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  • #16
    Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

    When we camp( Desert Rose & I) it's an air-mattress all the way cause that's what she wants. I do what I'm told however when it's just me, fishin or huntin, my choice is a foam pad. When I load the jeep the pad goes where Desert Rose would sit, so it's not taking up anymore room than it's suppose to. I do like solitary campin! Back to just the basics with little or no happy junk to get in the way. Got to get out of here soon too, going nuts just swimming everyday!
    Get campin', Renodesertfox A canvas campateer
    Campin' Here Between Campouts! Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

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    • #17
      Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

      Originally posted by renodesertfox View Post
      When we camp( Desert Rose & I) it's an air-mattress all the way cause that's what she wants. I do what I'm told however when it's just me, fishin or huntin, my choice is a foam pad. When I load the jeep the pad goes where Desert Rose would sit, so it's not taking up anymore room than it's suppose to. I do like solitary campin! Back to just the basics with little or no happy junk to get in the way. Got to get out of here soon too, going nuts just swimming everyday!


      Ahh yea, must be tough swimming every day! I need to get camping soon. Only thing keeping me sane is knowing that I can wander into the woods any time I want! In fact, I just did this morning =)
      My Other Interest

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      • #18
        Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

        Ok...so we have an air bed. It's one of the double high ones from Intex and has a built in electric pump. We have an inverter for the car so we can plug in the air bed (with an extension cord) and inflate it even if we're at a campsite with no electricity. We've slept on it dozens of nights now, and no leaks. If it sags a bit, the next day we just add more air. It's the same height as a regular bed, which makes my husband happy. He hates sleeping on the ground. We use ours as a guest bed at home, when we travel, camping, when we chaperone youth events, etc. It's not just for camping! It was a bit spendy for an airbed, around $60 at Cabelas, but we've more than made up for the price in our book by having a comfy place to sleep anywhere. We've been able to crash on friends' floors rather than get hotel rooms, so the price savings right there is great! And since we don't have a guest room in our tiny house, we can offer a comfortable sleeping space when people do stay the night. We don't camp in frigid cold, so I'm not worried about losing heat. We also have one cot (yard sale bargain!) from LL Bean that is fairly comfy. It's mainly used when the nieces and nephews stay the night. If you don't want to snuggle with your significant other, 2 cots would work OK and get you up off the ground.

        A few years ago my husband injured his back and needed to be on bed rest. He was horribly uncomfortable with me in the bed next to him so I made a bed for myself on the floor in our bedroom with a pile of sleeping bags (This was before we had the cot or the airbed). It was actually pretty comfortable. So if you have extra sleeping bags, and the car space to take them camping, that could be a possible solution. I had several underneath me, and then wrapped up in a blanket on top. (somehow we have 6 sleeping bags for 2 people!)

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        • #19
          Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

          I am in my 50's also and have discovered Exped mat's ( exped.com ) They are absolutely the best mat's I have found and are the only mat's that I use when I go backpacking and car camping. They are very very expensive mat's -- When car camping I use the Mega Mat 10 ($200.00) each and have two that make a queen bed and have a Velcro system that ties them together. They make a SIM Mat called sim comfort Mat and they are also very nice and bought two of these for my guests for my guest tent. I bought the Downmat 9 DLX and a synmat 7 DLX for backpacking and are very comfortable and very small when packed up in there stuff sacks. I bought my daughter the comfortfoam mat's for her setup for car camping and backpacking & she just loves them as they also have the internal pumps in them and take only a few pumps to get them ready to sleep on. I sold all my other mat's on eBay -- I hope this helps but I can't do anything about the cost of them as they are extremely expensive.

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          • #20
            Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

            WOW! Thank you for the review and the link! Mega Mat, while pricey, sure looks like the "leader of the pack" for self-inflating sleeping pads. The website mentions a pump, so I guess the thicker size needs more huffing and puffing. That said, a really nice pad and a new product I've not seen before. Thanks!
            “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
            ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

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            • #21
              Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

              Thanks Ims! Like TP looks and we really think it'll do the trick! We just ordered two! Excellent, thanks for posting! We're excited! Thanks! They are expensive, but not only was your review but others from the web site and much discussion between us. Now we can't wait for our winter camp, soon as they arrive we'll be testin them at home!
              Last edited by renodesertfox; 08-02-2011, 01:52 PM.
              Get campin', Renodesertfox A canvas campateer
              Campin' Here Between Campouts! Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

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              • #22
                Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

                Your welcome -- I have 7 mat's by Exped and I will not be using two of them ( comfortfoam DLX models ) as my oldest daughter barrowed them and will not return them lol -- Anyway These are the best I have found !!!!

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                • #23
                  Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

                  I hate air mattresses. They just don't feel right to lay on. I have slept on those before and never liked them much. They do have the potential of losing the air and then they are worthless. Also, they definitely will suck the warmth out of you and could cause hypothermia.
                  I don't have "the" answer yet, but I did look around and found that REI sells a 3.5" thick "Comfort" self inflating pad http://www.rei.com/product/778152/re...-inflating-pad
                  It is by far the most comfortable sleeping pad/mattress I have tried except the premium stuff in the best hotels or my Tempur-Pedic King sized mattress at home.
                  I believe the self-inflating, foam filled pads are the answer. They are tough, compact and comfy (they also provide great insulation).

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                  • #24
                    Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

                    I hope you have bought.

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                    • #25
                      Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

                      Originally posted by Linacruise1467 View Post
                      I hope you have bought.
                      ???
                      I too hope you bought, at least, one!...'though sometimes one is one to many!

                      RE; air mattresses;
                      I have spent many comfortable nights on them and a few uncomfortable ones (when they loose air)...

                      ...went to a one or 2 (stacked) foam pads years ago and have no regrets.

                      Enjoy!
                      2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
                      For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
                      Ground tents work best for me, so far.
                      Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

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                      • #26
                        Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

                        This is one of the reasons I switched to hammock camping. Plus, I sleep SO MUCH better and my back doesn't hurt!

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                        • #27
                          Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

                          Originally posted by Karla "with a k" View Post
                          This is one of the reasons I switched to hammock camping. Plus, I sleep SO MUCH better and my back doesn't hurt!
                          I don't believe that I have had any aches since getting rid of the wally mart cot (with included air mattress)...
                          ... foam on a Coleman cot (with springs around the edge) for me.... sleeps more comfortably than the bed at home.
                          (backup is a twin sized thick air mattress with insulation(foam ) on top ... the only downside is getting up from near ground level in the morning.

                          Tried hammocks but they are not the best for me (especially when desert camping without trees)...

                          Enjoy!
                          2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
                          For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
                          Ground tents work best for me, so far.
                          Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: Air mattess alternatives/suggestions

                            Maybe we've been lucky, but my wife and I haven't had any problems with leaks from our Intex inflatable. It's queen sized with a built in AC pump. We've used it for several years without a problem. What I usually do is put a couple closed cell foam pads (army surplus sleep mats) underneath the air mattress, then the mattress itself gets a sheet, and a heavy cotton sleeping bag (unzipped) spread across the sheet. We then place our bedding (comforter sheets, sleeping bags, electric blanket, etc...varies depending upon weather) over that. It's a very comfortable arrangement.

                            When camping solo I'll either use a coleman cot (the kind with the thin foam mattress and springs along the edge) with a sleeping bag on top or if I'm using the backpack tent I use a sleeping bag atop a backpack air mattress which has a closed cell foam pad underneath. That combo is likewise very comfortable. For a pillow I use a real pillow...
                            Where we've camped so far (as an adult...many more when I was a kid :-)

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