Caring for a self-inflating mattress involves three main points: inflation, transport and storage...A self-inflating mattress does not require any sort of inflator or pump to inflate. Just open the air valve(s), and the inner foam core expands to its original shape, drawing air into the chamber.This self-inflating process can take anywhere from a few minutes to hours, depending on the thickness of the foam and on how long it has been compressed.Once the foam has fully expanded, close the valve and lie on the pad. If it feels too soft, a breath or two of air can be added to firm up the mattress.Larger pads usually have two valves to the same air chamber. Open and close both to self inflate and to seal the inflated mattress shell. While inflating a self-inflating mattress that is new or has been stored compressed for a long time, you can occasionally grab one end and give the pad a few gentle whips to encourage the foam to expand.Valves on self-inflating camping mats seal differently than the valves on inflatable air mattresses.
Twist valves on self-inflating pads usually have a screw cap that twists approximately a quarter turn clockwise to close and counterclockwise to open. The air enters through slots in the top of the cap.Twist valves are easier to seal than the plug valves on standard inflatable air mattresses, which require a great deal of air to inflate and can attach to inflators.For transport the pad is rolled up and compressed similar to a rectangular sleeping bag. The valve is closed and the pad stays compressed.Unlike a sleeping bag, a single, self-inflating pad isn't folded in half before rolling, so the rolled pad is usually wider, but smaller in diameter than a rolled-up sleeping bag. A transport bag or attached compression straps are then placed around the rolled-up pad to keep it from unrolling during transport.A double, self-inflating pad, however, does get folded in half before being rolled up and strapped or bagged for transport. These are not common, but are used occasionally by couples.
Thin pads roll up the easiest. Rolling up a thick, self-inflating pad, so that it can fit into a carry bag, is somewhat akin to squeezing the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube:Be sure to carefully pack the rolled pad, so that it doesn't get punctured during transport.Unlike an inflatable air mattress, a self-inflating mattress is stored fully inflated with the valve(s) open.Once home from a camping trip, it's easy to treat the rolled-up pad like a sleeping bag and put it in the corner or on the shelf until the next trip, but over time this will shorten the life of the pad.If it is continuously stored in a rolled up, compressed state, the foam core may eventually get crushed and lose its ability to fully expand to its original shape. This can also happen to any folds in the pad, so do not store the pad folded, either.Better self-inflating mattresses will have high-quality, foam cores. This foam will be able to better recover from a long-term compressed state. Before storing the pad, take a moment to unfasten the straps and open the valve and let the pad self inflate.
Since self-inflating mattresses are stored fully inflated, they cannot be stored in a compact space. Here are some ideas for storing them:While lying flat, pads can be stacked on other pads or with unrolled sleeping bags.Double, self-inflating pads are unfolded, as well as inflated for storage, so they will need the largest space. Couples who want to sleep together, may find it more convenient to use a double sleeping bag on twin, self-inflating pads.Storing the pad fully inflated also allows it to self inflate in the shortest period of time when you set up camp. Leaving the valve open during storage allows moisture inside the shell to evaporate out.To get the best performance from a self-inflating pad, remember these three states for the pad:One of the most important aspects of truck camping is being comfortable while sleeping. I highly recommend not neglecting this aspect. I’ve used a variety of setups over the years, both camping solo and camping as a couple. In this article we’ll discuss what has worked well and not so well for me over the years.
One of the biggest mistakes that I made when I got started with truck camping was neglecting my sleeping setup. I set out from the PNW in the dead of winter and passed through Idaho and Utah (read: *really* cold in January). I had a litle 20″ wide inflatable backpacking air mattress and a memory foam pillow… Fun fact: memory foam turns hard as a rock in the cold. I survived those early days but quickly realized that my sleep setup was not ideal… The pillow turned out to be fine, so long as the weather was above freezing. But the skinny little pad was not ideal for truck camping. I’m a backpacker and alpine climber at heart so I felt like I could get by with what I had and what I’m used to–just roughing it if you will. But for week after week of truck camping I figured there had to be a better way. And let’s face it, I’ve got a truck, I’m not carrying these gear on my back up a mountain, so size and weight isn’t the biggest concern (though it should be considered).
After a month or so on the road I quickly turned to REI and picked up the Therm-a-Rest Neoair Dream Mattress, a 25″ inflatable mattress with a thin foam topper and a nice fabric cover that zips on and off. This mattress was a huge step up from the simple backpacker’s air mattress that I was using. The chief benefit of the NeoAir Dream is the slightly wider size (5 more inches may not sound like much, but it makes a huge difference), the fabric topper (when sleeping in the heat I find the plastic-y material to be very uncomfortable), and the relatively small size (you could let the air out and roll it up into the size of a sleeping bag). As a solo truck camper, I found the NeoAir Dream to be the perfect air mattress. Later on, I would be joined by Andrea as we set out across the American West and into Mexico. Unfortunately the 25″ wide NeoAir mattress would not work for the both of us. Why oh why Therm-a-Rest don’t you make an extra wide twin size version?
During our first trial run truck camping trips around the Pacific Northwest we just decided to use my two backpacker NeoAir mattresses (the All-Season and X-Lite) which are both 20″ wide. They were the perfect size for my truck bed and they wedged together nice and snug with no gaps. During the cold weather camping they served just fine for the both of us. Though it did become somewhat tiring blowing up and rolling up the airmats every day. I also worried that the ultralight backpacker material would spring a leak with such frequent use, or get a splinter or something from the wood. It never happened, but I worried about it. Ultimately, for the hassle of blowing them up and storing them, the concerns about durability, and the aforementioned plastic-y problem, I began looking for other options. My truck bed has a space of approximately 39″ between the wheel wells when sleeping in Base Camp Mode, and there are surprisingly very few options out there with that size.
I would have loved the Therm-a-Rest Dream at those dimensions, but sadly that does not exist. All the cheap-o Coleman mattresses which are twin-bed size are also ridiculously thick (6″ or 8″ thick) which is a no-go when you use the backshelf approach in Base Camp Mode. What is the difference between a 3″ thick air mattress and a 6″ thick air mattress, Coleman? Nothing in terms of comfort, just more material and time to blow up. The only ready made solution I could find that would meet my requirements was the Teton Sports Camp Cot XXL foam mattress. It’s a 3″ thick foam mattress with a fabric topper. The dimensions are perfect width-wise, but it is slightly over 6′ long which is longer than my truck bed. The pad is pretty comfortable though a little thin because it is meant to be used as a topper while sleeping on a coat and not meant to be used as a standalone pad. But the biggest downside, of course, is the massive size even when rolled up. It takes up a lot of room in the back of the truck.
One major plus is that you don’t have to worry about punctures, ever. It can take a lot of abuse. It’s nice that it has the removable fabric topper, but it is quite difficult to take off and put back on since they put the opening along the narrow end of the sleeping pad. All-in-all the Teton Sports Cot Pad is an affordable and viable option for those looking to maximize their sleeping space and don’t want to worry about the potential problems of an air mattress that can spring a leak. I’d still say that the perfect truck camping sleeping pad doesn’t exist. Ideally I’d like to see a cross between the Teton Sports pad and the NeoAir Dream. Perhaps something with the heavy duty blue foam pad on the bottom, a thin inflatable air mattress, and a super soft foam topper. It would be the size of a twin bed (39″ wide by 6′ long) and include an easily removable and washable fabric topper like that which is currently on the NeoAir Dream.What do you use while truck camping?
Sound off in the comments below…If you’re interested in truck camping, be sure to check out my #1 best selling Amazon book Big Travel, Small Budget which includes a chapter on overlanding and truck camping. Join the private Facebook group Pickup Truck Camping to ask questions and share your insights. We are now over 800 members! Ryan is an author, adventurer, and wanderer. Originally from Seattle, he headed to Washington DC where he spent five years working for Congress before heeding the call of the wild. He set out living in his pickup truck and road tripping across the American West. Since then he backpacked through Colombia, drove across all of Central America, and also wrote a best selling book: Big Travel, Small Budget. Follow along on Instagram or read more. December 2016 Monthly Income Report Congress Poses the Biggest Danger to the Environment, Not Donald Trump Travel Coffee – How to Make Great Coffee While Traveling the World November 2016 Income Report