Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

[Old Time Camper]

I just got back from a 3 night camp trip and my wife and I were both dealing with lower back pain from our bed.
This is what I have, a queen size Quick Cot, 2 Thermarest Dream time pads, 2 sleeping bags zipped together and an extra blanket under the pads. Temperatures were in the high 30s at night and we were very warm. The problem was the cot was causing us both stiffness in our lower back. I don’t have any problem with a single cot I use on solo trips using the same dreamtime pad and a single sleeping bag.
I have used double high air mattress and they were comfortable and would work. The problem I have found with air mattress is they will all spring a leak at some time. The last one I had did it while we were sleeping on it. It was not a very comfortable night.

So my quest for a camping sleeping system continues for something that is comfortable, can be packed in a SUV and doesn’t cost a fortune. What sleeping systems are you using or have you seen or can recommend something that might work. I’m 60 years young and I don’t want to sleep on the ground. Nor do I want to get an RV yet.

On a different subject, I just purchased a new tent. It is a Black Pine Turbo Tent 10’ by 10’ Freestander. I wanted a tent I could setup and take down quickly for the times when I’m traveling and might just stay overnight in one spot. It is easy to setup by myself, and is tall enough to stand-up in. They are on Ebay right now if anybody wants to check them out. I got one for $180. It looks like it was brand new and was never used. I don’t think it is as nice as my Kodiak Flex-bow, but for short trips or where I don’t want to go thru the trouble of setting up the Kodiak, I don’t think I went wrong for the price I paid.

[azvorsky]

Re: Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

Try one of these for a tent. They work great. http://www.standingroomtents.com/

[gatordude]

Re: Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

We use an INTEX queen size, but just bought a full size for our next trip. Unfortunately, you are correct. They'll all leak. Have you tried single cots? Yeah, not a great idea, but it sounds like the cots could be causing the problem. Please post the solution when you figure it out.

HAPPY CAMPING....

[Mike]

Re: Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

Correct. Air mattresses eventually leak SO.. buy a bunch of them when they go on sale. You can get twin size air mattresses for around $10.00 on sale. Buy ten and it is still only $100. Cheaper than a single RV fill-up of fuel. Cheaper than a night in a hotel.

I find that the air mattresses that have built-in blowers wear out faster, so get the cheap ones. I find that double mattresses do not really provide any more comfort than single layer, so again, get the cheap ones.

Sleep with the mattress inflator insider the tent and know where it is so you can find it in the dark. You can reinflate once or twice to get you through the night. If you are a 60 year young male, then you are getting up more often than that anyway to go pee. Inflate upon your return from the WC. If might be the only thing you inflate the whole evening. ;-)

In a pinch, you can fix a leaky mattress with Fix-a-Flat spray that you use in tires. Just Spray into the air mattress, blow the mattress up hard, seal it up, and swish the fix a flat goo around inside the mattress. That will get you through until you leave for home, but you have to toss it after that.

[tplife]

Re: Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

Air mattresses are junk never meant for cold-weather camping. Try sleeping with the Dream Time on the ground. You'll get proper back support and sleep better with less need for insulation since neither the empty air space under the cot nor the big hollow-tube air mattress won't be sucking the heat out of you while you sleep. You'd think everybody that took science courses would remember this, but camping supply stores keep lying to people and ripping them off on a daily basis. Air mattresses are for inside your heated house or floating around in the pool. Only the warmest summer months will work for a cot or air mattress: they are R-rated at 0.75. Thermo neutral is 5.0. Less than neutral means you're giving up your body heat needlessly. If you want a thicker mattress, buy a MegaMat or build your own out of upholstery shop foam.

[Mike]

Re: Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

TPlife recommended the DreamTime mattress. LL Bean also offers the NeoAir Thermarest air mattress which is luxurious and similar to the DreamTime ( if not the same thing)

However, these are heavy (5lbs), bulky and expensive at about $200

If the $200 price tag doesn't scare you, the Exped 9 is perhaps an even better choice. This is a down filled air mattress which is warm, comfortable, 2 lbs, and rolls up about half the size of a standard Thermarest

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

Perhaps I'm about to jinx self but my air mattress has lasted me about 8/9 years with no holes. One of the kiddo's died when a guest opted to do some late night pen flower drawing but that's it. I use the Coleman sueded top mattresses and given the price..around 20 for the twin maybe 40 for the queen on sale I don't worry about it. I think the idea of adding foam atop the air mattress should dispel cold air bak pains or firm up the area.
I tent from mid May until the start of October in the Mid Atlantic states.

[James.]

Re: Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

Perhaps I'm about to jinx self but my air mattress has lasted me about 8/9 years with no holes. One of the kiddo's died when a guest opted to do some late night pen flower drawing but that's it. I use the Coleman sueded top mattresses and given the price..around 20 for the twin maybe 40 for the queen on sale I don't worry about it. I think the idea of adding foam atop the air mattress should dispel cold air bak pains or firm up the area.
I tent from mid May until the start of October in the Mid Atlantic states.

I'm pretty sure I have the same air mattress and dont have a problem with it. It DOES transfer the cold from the ground but I am in AZ so that usually isnt a problem for me. I will be buying something to go under it for my wife who is less tolerant of the cold but ad far as durrability goes I have had it for a few years and it is holding up great.

[frank6160]

Re: Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

I too have several Coleman air matresses. Have served me well. Many that have issues inflate them outside of tent with a inflator that plugs in vehicle then drag them across ground stuff them in a tent door not big enough and wonder where they get leaks. I use a battery inflator in tent. In colder weather they do tend to be a bit cool unless you have plenty of extra insulation under you. I recently tried one of the standard blue sleeping pads with an old sleeping bag on it. Slept well with temp in upper 30's.

[farout]

Re: Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

I have real BAD, BAD Disk degenerative disease. I can sleep almost comfortable on our Coleman Man air bed. They are not cheap, about $ 175. but I can sleep and wake up able to fish the next morning. This bed is elevated on it's own frame, so I don't sleep cold either, and bad backs and cold sleeping, spell OUCH, this gona be a bad day!!! Ya might give this some serious thought. Good luck and good sleeping!

[Malamute]

Re: Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

My Thermarest pad hasn't leaked in the 20-some years I've had it. At least not after my dog chewed it up and I patched all the holes.

I've used a 4" foam pad, it makes a reasonably comfortable bed, along with the thermarest, blankets, decent pillows, etc.

I was between homes once while waiting a month or two for a rental to open up. I had a Nissan pickup and a small pickup bed trailer with shell for my camp gear. I took my regular bed from home (would have been in storage anyway). It was an old metal frame hospital bed. I just used the mattress without a box spring, with plywood over the slats. It made a great camp bed in my wall tent. I took a small bedside dresser also, a nice room rug, folding table and bench, camp chair etc. and had a very comfortable camp, maybe the most comfortable one ever for me. I wrapped the twin size mattress up in a tarp and carried it on top of the trailer. Worked out great.

[atlantadana]

Re: Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

Try one of these for a tent. They work great. http://www.standingroomtents.com/

You are right! I have two and they are the best tents I have ever owned!

[wiiawiwb]

Re: Need some Ideas on a new camp bed.

TPlife recommended the DreamTime mattress. LL Bean also offers the NeoAir Thermarest air mattress which is luxurious and similar to the DreamTime ( if not the same thing)

However, these are heavy (5lbs), bulky and expensive at about $200

If the $200 price tag doesn't scare you, the Exped 9 is perhaps an even better choice. This is a down filled air mattress which is warm, comfortable, 2 lbs, and rolls up about half the size of a standard Thermarest

I have an Exped DownMat 9 which is fantastic to sleep on when it's cold. Beneath it I put a Thermarest RidgeRest Solar which has an r-Value of 3.5. Combined r-Value 11.5. That does wonders for my back. You could have a -60F sleeping bag but it will not be able to keep you from losing body heat, by conduction, without an adequate pad/mattress.

If you didn't want to spend the money on the Exped, you could get the RidgeRest Solar and put an EMS CCF (closed cell foam) beneath it. You'll be good to go to ~25F and it will be relatively cheap at $46 for the two.

Here's an excellent analysis of thermoregulation as it pertains to hiking, backpacking and camping:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...l#.U3qseyiGfV4