Deciding to go down the campbed and self inflating mat route for a comfy night's sleep! However cannot seem to find any info on what the best option would be.
Double camp bed with double self inflating mat
Or
Double camp bed with 2 single self inflating mats
Any advice would be appreciated! I'm looking at a 10cm thick self inflating mat and thinking the bar in the middle of the double camp beds would be felt through the matress and 2 singles onstead might be a better alternative?
We have an Outwell Posadas double camp bed with an Outwell Sleepin 5cm SIM. The SIM is split into 2 halves so fits over the bar on the camp bed perfectly. It's a really comfortable set-up. The only downside of the double campbed is it is huge and takes up 2 bedrooms in our 8 man tent.
Thanks for taking the time to reply! Useful tips! Was looking at SIMS that have a seem down the middle as an option! So will defintley look for other versions of this! I'm on the larger side so need a 10cm sim mainly due to max load!! Good point about size of bed too! Thanks
Whatever you decide take talcum powder with you. We had a double and two single SIMs but boy did they squeak when you moved, found out later to use talc on the beds to stop this.Not quite sure where as we sold bed after.
A proper self inflating mattress is a good way forward in my experience but not the big fat ones that you either have to blow up with a pump or have a built in inflator as they are rarely comfortable and more often than not cold. Those self inflating mattresses are pretty good (the last one I slept in was the best sleep I�ve had in a tent and I think was the most expensive end of the spectrum being an Outwell I think).
My limited experience of camping beds is that they are not flat though I�m sure someone will correct me on this. In this case I�d just put a high quality self inflating mattress on the floor and live with that.
I believe Decathlon sells an inflatable camp bed with tubes along the sides that need a good pump (like air tents): it has struts across the top which make a flat surface on which to put a SIM. But, I'm not sure they do a double one although it is an alternative to metal frames and they pack up smaller. I was interested but, they're not wide enough for our 80cm Exped Megamats. Whichever you choose, adding height if the tent slopes in, will restrict space and where they go but, meta-framed ones do allow for storage beneath. I've not found a comfortable one of those yet, although not having to haul/crawl to standing is becoming an increasingly attractive option. Helinox and others offer 'cots' made of aluminium struts but these are eyewateringly expensive.
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We found the cheap doubles were just that - big, cheap and rrrrrrubish.
Moved on to outsell camping canvas pop up for two - okay, big, and had a big bar down middle. Misuses found it uncomfortable.
So now we opt for two single the rail self inflating (Robens over some really good options IMHO), with a foam underlay mat, and ex mod sleeping bag each. Comfy nights sleep over wins over all else!!
Quote: Originally posted by bridgeywidge on 28/6/2022
I believe Decathlon sells an inflatable camp bed with tubes along the sides that need a good pump (like air tents): it has struts across the top which make a flat surface on which to put a SIM. But, I'm not sure they do a double one although it is an alternative to metal frames and they pack up smaller. I was interested but, they're not wide enough for our 80cm Exped Megamats. Whichever you choose, adding height if the tent slopes in, will restrict space and where they go but, meta-framed ones do allow for storage beneath. I've not found a comfortable one of those yet, although not having to haul/crawl to standing is becoming an increasingly attractive option. Helinox and others offer 'cots' made of aluminium struts but these are eyewateringly expensive.
The Decathlon bases clip together, and with a double sim on top are really comfy.
Just spent a week sleeping on a Decathlon setup; two bases and their double 10cm SIM - extremely comfortable but not the cheapest option.
You can also store limited stuff under the slatted bases, all our tent/peg and furniture bags go underneath.
Ended up with 2 single camp beds and 2 10cm SIMs and covered the sims with a bed sheet. I got SIMs that are the same width as the camp beds and this does a good job of hiding the poles down the middle! Thanks for all comments and advice though!
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Topic: Double camp bed advice
via mobile 11/6/2022 at 2:02pm
Good to hear your experience of the bed base 
