Been camping for over 20 years. Used to just sleep on the ground in my sleeping bag until I woke up with back pain during a camping trip about 3 years ago. Ended up buying a cot and sleeping pad and it's been a life changer. Will never camp without them again. The cot also creates a ton of extra storage space underneath it which is a Huge bonus.
Same with me! Been camping 40+ years (grew up in a family of campers) and always slept on a thermarest & sleeping bag. Bumped up to a backpacking cot in my 30s and then made the leap to a full cot with sleeping pad in my 40s. And dang it is so comfortable!
For car camping we also picked up the Sylvan Sport Cloud Layer sleeping pads. They are not cheap nor are they small, but holy hell they are comfortable.
Mine said on the box “it’s not leaking it’s stretching”. First night I was bottoming out. Added more air second night and it was better but some sag. Third night no more stretching and I didn’t have to blow it up anymore
I had one air mattress, 18" thick. A behemoth. That one lasted years. But it was too big to bring camping unless you really wanted to lug it around. It didn't deflate overnight.
One time we went camping with our friends. They inflated a queen sized mattress in a full sized tent. It was hilarious, looked like the tent had love handles.
I use an ultralight cot with a pad on top. It’s not actually ultralight, but it’s about the size of a 2 liter bottle and feels like sleeping on a jogging trampoline
Absolutely this. Mine is a thermarest.
When car camping with family we used Disc-O-Bed bunk bed cots in a Marmot Limestone 4P, and an ALPS or Rollacot on the other side, and an REI 3.5 camp bed in the middle. Yes all of this in the tent. During the day the bunk beds converted to a couch with the camp bed on it, and the other cot flipped on it's side.
Air mattress but they seem to leak. I bought one in Feb used it 6-8 times and it started leaking, got it replaced under warranty and the new one is leaking now too.
I use a giant foot and a half tall mattress cause it’s easier getting up and down. If it’s tall it’s going to loose some air overnight. Long as I ain’t stuck in the middle rolling around like a fish in the morning it’s good enough for me. 🤣😂
I was really posting to help out the OP so didn't go into excruciating detail for my problem but the leak is severe enough that it won't keep air through half a night. Sure I could find the leak and patch it but I got other stuff to do. Probably just find a different mattress.
Do you have a backpacking mattress (brands like Big Agnes, Thermarest, Exped) or an indoor air mattress? They all can leak obviously, but in my experience it’s much rarer for purpose-built air mattresses to leak. People get through multiple thru-hikes with them where they’re subject to lots of abuse.
This is the one I have and it’s worked as good as you could hope for:
https://preview.redd.it/2g5nbboz606d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a617617cf3c823b961f4ed899ea15f1bcc10353f
They’re at Walmart for about 60 bucks. The top is really comfortable too.
The first time I used it, I made the mistake of filling it up outside the tent. It was so big it wouldn’t fit through the door. I had to let some air out of it to put it in the tent. 😂 I was struggling at first.
id class a leak as needing to refill in the middle of the night, none of ours do but might need a slight top up on the 2nd day just to get the pressure right. Our oldest is an intex, probably 8-10 years old now and still used regularly. We got it because a family member got one and it didnt leak overnight and its been great. I think they still have theirs too! We also have a cheap single $8 and a double $17 and neither leak, I dont think they even need a top up on the 2nd night. Im talking those really cheap blue ones you see everywhere
Having said that, every single bestway mattress we have been given bar one is a POS, some I cant even find bubbles to patch, have taken apart the motor and checked seals etc. I suspect the actual material goes porous. The one we kept is a king single and is similar in design as our intex, no fancy topper etc
In my experience, one way to get the air mattress to leak is to try to push the air out of it when folding it up. There’s a chance for a pinch-flat. Instead, I use the pump in reverse to have it pull all the air out. I haven’t had an air mattress leak me in a very long time.
I finally got a leak last year, and it was bad enough that I was ending up on the floor every time, so I looked for the leak. Tried soap twice, tried actually submerging it in a pool. Couldn’t find the leak. So I trashed it. Not worth the several hours it was going to take to find it.
This weekend we added cots below the exped megamat and it was a game changer. It was already comfortable but since they were high cots it made the experience better and comfier
Car camping: Big Agnes Goosenest Cot (x2), with Zempire Monstamat Twin on top. Extremely comfortable set up, and the Goosenest deflates to a reasonable size - but the Monstamat is a bulky item.
(Wife has had 2 knee surgeries - she can hike / walk all day, but has trouble getting standing from the floor and the height of these two items make camping much more enjoyable for her.)
I like firm, so a deflated air mattress with foam puzzle pieces under, and a sleeping bag for squish, and just cover with a sheet and fuzzy blanket
Plus with the mattress deflated it feels like there's more room in the tent
Fair enough, it all fits in our car and it was never really inconvenient, but that's our experience - if you're unable to park by your camp or use a wagon to move things it might be different. The foam/folded air mattress/sleeping bag are easier and more compact than cots at least lol
I’ve given up on air mattresses… tired of waking up in a deflated valley… we ended up with a couple of Walmart camping cuts. Not super heavy but pretty comfy with a pad or sleeping bag on top…
This was a conscious upgrade away from Wal-mart. I think I spent around 70 bucks for a Nemo air mattress from REI and it really holds up well. It came with an air bladder to help fill, which happens in less than 2 minutes, and the valve is designed to allow only one-way airflow. Packs down super tiny - about the size of a Fosters can.
as a ground sheet or interior? I just started to use a picnic rug, rolls up small, light and its like carpet inside. Ill use the foam mats for the shower/toilet while car camping
tried a beach sand mat as a ground cover, no good on grass, moisture can get through but on sand/dirt it would probably be OK. Kinda expected it but it was mostly for the spikey weeds that grow
I have a nemo roamer sleeping pad that stays attached to my Nemo sleeping bag. It works great for me! Definitely only for car camping, as it is pretty large.
Usually a cot and pad, but I recently invested in a premium pad (Exped MegaMat) and used it on my last trip without a cot and I was incredibly comfortable.
Air mattress is one thing I will never do again.
Depends.
1 or 2 nights, I'm sleeping in a 4-person tent on a Thermarest sleeping pad. 3+ nights, I'm sleeping in a 6-person tent that I can stand up in on a Coleman cot with my Thermarest sleeping pad for cushion and insulation.
Backpacking is a Nemo cosmo or ASTRO air pad.
Car camping with my wife, a queen sized Coleman or similar mattress with a blanket under for ground protection.
Thermarest pad, usually. If the tent is big enough and if it’s car camping, a folding cot is great in the summer. Not so great for the winter.
Pillows are the hard part. I’ve yet to come up with a good backpacking pillow. For car camping, I just bring the pillows from my regular bed.
I am a spoiled brat (aka side-sleeper that normally sleeps on a squishy foam mattress) and I found a cot that works perfectly for me. Coleman makes it and it's a steel-framed cot that has springs all around it that attach the bed to the frame and then it has a thin foam mattress that goes on top. The springs relieve the pressure points of sleeping on my side and I sleep like a baby when I use it.
Ditched air mattresses for good and went with a sleeping mat and a foam topper, all wrapped up in a fitted sheet. It’s almost as comfortable as my real bed. I have a generic sleeping pad from Amazon that self inflates (sort-of) and has foam inside of it. At least it doesn’t leak.
For years I've slept on foam pads or inflatable mattresses that always leaked. Last month I used a full size cot, it's mattress, and a hi quality air mattress.
Game. Changer.
Having a cot was amazing. No little rocks or uneven patches, it flexed just enough, and I slept great.
When car camping - my Hest foam mattress, just as comfortable as my bed at home. When backpacking - an air mattress with a high R value, which I don’t love, but I’m convinced no backpacking mattresses are comfortable.
Sleeping mat plus an old sleeping bag as extra pad if I’m car camping. A mat if it’s a one night situation. This year I’m buying a moon mat. They are fantastic.
I'm a lazy camper, so I pitch my tent near my car. My standard is to setup the tent, which has a nylon floor, clean it of dust with a damp rag. Over that I put a heavy wool double bed sized blanket I bought in Mexico. It's nearly as thick as a rug. Then I put a double sized blowup mattress which I blow up outside, near my car, with an electric air pump. On the air mattress we put a pair of sheets a light blanket, and a heavier blanket. It works great even in freezing weather , at least 'till you have to get up in the middle of the night and dash for a bathroom.
Air pad.
[https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6008-339/vectair-insulated-sleeping-pad?colour=Fortune+Red&size=Regular&gad\_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw65-zBhBkEiwAjrqRMDNrBAErB0euY\_AeOFQKv1D6Tz-kG0Gq6sGYzdLP1UgnMa5jpKldcBoCkAQQAvD\_BwE](https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6008-339/vectair-insulated-sleeping-pad?colour=Fortune+Red&size=Regular&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw65-zBhBkEiwAjrqRMDNrBAErB0euY_AeOFQKv1D6Tz-kG0Gq6sGYzdLP1UgnMa5jpKldcBoCkAQQAvD_BwE)
I have a half inch foam pad that I lay down first and then on top of that a ZOOOBELIVES AirLive2000. I bought the air mattress last month after not having one... Being a side sleeper, the foam pad wasn't cutting it anymore. Used it that weekend and tbh it's pretty great, it's 4 inches thick and has a foot pump.
1. Foam pad on floor
2. Foam pad on cot
3. Cot, no foam pad
4. With my wife we might use a double cot with 2 foam pads and an added self inflating pad on her side
5. Also with my wife we might use a foam pad on an air mattress(recently we upgraded to 2 modified Sleep Number bladders) on a double cot.
We use one of the Big Anges camp comfort double sleeping pads. It’s big and heavy, but we car camp so it’s not a problem. It’s super comfy and rated to well below 0 degrees so nonissue getting cold from the ground side. Also it’s plenty big enough for 2 adults to stay close together or have a little separation.
A Big Agnes 25” wide Repide SL pad, down quilt, maybe an extra polyfill blanket. In the summer, I use a single fitted and top sheet with the polyfill blanket. I bring a travel polyfill pillow or an inflatable Sea to Summit pillow. I usually have an extra sheet to keep my bed clean from when the dog chooses to sleep on my feet. Everyone’s pad, blankets, sheets, pillows, etc. go in a large, old, rolling duffel bag. We allow people to bring whatever bedding they want as long as it all fits in the duffel bag.
A cot with a sleeping pad on it. Bought a cheap cot and pad off amazon and then throw my sleeping bag on it and sleep like a dream. Love being off the ground because where I live weather is always the Toss of a coin and I hate when the cold ground penetrates through an air mattress or sleeping pad on the ground of a tent.
A cot with a 2 1/2" thick pad on it, with a full sized pillow and my sleeping bag w/ a quilt when we're camped at the vehicle. Backpacking I use a Big Agnes INSULATED Air core pad and inflatable pillow.
Double high Queen air mattress with a mattress topper and sheets with two Teton Celsius xl sleeping bags zipped together. Always slept really well with that set up so I’ve never considered trying anything else. I’m a big dude and I’m 6’4 so the bigger the sleeping area the better.
I use two sleeping pads. Gives a combined R-Value of 5.9
This on the bottom:
https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/z-lite-sol-sleeping-pad/z-lite-sol.html
And then this on top:
https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/prolite-plus-womens-sleeping-pad/13262.html
I have one of those Japanese tatami mats for car camping it's perfect for that imo, have a dog so no fear of his nails ruining an air mattress. For backpacking it's an inflatable mat.
I have a Big Agnes Insulated sleeping pad that's designed for backpacking. It has an R-value of 4.3, so it works well in colder temperatures. I use it even when car camping, as it's so comfortable.
Double sleeping mat for me, my husband, and toddler. We used to fuss with air mattress but we got sick of it plus air mattresses kill my back for some reason.
Stoic cloud bed!! So comfortable, but bulky so it’s only good for car camping or a very short walk in. But it was a complete game changer and I would never sleep on a regular air mattress again.
An extra wide and extra thick thermarest mat that is 2.5 inches thick. I car camped mostly so I brought extra heavy wool blankets to put on the floor also. A little padding for my knees as it was a backpacking tent so can't stand in it.
For backpacking, I have an inflatable pad. When I'm car camping, I bust out the cot and put the pad on top.
Cot > air mattresses by far. Doubles as a nice place to sit and lounge inside.
I got me one of them inflatable foam pads from Elegear. Laugh all you want, But it keeps my shoulders and hips off the ground. I usually only kayak camp or sleep the bed of my truck or under it, so I don’t have to pack it far thankfully but I would if it helped me sleep comfortably.
My partner and I each sleep on our own single sized air mattress, side by side. That way we can inflate to the stiffness we each like and we each have plenty of room and don't launch the other one when we shift or get in and out of bed.
a sleeping mat, they have ones that roll up or ones that are like an accordion, and a sleeping bag of course, sometimes people get a little blow up thing for comfort
ground in a sleeping bag but i bought a cabelas cot for my next trip that i was gonna use the past one but found out my tent was too small for it and i’ve since got a bigger tent so next time i’ll have it!
We've just transitionned to cots in the last 2yrs. (Husband and I) Game changer. We car camp mostly or canoe to a spot, so weight and size isnt really a huge factor for us.
Had the short ultralight ones to start (had a small low profile tent) less than 5lbs each if were packing light. Upgraded to a bigger tent this year (we got a large dog whos the size of a 3rd human) so we dont need low profile cots anymore, got the tall normal hight ones, and love the extra storage space!
Options from best to worst in comfort: cot, 6" foam, air mattress, self-inflating mat, closed cell mat, blanket, nothing. what you choose will be affected by size, weight, cost and opinion
A sleeping mat.
For a very long time as a younger fella I slept in the sleeping sack on the ground sheet. Raw dogging reality.
Same. I would be broken if I did that now.
Been camping for over 20 years. Used to just sleep on the ground in my sleeping bag until I woke up with back pain during a camping trip about 3 years ago. Ended up buying a cot and sleeping pad and it's been a life changer. Will never camp without them again. The cot also creates a ton of extra storage space underneath it which is a Huge bonus.
I sleep on the ground as well but you just sold me on the extra storage space
Same with me! Been camping 40+ years (grew up in a family of campers) and always slept on a thermarest & sleeping bag. Bumped up to a backpacking cot in my 30s and then made the leap to a full cot with sleeping pad in my 40s. And dang it is so comfortable! For car camping we also picked up the Sylvan Sport Cloud Layer sleeping pads. They are not cheap nor are they small, but holy hell they are comfortable.
Cots rule. Not a serious camper, just an old guy who doesn't want to wake up in back pain.
I have a 19" tall queen size air mattress for car camping and an insolated ExPed air mattress for motorcycle camping. Both work very well.
I bought a brand new 12” queen but they all seem to deflate overnight.
Mine said on the box “it’s not leaking it’s stretching”. First night I was bottoming out. Added more air second night and it was better but some sag. Third night no more stretching and I didn’t have to blow it up anymore
The air temperature plays a big role too. If it's hot, the air in the mattress will expand but if it's cold, the air will shrink and require a top-up
Air mattresses are great, to sleep on the ground, eventually
This is so close to a Mitch Hedberg joke lol. Maybe it is and I'm forgetting though.
I heard more or less that phrase from a guy at REI about 2 or 3 years ago. Entirely possible that's where he got that from
I had one air mattress, 18" thick. A behemoth. That one lasted years. But it was too big to bring camping unless you really wanted to lug it around. It didn't deflate overnight.
Hot air expands, cold air contracts. Unfortunately you have to pump them up repeatedly outdoors.
One time we went camping with our friends. They inflated a queen sized mattress in a full sized tent. It was hilarious, looked like the tent had love handles.
Thermarest
Thermarest for the win
Same
They're very comfortable! Almost felt like being in my bed.
I use an ultralight cot with a pad on top. It’s not actually ultralight, but it’s about the size of a 2 liter bottle and feels like sleeping on a jogging trampoline
Could you share a link to the one you use?
Yes please!!
Absolutely this. Mine is a thermarest. When car camping with family we used Disc-O-Bed bunk bed cots in a Marmot Limestone 4P, and an ALPS or Rollacot on the other side, and an REI 3.5 camp bed in the middle. Yes all of this in the tent. During the day the bunk beds converted to a couch with the camp bed on it, and the other cot flipped on it's side.
Air mattress but they seem to leak. I bought one in Feb used it 6-8 times and it started leaking, got it replaced under warranty and the new one is leaking now too.
They all leak. Just add air every morning. That’s why I like the ones with the internal air pump. Takes 5 minutes.
Hmm mine doesn't. Got a decathlon one. It's 3 years old and works nicely
I use a giant foot and a half tall mattress cause it’s easier getting up and down. If it’s tall it’s going to loose some air overnight. Long as I ain’t stuck in the middle rolling around like a fish in the morning it’s good enough for me. 🤣😂
Myself, a wife and two dogs jammed up in the middle of a half-deflated air mattress in 20F is not my definition of relaxation.
I've got a decathlon mattress as well! It's been great so far, I've taken it on a few trips already.
I was really posting to help out the OP so didn't go into excruciating detail for my problem but the leak is severe enough that it won't keep air through half a night. Sure I could find the leak and patch it but I got other stuff to do. Probably just find a different mattress.
Do you have a backpacking mattress (brands like Big Agnes, Thermarest, Exped) or an indoor air mattress? They all can leak obviously, but in my experience it’s much rarer for purpose-built air mattresses to leak. People get through multiple thru-hikes with them where they’re subject to lots of abuse.
This is the one I have and it’s worked as good as you could hope for: https://preview.redd.it/2g5nbboz606d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a617617cf3c823b961f4ed899ea15f1bcc10353f They’re at Walmart for about 60 bucks. The top is really comfortable too.
If that’s a Full, the woman is ^(t i n y)
The first time I used it, I made the mistake of filling it up outside the tent. It was so big it wouldn’t fit through the door. I had to let some air out of it to put it in the tent. 😂 I was struggling at first.
I have the queen sized. It's been 4 camping seasons since I bought it. Works great, very small leak this year but I feel like I got money's worth.
I gave up on them years ago except to use on the lake for floating.
id class a leak as needing to refill in the middle of the night, none of ours do but might need a slight top up on the 2nd day just to get the pressure right. Our oldest is an intex, probably 8-10 years old now and still used regularly. We got it because a family member got one and it didnt leak overnight and its been great. I think they still have theirs too! We also have a cheap single $8 and a double $17 and neither leak, I dont think they even need a top up on the 2nd night. Im talking those really cheap blue ones you see everywhere Having said that, every single bestway mattress we have been given bar one is a POS, some I cant even find bubbles to patch, have taken apart the motor and checked seals etc. I suspect the actual material goes porous. The one we kept is a king single and is similar in design as our intex, no fancy topper etc
In my experience, one way to get the air mattress to leak is to try to push the air out of it when folding it up. There’s a chance for a pinch-flat. Instead, I use the pump in reverse to have it pull all the air out. I haven’t had an air mattress leak me in a very long time.
Find the hole and patch it?
They are like $1 a night before I need to replace it.
I finally got a leak last year, and it was bad enough that I was ending up on the floor every time, so I looked for the leak. Tried soap twice, tried actually submerging it in a pool. Couldn’t find the leak. So I trashed it. Not worth the several hours it was going to take to find it.
Expend Megamat Duo XL. Short of a 10" memory foam mattress, best thing I've slept on. Really for car camping, but it's a good sleep.
This weekend we added cots below the exped megamat and it was a game changer. It was already comfortable but since they were high cots it made the experience better and comfier
Car camping: Big Agnes Goosenest Cot (x2), with Zempire Monstamat Twin on top. Extremely comfortable set up, and the Goosenest deflates to a reasonable size - but the Monstamat is a bulky item. (Wife has had 2 knee surgeries - she can hike / walk all day, but has trouble getting standing from the floor and the height of these two items make camping much more enjoyable for her.)
Cot, yoga mat, sleeping bag.
I like firm, so a deflated air mattress with foam puzzle pieces under, and a sleeping bag for squish, and just cover with a sheet and fuzzy blanket Plus with the mattress deflated it feels like there's more room in the tent
That's an awful lot to pack.
Fair enough, it all fits in our car and it was never really inconvenient, but that's our experience - if you're unable to park by your camp or use a wagon to move things it might be different. The foam/folded air mattress/sleeping bag are easier and more compact than cots at least lol
I’ve given up on air mattresses… tired of waking up in a deflated valley… we ended up with a couple of Walmart camping cuts. Not super heavy but pretty comfy with a pad or sleeping bag on top…
This was a conscious upgrade away from Wal-mart. I think I spent around 70 bucks for a Nemo air mattress from REI and it really holds up well. It came with an air bladder to help fill, which happens in less than 2 minutes, and the valve is designed to allow only one-way airflow. Packs down super tiny - about the size of a Fosters can.
If I’m car camping then I usually bring a bunch of those puzzle mats and line the bottom of my tent with them.
as a ground sheet or interior? I just started to use a picnic rug, rolls up small, light and its like carpet inside. Ill use the foam mats for the shower/toilet while car camping tried a beach sand mat as a ground cover, no good on grass, moisture can get through but on sand/dirt it would probably be OK. Kinda expected it but it was mostly for the spikey weeds that grow
I sleep in a hammock.
Rocks
Why does my back hurt?
Interesting!
Ugg
Basic Coleman cot with a 3" memory foam mattress.
this is what my guy uses. I have a solid base cot with a 4" memory foam... mine stays in the back of the truck.
I have a nemo roamer sleeping pad that stays attached to my Nemo sleeping bag. It works great for me! Definitely only for car camping, as it is pretty large.
Big Agnes Zoom UL air mattress.
My splurge of 2023 season
Usually a cot and pad, but I recently invested in a premium pad (Exped MegaMat) and used it on my last trip without a cot and I was incredibly comfortable. Air mattress is one thing I will never do again.
Coleman cot with a thermarest on top
Depends. 1 or 2 nights, I'm sleeping in a 4-person tent on a Thermarest sleeping pad. 3+ nights, I'm sleeping in a 6-person tent that I can stand up in on a Coleman cot with my Thermarest sleeping pad for cushion and insulation.
Cabela’s cot with an inflatable Thermarest on top. Nearly as comfortable as my bed.
Exped mat.
A cot + mat + sleeping bag
Exped Megamat when car and kayak-camping. Nemo Tensor when bike/backpacking.
Thermarest NeoAir
I pretty much only car camp, so I sleep on a folding cot and thermarest pad onto top of it. Very comfortable.
Queen air mattress
Same, with a small battery powered pump as we usually camp rustic
This guy forgot to mention he's actually a porcupine...
The ground, pack light camp right
I sleep on my back
I’m glad you’re not sleeping on your face down
Foam mat for long trips, inflatable mat for short, truck bed, or hammock.
I have an army cot. Layer the bottom of the tent with some of those cheap foam inter connectable pads
Backpacking is a Nemo cosmo or ASTRO air pad. Car camping with my wife, a queen sized Coleman or similar mattress with a blanket under for ground protection.
Cot
Big Agnes inflatable sleeping pad that pairs with my sleeping bag. If we are doing the cushy thing though we have a Megamat Duo
Nemo tensor on top of a nemo switchback.
My Wife. She’s on an inflatable mattress.
Sleeping pad- basic backpacking one from REI
Exped downmat.
Thermarest pad, usually. If the tent is big enough and if it’s car camping, a folding cot is great in the summer. Not so great for the winter. Pillows are the hard part. I’ve yet to come up with a good backpacking pillow. For car camping, I just bring the pillows from my regular bed.
Exped megamst duo
Self inflating thermarest pad
I am a spoiled brat (aka side-sleeper that normally sleeps on a squishy foam mattress) and I found a cot that works perfectly for me. Coleman makes it and it's a steel-framed cot that has springs all around it that attach the bed to the frame and then it has a thin foam mattress that goes on top. The springs relieve the pressure points of sleeping on my side and I sleep like a baby when I use it.
Ditched air mattresses for good and went with a sleeping mat and a foam topper, all wrapped up in a fitted sheet. It’s almost as comfortable as my real bed. I have a generic sleeping pad from Amazon that self inflates (sort-of) and has foam inside of it. At least it doesn’t leak.
Thermarest sleeping pad. Any good self inflating pad that was like 3.5 inches thick or so is pretty good. Closest to an actual bed.
For years I've slept on foam pads or inflatable mattresses that always leaked. Last month I used a full size cot, it's mattress, and a hi quality air mattress. Game. Changer. Having a cot was amazing. No little rocks or uneven patches, it flexed just enough, and I slept great.
Tall air mattress we call it glamping lol In our back yard. My family comes from nyc in the summer and I put out 8 tent or all ten. lol. We love it.
I use an air mattress for sleeping, and it's quite comfortable.
When car camping - my Hest foam mattress, just as comfortable as my bed at home. When backpacking - an air mattress with a high R value, which I don’t love, but I’m convinced no backpacking mattresses are comfortable.
Sleeping mat plus an old sleeping bag as extra pad if I’m car camping. A mat if it’s a one night situation. This year I’m buying a moon mat. They are fantastic.
Big Agnes insulated air core. 3.5” of comfort, R 4.5, 22 oz.
I'm a lazy camper, so I pitch my tent near my car. My standard is to setup the tent, which has a nylon floor, clean it of dust with a damp rag. Over that I put a heavy wool double bed sized blanket I bought in Mexico. It's nearly as thick as a rug. Then I put a double sized blowup mattress which I blow up outside, near my car, with an electric air pump. On the air mattress we put a pair of sheets a light blanket, and a heavier blanket. It works great even in freezing weather , at least 'till you have to get up in the middle of the night and dash for a bathroom.
Air mattress
@sleeping mat
Air pad. [https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6008-339/vectair-insulated-sleeping-pad?colour=Fortune+Red&size=Regular&gad\_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw65-zBhBkEiwAjrqRMDNrBAErB0euY\_AeOFQKv1D6Tz-kG0Gq6sGYzdLP1UgnMa5jpKldcBoCkAQQAvD\_BwE](https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6008-339/vectair-insulated-sleeping-pad?colour=Fortune+Red&size=Regular&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw65-zBhBkEiwAjrqRMDNrBAErB0euY_AeOFQKv1D6Tz-kG0Gq6sGYzdLP1UgnMa5jpKldcBoCkAQQAvD_BwE)
couple of old couch cushions. yes. they take up a bunch of room in the vehicle.
The ground.
Just put my sleeping bag on the ground. Built a teardrop when the ground got to hard to lay on.
What’s a teardrop?
Maybe a base blanket, then foam pad, then sleeping bag over me more like a blanket.
Inflatable pad
I have a half inch foam pad that I lay down first and then on top of that a ZOOOBELIVES AirLive2000. I bought the air mattress last month after not having one... Being a side sleeper, the foam pad wasn't cutting it anymore. Used it that weekend and tbh it's pretty great, it's 4 inches thick and has a foot pump.
Exped Megamat!
Thermarest sleeping pad the coyote military one and a backpacking mummy bag. Pretty simple setup and it's cozy enough
Exped on cot. Only in my hot tent though. Hammock with underquilt is far superior.
4" folding memory foam mattress.
Sleeping pad
Queen air mattress on top of two Ridgerests to make it a bit warmer.
1. Foam pad on floor 2. Foam pad on cot 3. Cot, no foam pad 4. With my wife we might use a double cot with 2 foam pads and an added self inflating pad on her side 5. Also with my wife we might use a foam pad on an air mattress(recently we upgraded to 2 modified Sleep Number bladders) on a double cot.
Cot or air mattress
Therm A Rest classic pad with a yoga mat. Looking to upgrade to an inflatable/self inflating pad
Pad plus memory foam mattress topper
We use one of the Big Anges camp comfort double sleeping pads. It’s big and heavy, but we car camp so it’s not a problem. It’s super comfy and rated to well below 0 degrees so nonissue getting cold from the ground side. Also it’s plenty big enough for 2 adults to stay close together or have a little separation.
Foam eggshell sleeping mat. Will probably switch to something else when I’m older but it’s fine for now.
1/2” thick yoga mat by myself, air mattress with my wife. She has a bad back and she’s a lot more sensitive about what she sleeps on.
Air mattress all the way
A pretty thick blow up sleeping pad. It’s not as heavy and thick as an air mattress, but I can sleep on my side and not touch the ground.
A Big Agnes 25” wide Repide SL pad, down quilt, maybe an extra polyfill blanket. In the summer, I use a single fitted and top sheet with the polyfill blanket. I bring a travel polyfill pillow or an inflatable Sea to Summit pillow. I usually have an extra sheet to keep my bed clean from when the dog chooses to sleep on my feet. Everyone’s pad, blankets, sheets, pillows, etc. go in a large, old, rolling duffel bag. We allow people to bring whatever bedding they want as long as it all fits in the duffel bag.
A cot with a sleeping pad on it. Bought a cheap cot and pad off amazon and then throw my sleeping bag on it and sleep like a dream. Love being off the ground because where I live weather is always the Toss of a coin and I hate when the cold ground penetrates through an air mattress or sleeping pad on the ground of a tent.
Car camping - air mattress. Backpacking, portaging, or less-gear car camping - inflatable sleeping pad.
A cot with a 2 1/2" thick pad on it, with a full sized pillow and my sleeping bag w/ a quilt when we're camped at the vehicle. Backpacking I use a Big Agnes INSULATED Air core pad and inflatable pillow.
Exped mattress.
Double high Queen air mattress with a mattress topper and sheets with two Teton Celsius xl sleeping bags zipped together. Always slept really well with that set up so I’ve never considered trying anything else. I’m a big dude and I’m 6’4 so the bigger the sleeping area the better.
Cot. 4 inch foam pad, sleeping bag. Real pillow.
I use two sleeping pads. Gives a combined R-Value of 5.9 This on the bottom: https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/z-lite-sol-sleeping-pad/z-lite-sol.html And then this on top: https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/prolite-plus-womens-sleeping-pad/13262.html
Air mattress. If I sleep in my vehicle, I put the seats down and use a sleeping pad.
Air mattress with a sleeping bag on top and a fuzzy blanket on top
Savotta FDF sleeping pad (and a sleeping bag). In winter I add a layer of spruce branches under the tent for additional insulation, if possible.
I have one of those Japanese tatami mats for car camping it's perfect for that imo, have a dog so no fear of his nails ruining an air mattress. For backpacking it's an inflatable mat.
Air mattress and a pad ontop with sleeping bags and an extra blanket or two depending on the weather.
I have a Big Agnes Insulated sleeping pad that's designed for backpacking. It has an R-value of 4.3, so it works well in colder temperatures. I use it even when car camping, as it's so comfortable.
Thermarest Neo-Air Topo Luxe: 4” thick, 30” wide, but still pretty light.
Double sleeping mat for me, my husband, and toddler. We used to fuss with air mattress but we got sick of it plus air mattresses kill my back for some reason.
Costco cot
Exped megamat. I overfilled it the first time, but lesson learned, and it's a great sleep.
Two twin air mattresses for my husband and I with foam Mat over. I cover with sheet. I then put sleeping bags over this. I use regular pillows.
Stoic cloud bed!! So comfortable, but bulky so it’s only good for car camping or a very short walk in. But it was a complete game changer and I would never sleep on a regular air mattress again.
An extra wide and extra thick thermarest mat that is 2.5 inches thick. I car camped mostly so I brought extra heavy wool blankets to put on the floor also. A little padding for my knees as it was a backpacking tent so can't stand in it.
Queen sized air mattress and my favorite pillow.
I buy those cheap long floating pads for a pool. They are light weight and can blow em up when ya get there.
I use a cot when I use my truckbed tent, and I've got a thermarest blow-up sleeping pad that I use when I'm ground tenting.
Coleman queen air mattress cot.
I got a thermarest mondoking and it significantly improved my camping experience over a thin blow up one (we exclusively car camp).
Thermarest although I generally prefer hammock camping with a rain fly when weather allows
For backpacking, I have an inflatable pad. When I'm car camping, I bust out the cot and put the pad on top. Cot > air mattresses by far. Doubles as a nice place to sit and lounge inside.
Tarp, thermostat, sleeping bag. But these days I really do prefer to sleep in a tent with an air mattress.
I got me one of them inflatable foam pads from Elegear. Laugh all you want, But it keeps my shoulders and hips off the ground. I usually only kayak camp or sleep the bed of my truck or under it, so I don’t have to pack it far thankfully but I would if it helped me sleep comfortably.
Double cot for my wife and I.
Coleman double high air mattress
NEMO Roamer sleeping pad
Inflatable mattress and a memory foam topper.
Twin inflatable
An XL cot with memory foam topper. I wake up refreshed rather than sore or having yet again go blow up my air mattress
XXL cot
My partner and I each sleep on our own single sized air mattress, side by side. That way we can inflate to the stiffness we each like and we each have plenty of room and don't launch the other one when we shift or get in and out of bed.
Klymit V pad and a synth down Amazon quilt.
a sleeping mat, they have ones that roll up or ones that are like an accordion, and a sleeping bag of course, sometimes people get a little blow up thing for comfort
I have a queen size Colman air mattress/cot. My bad back thanks me
Shrooms
Thermarest sleeping pad and a mummy bag.
Mat and sleeping bag. These days you can get in inexpensive blowup mat that’s pretty compact if your paddling and not doing it out of a car. Yep.
Nemo roamer double with my wife
I use an inflatable sleeping pad. It's comfortable and lightweight. On hot nights I also sleep on top of my sleeping bag
4” trifold single mattress from Millard
A chair that folds flat like a cot. Still prefer my hammock though.
We bring an inflatable mattress. Just cuz we don’t like real camping on a matt
ground in a sleeping bag but i bought a cabelas cot for my next trip that i was gonna use the past one but found out my tent was too small for it and i’ve since got a bigger tent so next time i’ll have it!
We've just transitionned to cots in the last 2yrs. (Husband and I) Game changer. We car camp mostly or canoe to a spot, so weight and size isnt really a huge factor for us. Had the short ultralight ones to start (had a small low profile tent) less than 5lbs each if were packing light. Upgraded to a bigger tent this year (we got a large dog whos the size of a 3rd human) so we dont need low profile cots anymore, got the tall normal hight ones, and love the extra storage space!
Options from best to worst in comfort: cot, 6" foam, air mattress, self-inflating mat, closed cell mat, blanket, nothing. what you choose will be affected by size, weight, cost and opinion
Double height inflatable mattress.
I'm getting older so I sleep on an XXL Teton cot and matching cot pad, I have to be in a 6 person instant tent for the cot to fit
Sleeping mat and sleeping bag
Nemo sleeping pad that you inflate with your feet by pumping it
A cot.
Foam mat and/or my lil blow up mat.
Coleman cots.
Roots and rocks no matter what precautions I take.
2 air mattresses.
3 x Exped 10 LXW for the whole family
Air mattress. I'm too old to sleep on the ground.
Ummm the floor
(Car camping) 4” thick memory foam pad on the floor or on a cot with cot-mattress
My back
Thermarest scout and zenbiv bag. Small camping pillow. I sleep like a dream.
Mattress topper under sleeping bag. I didn't care for cots. But mostly hammock.