Nearly forgot the sleeping arrangements in all the excitement! lol
We're upgrading our sleeping to self inflating matts and are struggling to decide between getting two (10cm) or one double (5 cm). I'm worried that 2 singles will slip and my OH (or even worse me!) will end up sleeping on the floor. However I also want a decent night's sleep - is 5cm too thin?
So for all you 'self inflaters' do you go double or single? And what's the best way of keeping the singles together?
We used to use two single Thermorests held together with two home made "Mobius Strips"
Basically I got an inch wide piece of nice tape, the length of which was just over four times the width of the mattress, which my wife sewed the ends together, but after turning one end through 180 degrees.
The strip is then held in a figure of eight and the the mattresses fed through the two "O's" of the figure of eight.
What the Mobius Strip bit does is to ensure the tape lays flat across the whole of the two mattresses.
Just make two of them up for top and bottom and Bob's your uncle.
They work really, really well.
Steve
------------- There are 10 types of people, those that understand binary, and those that don't.
Singles all the way, and I believe the quality of the insulation to be more important than the thickness of the mattress. My 17 year old 2.5cm Therm-a-rest still offers a comfy nights sleep.
it also means you could seperate them by a few inches-pack gap with a blanket allowing more space without being kicked lol-especially valuable if you're used to a big bed at home!
We have 3 X 5cm singles across the entire bed pod. This way we can stretch out without falling off the edge. They were the cheap ones from Aldi and are fab.
Do you share a sleeping bag? If you both sleep in your own bag go for singles, if you have a double go for a double.
I have tried thin and thick mattresses and they were both fine - I went for the fat airics simply because they were wider not because they were fatter.
------------- pork
Remember a good wife always helps her husband with the dishes.
yes defo go for singles we have 2 vango xl ones and a outwell dino for our 4 year old would never ever go back to airbeds no matter how good they say they are nats are soo much better and easier.
On my lightweight Karrimor mat I need to. I also have an older, thicker mat that I use early/late season and that pretty much inflates itself. In fact, I usually let that one inflate, sit on it to squeeze a bit of air out and then close the valve.
Storing these mats unrolled with the valve open is best. They can struggle to inflate if stored rolled up.
We use 2 x fat airecs (singles) but a double sleeping bag. They are kept together (more importantly to stop the sleeping bags slipping off) by a double cotton sleeping bag liner that the fat airecs are actually inside.
Mind you Lady Bisquet "complains" that she always ends up halfway across my Fat Airec leaving me with 30cm of space. She also ends up with about 80% of the double sleeping bag. So personally I'd advise separate sleeping bags AND separate bedrooms!
And yes a full lungfulls are required to inflate them.
I went for the mother of all self inlating matresses, the ThemaRest DreamTime XL, and I have to say they are the Dogs!, they have straps to fasten together so you can make a Queen size bed with two, more of a sleeping system than a mattress!. silly price now, but I got mine last November, even then I whinced at the cost.
Would love the ThermaRest Dream but really can't justify the cost (trust me I tried!).
I'm thinking Fat Airics or Rubens are within price range... However can't seem to find anywhere online that has any in stock. Does anyone happen to know of a site (or indeed a shop!) that I happen to have missed....bit of a long shot (especially with the shop) but if you don't ask.....
Loving the advice and really appreciate it - thank you!