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If you try to sleep on an airbed with nothing but a sheet between you and it you'll freeze to death. Similarly if the kids just lie on a sheet on the campbed.

The best thing to do is to have a layer of padding directly under you...you can take a second duvet for this but you're going to end up with the car stuffed with nothing but duvets if there's four or more or you. For max warmth + min packing space it's very hard to beat a good sleeping bag, and of course they'll give you the underneath layer of padding.

My recomendation is to take cheap fleece blankets plus fitted sheets for the top of the camp bed and airbeds (Ikea do fleece blankets for a couple of pounds, "value" ranges are good for cheap sheets or take old worn ones.), plus sleeping bags. Save your money for good bags. Even in May it can get quite amazingly cold at night and it's easy enough to unzip a bag if you get warm. Be prepared to pay for quality bags...they'll last for years and you'll never regret it.

The Vango Nitestar range is excellent...there are square end bags that can zip together for couples (get one right hand and one left hand zip if you intend to do this!) or there are several types of mummy bag in the range. I personally think kids are far better off with mummy bags as there's less dead air space to warm up. There are junior  and convertable versions for small children. Go for a bag with at least a 2-3 season rating, which in the Nitestar range means the 350 bags. There is a 250 one as well and my Scout son has both a 250 and a 350...he uses the 250 when we go to France in July and August, and the 350 over here. The rest of our family use the 350's ..if it gets too hot, we open them up and use them as quilts.

I would say that cheap camping mats are a better bet than fleece throws or spare duvets fro that matter.

Inflatable beds set up convection currents within them and conduct heat away from you. Camp beds cool by contact so you do need to put some form of insulation between you and the Campr bed / inflatabe bed. sleeping mat I'm not saying "buy this one" It's just to give you an idea what to look for

Quote: Originally posted by happybonzo on 30/3/2008

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I would say that cheap camping mats are a better bet than fleece throws or spare duvets fro that matter.

Inflatable beds set up convection currents within them and conduct heat away from you. Camp beds cool by contact so you do need to put some form of insulation between you and the Campr bed / inflatabe bed. sleeping mat I'm not saying "buy this one" It's just to give you an idea what to look for

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Hello Stu and Dee

Good advice there from Val & HB. 

I think camping mats are magic.  :)

Val... I know that you know your insulation and warmth stuff but you realy might like to try camping mats under airbeds.  Quilt or fleece on top is still good.  I was slow to take them up but use them for all sorts now.

Stu and Dee... hope you don't mind me adding a suplementary:-

HB.  What's the current theory on using camping mats to line a van these days?  They are so good in so many ways but despite being closed cell I still worry about them holding moisture.

(Not a self build honest, a genuine factory job refit. ;)

Hi Stu and Dee,  went camping last May to Exmoor with my 2 girls and what I did following advice I had seen on here was:-

Camping mats under air beds, then fleecy fitted sheets on the airbeds, sleeping bag then fleecy blankets on top of the sleeping bags.  It didn't take up loads of room in the car and we were warm as toast!  Just a shame I forgot my pillow

Can also highly recommend the fleecy pj's and fluffy bed socks you can get in primark, they kept the girls very warm. 

Quote: Originally posted by rozinante on 30/3/2008

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Val... I know that you know your insulation and warmth stuff but you realy might like to try camping mats under airbeds.  Quilt or fleece on top is still good.  I was slow to take them up but use them for all sorts now.

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I do take your point and they sound a good idea but....neither Hubby or I feel cold on our airbed set up as it is, so I don't want to bother taking anything else. The kids use self inflatables so no need there either.

Will keep it in mind if we do go camping when there's an exceptionally cold forecast though.

Quote: Originally posted by craftyclare on 31/3/2008

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Hi Stu and Dee,  went camping last May to Exmoor with my 2 girls and what I did following advice I had seen on here was:-

Camping mats under air beds, then fleecy fitted sheets on the airbeds, sleeping bag then fleecy blankets on top of the sleeping bags.  It didn't take up loads of room in the car and we were warm as toast!  Just a shame I forgot my pillow

Can also highly recommend the fleecy pj's and fluffy bed socks you can get in primark, they kept the girls very warm. 

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Quote: Originally posted by Stu and Dee on 30/3/2008

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Hi we are very new to camping! Our first camping holiday is at the end of May in Breydon Water, Great Yarmouth. What I need to know is what is the best bedding to take for us and especially the kids? We have inflateable beds and the kids have camp beds, do we take sleeping bags or quilts or even both? help?

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Oh my - lovely staffies - cuddle them to keep you warm!  Here is our girlie Ruby, our first staff and I am totally hooked!  ...

[IMG]http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i89/jakks360/_MG_7715-1.jpg[/IMG]

Thanks for the replies guys, have plenty of ideas on how to stay warm now!

jakks360 I cant see your pic!