I sleep on a camp bed with a SIM on top, SIM held in place with a fitted sheet, and a double all-season duvet on top as I don't like sleeping bags either.
I used to have airbeds, however, I switched to camp bed + SIM ever since my trusted double airbed developed a leak mid trip during Christmas 2011.
I went home to get the spare airbed out and continued with the trip, as I was only a few miles from home.
I do not wish to be without a bed, in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere. Hence I switched to camp bed + SIM, and this combination is a lot cosier than the airbed.
DK
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Oohhh Im not sure this forum is going to help as I think you'll find what peeps find comfortable its quite personal. We use a coleman comfort airbed and we love it ! However lots on this forum are very anti-airbeds and like camping beds with sims.
Camping beds are however bulky and would take up too much space in the car and are anti-snuggle (the double camping beds have bars down them).
If our airbed did develop a leak I'm sure we wouldn't be too far from a camping shop to buy a new one !
We use two "ThermaRest DreamTime XL's" that fasten together with there embedded straps to make up a QueenSize double bed.
We don't use sleeping bags for our fortnight campings in the South of France during July, just a cotton top sheet does the job, although we do have a Lidl £9.99 KingSize Duvet should the temps ever drop.
We started out years ago with airbeds and we hated them with a passion so then went on to SIMs and a good quality one is great. I have never been cold or uncomfy since.
Now however, as we are getting older we fancied being off the ground (for longer trips mainly) so we have just bought fishing beds to save crawling about. They are lovely and comfy although they wont fit in all out tents so then it will be the SIMs.Used to take a duvet, burt on the mats we now use a large square double sleeping bag. On the fishing beds we use large single fishing sleeping bags that fix to the beds securely. Toasty as anything.
Oh, and when we take the rest of the family we use the tt, so we're off the floor anyway.
i love my aero-bed airbed - never leaked and the inflator can be charged up at home and/or in the car and blows up the aerobed in about 2 minutes - very quick!
also each side of my aerobed can be a different level or hardness/softness. i have a carpet on my bedroom floor and this helps to stop the cold from the ground making the air inside the aerobed cold and iv always had the best sleeps on mine.
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Living the Dutch Dream - Karsten 300 pod + extns in Sea Green and Pure Cotton
A few personal preferences for this subject... and then numerous quality/brand/dimension variations thereafter. The only true way you will find your own personal favourite is by trial and error!
Personally, both Muckerette and myself are currently chuffed with 5cm SIM
on top of an average, run of the mill camp bed
Aerobed Raised Double airbed here. Much can depend on whether you camp as a single, or with a partner, and if the latter, to what extent you want to sleep together. Try as many options as you can before you buy, and even then, you may change your mind in the light of experience.
Airbeds:
Pro's:
1. Take up little room in storage, or transit.
2. Good ones are very comfortable.
3. Easy to set up, with built-in pumps etc.
3. Work just like a home mattress, in all respects( )
Con's:
1. Can leak. Even the expensive ones.
2. Can be cold without under/overbed insulation.
Campbeds:
Pro's:
1. You're off the cold ground.
2. Easier to rise from if you've old bones.
3. Won't leak.
4. Create storage space under.
5. Good ones easy to put up.
Con's:
1. Can be bulky, in storage and transit.
2. Bigger ones take up a *lot* of tent space.
3. Good ones are expensive. Good doubles mega so.
4. Unless you're a masochist, you need a SIM on top.
5. Good SIMS are expensive.
6. Two singles may not suit.
7. A double has a metal bar down the middle. This is not good.
For us, it's all about the cuddle. Not nookie. Cuddle. So:
*Footprint
*Tent ZIG
*Bedroom SIG
*Bedroom carpet
*Fleece throw.
*Active raised double Aerobed
*Fleece throw.
*Double square sleeping bag
------------- Mike
My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it
We love them as they are wonderfully padded and comfortable. They have a built in pillow and we find we don't need an extra one. Hubby just uses his as it is with his sleeping bag. I don't get on with sleeping bags though so I have fashioned a sort of fitted sheet thing out of a fleecy mattress topper and use that with an opened out sleeping bag over me like a duvet.
Welcome to UKCS by the way :)
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I've bought too many airbeds over the years. I quite like the Readybeds although the sleeping bag part is very flimsy and needs an extra blanket on top. They still didn't last though. Decathlon have an equivalent to the 'Readybed' although one of their versions is with a self inflating mat.
The problem I've had with airbeds is that it doesn't seem to matter how much I spend on them, they always deflate. I bought one for just over £60 and it lasted one summer. I use a camp bed and SIM now and wouldn't go back to airbeds.
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Topic: New camper - what to sleep on?
