Find the right Mattress Our Mattress Selection Guide takes your priorities and turns them into choices in three easy steps Camp Quilts And Tech Blankets Choosing the Right Sleeping Bag: Part 1—Understanding EN Temperature Ratings Learn about the EN 13537 Standard. Choosing the Right Sleeping Bag: Part 2—Down Vs. Synthetic Sleeping Bags Is a down sleeping bag or a synthetic sleeping bag best for YOUR style of camping?A sleeping pad’s R-Value measures its ability to insulate you from cold ground and keep you warm. The higher the R value, the more effective it is. Sleeping Pad R value performance testing is done in a 70 F environment with no air movement. As such, it doesn’t reflect many real world conditions where you’d use a sleeping pad, so I recommend that you augment any gear selection that you make with field testing.If you are interested in sleeping pads for early spring, late autumn or winter conditions, R-Value is additive. When it gets cold, I like to use two pads, a closed cell foam pad and an insulated inflatable one with a combined R-Value of at least 5.For purposes of backpacking, you also need to factor in weight, comfort, compressibility, and rigidity when you make a sleeping pad selection.
In addition, side sleepers may not receive the full R-value of benefit of an inflatable insulated pad because their bodies are not in full contact with the surface of the pad. This is particularly true for insulated sleeping pads that depend on your body heat to warm them up, including the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir product line, Exped’s DownMats and Big Agnes’ Insulated Pads.The following table provides a side by side comparison of the major sleeping pads available in the US market. The pad weights listed are sized for 72″ long x 20″ wide pads, though there are a few exceptions below. The R-Value of a pad should still remain the same if you select a longer, shorter, or wider variation of the pad. If a sleeping pad has a R-Value of “Not Available”, it’s because the manufacturer has not supplied one or R-value testing has not been performed. If you make a purchase after clicking on the links above, a portion of the sale helps support this site at no additional cost to you.Mattress FindMattress CheckMattress PatcheMattress GeniusCleaning MattressCamping MattressMattressesCamping FunCamping StuffForwardHole in an air mattress?
Find it, melt a glue stick with a lighter and rub the melted part on the hole. Dries in seconds & your air mattress is as good as new!Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm Mattress - Regular Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm Mattress - Regular The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm mattress is the warmest mattress in the NeoAir collection, allowing you to go lighter than ever in winter conditions. Therm-a-Rest Military Flat Fold Mat Therm-a-Rest Military Flat Fold Mat is made with ultralight materials designed to fold up quickly and compact as well as deploy quickly. The polyethylene, closed cell foam sheds water... Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Mattress Regular Therm-a-Rest NeoAir technology changed what people expect from a backcountry mattress. Warm, comfortable and extremely lightweight, the NeoAir XLite is the next-generation NeoAir mattress... El Grande Paco Sleeping PadThe El Grande Paco Pad from Jack's Plastic Welding is a self-inflating sleeping pad that is durable in use and compact when rolled.
Soft urethane foam inside and... Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Dream - Large The NeoAir Dream mattress system is designed for basecamp luxury but with the versatility of a small packed size and weight for easy transport. It combines the comfort of a plush, contour-hugging... Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm Mattress - Large The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm Mattress is the warmest mattress in the NeoAir collection, allowing you to go lighter than ever in winter conditions. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Mattress Large Klymit Insulated Static V Sleeping Pad The Klymit Insulated Static V Sleeping Pad is a lightweight camping pad that offers body mapping technology at an entry level price for all season warmth and comfort. Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Dream - X-Large Therm-a-Rest MARPAD-Lite 3 Military Sleeping Pad Regular The Therm-a-Rest MARPAD-Lite 3 Military Sleeping Pad are made with ultralight materials, and the tapered ergonomic design rolls up super-small. The grip dot bottom keeps the mattress...
Klymit Static V Sleeping Pad The Klymit Static V Sleeping Pad is a lightweight camping pad that offers body mapping technology at an entry level price. It features the v-chamber design which limits air movement... Therm-a-Rest ProLite Plus Sleeping Pad Regular The Therm-a-Rest ProLite Plus mattress combines outstanding all-season warmth with the convenience of self-inflation. An upgrade to Therm-a-Rest's exclusive Atmos Foam reduces weight... Therm-a-Rest ProLite Sleeping Pad - Regular The Therm-a-Rest ProLite Sleeping Pad now feature their exclusive Atmos Foam to further reduce weight and boost compressibility. The ProLite is the lightest and most compact three-season... Super Paco Sleeping Pad The Super Paco Pad from Jack's Plastic Welding is a self-inflating sleeping pad that is durable in use and compact when rolled. Soft urethane foam inside and a welded industrial-strength... Therm-a-Rest Luxury Map Sleeping Pad - Regular The Therm-a-Rest Luxury Map Sleeping Pad takes the most comfortable self-inflating mattress to a higher level of luxury with advanced, pressure mapping technology and innovative die-cut...
Here's how it works: Anybody can ask a question The best answers are voted up and rise to the top I've been camping since I was a teenager in the scouts, and I've never really had a very comfortable night out. As an adult with a girlfriend, 20 years later, I'd like to just throw some money at the issue and be done with it and have ourselves a comfortable bed for car camping. ("Car camping" meaning we will have the car next to the campsite and don't care about weight or size much.) This Memorial Day weekend, we went out with a few other couples, and I don't think a single person had a successful sleep. We brought a feather bed as an experiment and it was pretty terrible, feeling only slightly better than the ground (warm though). Other people spent 30-60 minutes fussing with getting their air beds inflated, and then they leaked or went flat by the morning. I've used self-inflating Thermarest pads and I'm sure those are the best for backpack camping but they aren't great and they get quite expensive once you start buying two of the XL ones.
Are there other choices I'm missing? Or is there an air mattress option that isn't fussy and frustrating? ALWAYS bring a patch kit for an air mattress. If your airpad is going flat something is wrong (though perhaps the wrong part is just getting a cheap mattress). Get a pump that you can plug into your car (you're car camping after all). Buy memory foam to lay out on top of your pad. Do not inflate your mattress to be completely taut. give (unless you like sleeping on a rock). Buy a mattress with a foam top (and yes, then slap more foam on top of it). "Field Test" before camping. Buy it, inflate it at home, then leave a backpack on top of it overnight. If it's flat in the morning, return it. For car camping, don't bother to shop for "camping" mattresses, just get a quality air mattress. When we car camp the night before a canoe-camping trip, we bring an extra comforter from home and put it on top of the Thermarests, under our sleeping bags.
We also bring pillows. These combine to produce a luxurious sleep as far as we're concerned. I've also slept on my fair share of air mattresses, mostly in houses, and if they don't go flat they're fine. They shouldn't go flat - if they do, patch them. Since you're car camping and you don't have to worry about carrying things to the site, the general answer is to layer until you're sufficiently comfortable. If one foam pad isn't enough, lay down 2. If you're worried about the air mattress deflating, bring a patch kit as well as extra pillows and comforters just in case. But at least you'll have peace of mind and enjoy your trip. Also, since you mentioned "ultimate", you may want to look at Car Top Campers: Personally I love a good 4" memory foam mattress topper. I often prefer that to a bed even at home. If you sleep on your back, it's definitely the best option and I've tried air mattresses, cots, blankets, and all combinations of those. The topper will take a bit of room even when you compress it (use motorcycle tie downs), and it won't be the lightest option but if you're going to camp out of your car or near your car, you should try it.
They can be found for ~100$ at Walmart. I use two Coleman queen size air matress stacked on top of one another. Between I use an emergancy blanket to reflect heat to me and not the ground. With a few well placed strips of anti slip padding, and its like the Ritz of the outdoors. As for inflation for $30 you can get a powered inflator to run off your car lighter, just rembered to use a cupple of lung fillers just befor bed for fermness and your set for a total of $130 CDN It's tough to beat. I agree with the above and recommend Therm-a-rest for anytime of camping provide its within your budget, there a little expensive but well worth the long-term investment if you intend to use them again. I car camp 30-40 nights a year. I use a twin air mattress if camping by myself or a queen air mattress if I'm sharing. I used to think that a queen for just myself would be best but found myself sinking in the middle. One tip that I always use is to give the air mattress a little extra air right before going to bed.