Just returned from first ever mammoth three week camping trip en France. It was fabulous.
BUT I didn't get ONE good night's sleep. Not one. We had a double airbed that only one of us would use at a time and two self inflating mattresses. None of these hit the spot, quite frankly. I ended up in my daughter's Tesco bed-with-bag thingie which was by far the most comfortable.
What do you all recommend? And please, nothing too expensive or more importantly BIG. I don't think the car could take much more....
We just got back as well and didn't have that many full nights either but that was mainly due to the heat! We have single blow ups so that one moving doesnt disturb the other - sorry - thats all I can suggest.
We used a double airbed the first time we went camping and it was dreadful. Ended up getting 2 singles the next time we went and it was much better. I also tried a camping mat instead of the airbed, but it was really uncomfortable and hard as it gave me no support at all. Have stuck with the single airbed and got used to it, but it did take a few nights of perseverence.
I rarely have an uninterrupted night for one reason or another. At the moment I'm mostly using one of these which is as good as most I've tried. However, a far better mattress is this. There are two pieces of bad news and one of good news: it's not available at the moment and it's not cheap; but there is a discount for UKCS members. If you are an EHU camper then there are other versions of this mattress where the pump has to be plugged in to opperate; these are available and, I believe, the discount still applies.
In respect of sleeping in a tent or awning I have found single airbeds, the dimpled kind, not the the ridged kind to be the best confort wise. The trick is not to overinflate them. Work out what level of inflation suits you best (trial and error I`m afraid) then you stand a reasonable chance of sleeping comfortably!
I've found, up until now, the most comfortable sleep I can get is with a campbed with a fat airic on top. It's not ideal if space is an issue, a 3 berth outwell bed room can only take two campbeds side by side, with very little legroom between.
Then, whether good or bad, it's single, comfortable sleep, and no cuddling the OH Plus on top of that, pack size of both compared to the coleman comfort double. But where it comes into it's own, I don't need to pack extra picnic rugs and fleece blankets to layer up ground protection, so it kinda cancels out the extra pack size.
I guess it's one of those situations where a bit of research and experimentation wouldn't go amiss, to try and find the best solution to suit yourselves. Any alternative has to be better than 3 sleepless weeks, so it might be worth a trip to a camping shop and see if they have campbeds up you can try out for size. Or at least something as a suitable alternative, beyond that, I can't be much more help I'm afraid.
Good luck, I do hope you find something that will suit you, nothing worse than coming home more worn out than when you left
We have a Coleman Double Comfort air bed. It has 2 seperate sides that inflate seperately, so you don't bounce about like a pea on a drum, as you do with regular air beds. They have some sort of support inside which makes them even more comfortable. I have used 'Argos' type mattresses before, this is different, firmer and comfortable. It is the same size as an ordinary air matress but a bit more expensive. However we felt it is money well spent.
Quote: Originally posted by the-laughtons on 02/8/2009
We have a Coleman Double Comfort air bed. It has 2 seperate sides that inflate seperately, so you don't bounce about like a pea on a drum, as you do with regular air beds. They have some sort of support inside which makes them even more comfortable. I have used 'Argos' type mattresses before, this is different, firmer and comfortable. It is the same size as an ordinary air matress but a bit more expensive. However we felt it is money well spent.
Sarah
Another vote for Coleman comfort. Someone saw them on Amazon (I think ) for around 20 pounds recently. And we saw them in a local camping store for €20 a couple of weeks ago. What a bargain and very comfortable :)
I vote for the Coleman comfort double. It is really very comfortable. I have to share mine with my daughter who is a worst wriggler and I did not feel her move at all! I got mine off amazon for under £20 with free supersaver delivery!
I've been using this (2) for a while now with a self inflating mattress on top & it's been very comfy, packs up small too. Can usually be picked up for less than £10.
Quote: Originally posted by Lullabelle on 03/8/2009
Ooh that sounds good and cheap. I'm now torn between a coleman comfort and a fat airic. No room for both!!
We used the coleman airbeds, very comfy but had to return two as they only lasted a few trips. We have since invested in fat airics and would never return to an airbed again. They are extremely comfy and so much easier to use. We have had them for over 12 months and they seem to get more comfy with use.
We've got 2 of the red/blue ones from Argos - we sleep 1 adult 1 child on each in double sleeping bags - tend to be ok (means I don't have to listen to snoring!) Just bought a single Vango as I had the 2 kids myself last thurs, but I overinflated it and felt I was sleeping on a rock! It had the velour flock and a very high tech looking valve - think it would be ok if I hadn't inflated it so much!
We are currently using an Intex double. This has a built in pump so needs EHU but the bed is very comfortable. You can get them at Costco.
We have also had success with 2 aluminium camp beds cable tied together with a double airbed on top for comfort. Not a very space saving solution but nice to be up off the floor, comfy and in a double bed!
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Plus on top of that, pack size of both compared to the coleman comfort double. But where it comes into it's own, I don't need to pack extra picnic rugs and fleece blankets to layer up ground protection, so it kinda cancels out the extra pack size.
