Hi,
In my (limited) experience of camping, I always seem to get cold at night, and I'm determined to do better next time (camping with the kids, and don't want them cold either).
Problem usually comes from below, and I wonder whether using a survival blanket on the floor below whatever other bedding (mat, rug, ...) is a good idea ?
Cheers,
Tim
Don't know about a survival blanket but a plastic backed picnic rug under or over the airbed is good. we put picnic blanket on floor and a fleecy blanket, or old square sleeping bag opened out on top of airbed.
Also the poundshop has foam mats, not thick enough to sleep on but okay as insulation under beds.
The survival blanket would be useless IMHO Blag some bubble wrap. I always shove some of that under the tent, keeps the ground-sheet spotless. If I'm using an airbed then I would alsways put a thin Karrimat or similar on top. You will lose a lot of heat by convection with an airbed
We are just back from the far north west of Scotland and the first night I had forgotten to put a picnic blanket under the air bed and I could feel the chill coming from the ground( but not enough to get me back up to find them lol). The second night with blanket in place if was so much warmer.
Sounds like picnic rugs have the popular vote of confidence. Bubble wrap... interesting ! must give it a go also.
I'll forget about survival blankets then... a bit extreme maybe (and I hadn't thought about the noise aspect...)
Thanks for the answers.
Tim
So is the consensus of opinion that the airbed needs insulated from the floor?
We've always just insulated us from the airbed by putting a cheap Ikea quilt on the bed then our airbed and we've never had any problems, our last camping trip a few weeks ago near Kielder we had a barbecue in the snow then ice on the tent but we were toasty warm in our sleeping bags.
From my own experience, I've found that a layer between the airbed & the sleeping bag (cheapo fleece blanket) is more insulating than a layer between the floor & the airbed. However, we now use a fur rug to cover the whole pod floor anyway, just because it's nice to step out onto.
My suggestion is self inflating sleeping mats (mine are Outwells). Unlike regular inflatable camp beds they're thin enough that the air inside has the opportunity to be warmed up by body heat yet they provide enough padding to make for a comfortable night...if you're not too heavy. Having said that we fully intend to follow JK98's example this year and take a faux fur throw thing to sit beneath the mats over the entire sleeping area floor cos it's bloody cold when we roll off the mats during the night (which tends to happen when the only pitch available is on a slope)
The space blanket that you see used at marathon events and the like is of use if you are using it to keep body heat in as it reflects the body heat back, however as it is so thin it will not act as a sufficent barrier to the wicking effect of a cold floor if placed under the airbed and would also not be that comfortable to have around you in the sleeping bag (very noisey and sweaty).
The best solutions are to ensure you do not loose your body heat in the first place so (although sounding a little daft) a thinsulate hat will retain 30% of your body temperature failing that just put either an extra layer on yourself or as the general consensus appears to be an extra layer between you and the surface you are sleeping on.
Last summer I resorted to buying a micro fleece with a hood which was great for under a tenner.
I shall be sending the grandkids to sleep with a flea in their ears! Besides that they will be sleeping on ex-army camp-beds, then cotton bath-sheets (folded in half ---lengthways), self-inflatable mats and finally 2 thinish (cheapo) snuggy bags (one inside of the other.