Please can anybody help me, I have just brought out first tent and am very new to camping. I brought gelert single air beds but my husband spent most of the week on a deflated bed by the morning. Even after re inflating each night!
He is a large chappy, over 20 stone and 6ft 4in tall. What would you recommend?
I have looked at both air beds and self inflating mats and am now confussed which would be the best purchase.
We changed over to an SI mat this year but after two weeks we went out and got an airbed again. Two reasons for this, first was that I have two knackered shoulders and a bad hip and the mat was affecting them, second was when we got to the 2nd site the previous campers had dug a trench right where the bed goes and the mat would have sunk into it. Apart from the shoulder and hip issue I really liked the mat, nice and firm plus it doesn't move like a ship at sea when one of you moves about. I may even stick with the mat and put a couple of cheap single mats under it to increase the thickness but my wife prefers the airbed so I may have to do as I'm told instead.
What the mats are good for is insulating you from the cold ground, works even if you put it under an airbed.
All personal taste in the end, but can be an expensive exercise if you don't like mats.
I have degenerative discs in my spine, so have never tried an inflating mat, i think it would be too hard for me, I have had a coleman double airbed, the kind with the two separate chambers so you can inflate to individual requirements if two are using it. I have had the same one for 5 years now. I am somewhat on the heavy side <cough> and it has never deflated in the night or even needed topping up during 16 night's continuous use. My daughter, who is considerably lighter! never needs hers topping up either.
IMO getting a really good nights sleep is vital to enjoying camping. Strangely, I find I actually sleep better in the tent than I do at home .
We use air beds. We've looked into SIMs but found that they were too hard for us, too unyielding. Maybe some really expensive Thermorest ones would be better, but I'd rather not spend the cash. The Alpkit ones seem very popular on here - maybe someone could sing their praises to you.
I think the best quality airbeds are probably the Aerobed range. We've got a tall kingsize at home which is really very good. It's a bit large for us to take camping though, and I can't be faffed with needing electricity to pump my bed up. Aerobed also do a bed with a rechargable pump option:
After many a bouncy 'discussion' with the girlfriend she now insists on seperate air beds, which TBH work really well, if slightly less romantic. We've got a no-brand single one we picked up in France that seems to do the job really well, and I've got a huge RAF surplus single air bed that may actually be bullet proof - it's extremely comfortable, never deflates, and is wide enough to serve as a narrow double.
We've just invested in some mattress toppers from Dunelm Mill. They've not been used yet, but they should provide a decent level of warmth/breathability, both of which can be a problem on air beds.
Ross99 there's no rule to say you have to sleep in the same bed as OH (even if you're feeling a bit romantic a separate bed isn't going to stop you....) so your OH can have whatever bed suits her the most and so can you. The only thing is if you're lower down you'll have to look up to her but that should be the natural order of things anyway
In all my years camping I now sleep much better on a self inflating mat than an airbed. I find as it's solid and closer to the floor rather than a bouncy airbed I do not feel restricted with my movement.
Quote: Originally posted by victoria1 on 24/8/2010
Ross99 there's no rule to say you have to sleep in the same bed as OH (even if you're feeling a bit romantic a separate bed isn't going to stop you....) so your OH can have whatever bed suits her the most and so can you. The only thing is if you're lower down you'll have to look up to her but that should be the natural order of things anyway
This is a rule for us as we spend most of the year living in separate houses in different towns plus having only been married for just over a year we are still very lovey-dovey lol.
We use airbeds although they are hit and miss. Our Eurohike doubles need pumping up every day and are ok for children. Our Outwell double needs a small top up every 2 or 3 days. We've never had an airbed which has not needed a top up at some point over a few days.
I have a single SI and have to say it's excellent. Not sure it would be good for more than 2 or 3 nights but for weekends it's just the job. You can get really think SI mattresses (8cm) but they are expensive.
Some friends who have camped for years say the best solution is two single blow up mattresses side by side. They may be right!
I really tried to get on with SI mats as they leave so much room in the bed pod enabling you to walk in and out rather than edge round the airbed. The are also much warmer to sleep on. I tried 3 different ones and in combination, one on top of the other etc but just could not get a good nights sleep. My airbed, a queen size double height 2-in-1 by Intex is much more comfortable. Having persevered I now have a SIM by Nomad that I bought from Obelink. it's 10cm and though I haven't used it in earnest it pass the one night on the lounge floor test. :o)
You say your husband is 6'4 and a big lad then you'd need to look at the size of SIM's, most of them are skinny and short and you end up on the floor inbetween. Not good. Nomad do an extra wide one but they aren't cheap for the 10cm. Also bulky.
I'm afraid there is no simple answer as we are all individuals and what suits one person doesn't suit another.
------------- Christine
2014
April -
BunRoy Fort William 3 sleeps
April / May
Invercaimbe Arisaig 4 sleeps
Bleatarn Brampton tbc July
I'm actually a comparable size and the 3cm thick SI keeps me off the ground. It's full length and std width and was on special offer for £25 from Milletts (although checking the website just now and they seem to have stopped selling them).
As I say it's ok for 2 or 3 nights. A week or more might be a struggle.
Just been checking the aerobed mattresses. They look great but are expensive.
Thanks so much for all your views, looks like I'll try a SIM for him as he spent most of the week on the floor anyway (hehe).
I may invest in an areo bed for me though as I do require a good nights sleep so not to malfunction in the morning.!!!
We orginally opted for two singes because they were wider in total that a double and like Victoria1 said there no rule to having to sleep in the same bed.
I'll let you know how it goes in a weeks time when we go to snetterton racing.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Air Bed vs Self Inflating Mat
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