our caravan and going shopping at the weekend for our tent and bits and bobs

Original poster
lottaluvin · 14/04/2010 22:19

It's the air in the airbed maxy, it seems to absorb cold from the ground and the atmostphere and because of the volume of air it never warms up properly.

Self inflating mats have less air to foam ratio so I think the air will actually heat up between your body and the layer of foam.

I'm also fed up of the beds deflating and the roll together...these are a bigger downside to me if I remember to take enough blankets to shield myself from the cold.

OP posts:
maxybrown · 14/04/2010 22:34

Hmmmmmmmm, what to do??? I have read a few people now saying about the fat aerics deflating a lot or having a "slow puncture"

Never had an issue with air beds I have to say on that front, we would get singles anyway........oh bum, back to square one

Original poster
lottaluvin · 15/04/2010 12:02

maxy go with what you know i would say - if you are happy with airbeds then layer up the blankets. Also depends if you are more of a summer camper - we have done quite a lot of cold weather in the last few years...

OP posts:
maxybrown · 15/04/2010 16:56

DH is a teacher so will go pretty much most holidays - but earliest camp would be Feb and latest October though don't always go then.

Will have another look at them at the weekend then.....thanks

Wiggletastic · 15/04/2010 19:37

We have fat airics and they are fab. Never had a problem with 'roll-together' but we don't use sleeping bags, we use a cotton fitted sheet and a duvet and pillows(just like at home ). Always warm and very comfy. Can't wait to go camping again.....

MisSalLaneous · 15/04/2010 19:45

Wiggle and others, could you please help me with something? I started the world's most boring thread the other day, and it's been (understandably!) ignored, so here goes:

How on earth to you attach the two? I want to camp with a fitted sheet and duvet (possible duvet over the two under the fitted sheet), but I don't know how to keep the two together. I'm happy to either buy something if anyone knows or to try and make it myself. Thanks!

Wiggletastic · 15/04/2010 19:56

We have never bothered 'attaching' them Sal, the fitted sheet seems to hold them together. (100% organic cotton of course ) Maybe you are being a bit too 'boisterous' on them???

MisSalLaneous · 15/04/2010 19:59

Hahahah, no, I'm not boisterous at all - we haven't used them like this before! Thanks for your reply, I was starting to get desperate for an answer, but tried stopped myself from outright begging for attention!

maxybrown · 15/04/2010 20:14

can't you just use them singlely? I am getting confised now

Wiggletastic · 15/04/2010 20:17

Yes, of course, but we prefer being 'together' like at home, mostly so I can put my cold feet on DH to warm them up.

maxybrown · 15/04/2010 20:18

well there are always three in a bed at home so a bit of space is always welcome and by three I mean DS

I just wondered how bad the roll together is you see as still undecided what to get.

Are other self inflating mattresses any good?

MisSalLaneous · 15/04/2010 20:18

Yes maxybrown, I just want to steal dh's heat, you see...

MisSalLaneous · 15/04/2010 20:19

Thermarests are supposedly very good, but more expensive, so it depends how much you want to pay, really.

maxybrown · 15/04/2010 20:22

Oh yes already ruled those out

All three of us are very very hot people so tend to like a bit of space so we don't feel like killing each other, though obviously not so hot outside!

Original poster
lottaluvin · 16/04/2010 10:45

I felt like I should have shared on the airbed last week, but once in my own sleeping bag I refused to convert to a double and share with DH. Mainly due to the fact that he would roll over in it and send me skywards. He is also the same temp as Chernobyl which gets too much in the mornings in a bag.

I am vying towards the fat airics, the Thermarest would be great, but at £100+ each if DS jumped on them with some hotwheels and punctured them I'd be gutted, so I'm going down a price point for my own sanity lol!

I'm sure I read somewhere that you can get something to connect them both together. I'm happy to connect the mats and share a double duvet but I don't know how people share a double sleeping bag, I think they must be a lot thinner than us (or more romantic) lol

OP posts:
maxybrown · 16/04/2010 11:14

I have enough trouble on my own in a sleeping bag!! Could never share one

HerbWoman · 16/04/2010 20:17

We've only had the Fat Airics and have had no problems with them. Before that we had single airbeds which kept going down, but to keep them warm we would lie the foam camping mats (were about £4 or £5) underneath which stops the cold coming up from the ground. The kids still have the camping mats and sleep very well on them (and they are cheap enough to cover the whole sleeping area with so very roly children don't end up getting cold on bare floor).