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Hi Guys,

what would people recomend please...airbeds or self-inflating mats (5cm Outwell)??

Thanks!!!

Lydia

Quote: Originally posted by arryp0tter on 19/6/2011

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depends howlong your goingforand if you want comfort, i would say airbeds everytime have a tendancy to go soggy. when you normally arrive its middle of the day and the air is warm etc so when you inflate your bed to hard its great, by nighttime the temp has dropped this in turn lowers pressure and your bed feels soft.persevere air beds are great self inflating mattress isbasically a piece of foam ina bag you have a good feel of one and see wether you agree, after all how can something that needs air 'inflate itself 'physics dont work like that. happy camping

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Quote: Originally posted by Fintbeast on 19/6/2011

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As the SIM has a foam structure throughout, there is far more support for weight at each individual point (it's this foam, that allows it to self inflate btw - when released by opening the valve, the foam expands and fills its spaces with the air it sucks in; conversely, when you squash it to roll up and put away, the air is forced out, allowing a nice tight pack). The SIM insulates you from losing too much body heat into the ground and provides enough support to keep the body in an anatomically correct position. It also provides sufficient cushioning to prevent loss of circulation around hips / shoulders, unless you really are a big lump like me. I find I sleep like a log on my back with a very slim cushion supporting the curve in my lower spine.

See.......thats what I said ;) lol

It really is a case of what works best for YOU :)

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Hi - we started camping again last year and bought a huge queen sized airbed which had coils for stability, was large enough for both of us (and the dogs) and was really, really comfy when inflated well. We used it for a total of 14 nights (6 of those at home!) and when we took it with us last month after the first night woke up very very early nearly on the floor! We spent ages trying to find a leak, not easy with such a huge lump, inflated it for the following two nights, in the wee small hours and finally gave up! We decided NOT to go home, found a local camping shop and spent a fortune on two camp beds and two 10cm self inflating mats, XL so they go edge to edge over the bed frame. We found that we were much warmer (wish we'd had them in April in the Lakes) and I was just as comfy, if not more so as I don't bounce around when OH gets up during the night..............I can sit on the edge to put on socks, shoes etc (old and bit stiff jointed now) and overall I'm much happier with them - AND the bonus is they can only go down a very little if disaster strikes. I just wish I'd not HAD to buy them in a rush - I'm sure I'd have found the kit much cheaper via the net.

But as others have said it's personal preference, although for insulation, even on top of a camp bed, SIM's are warmer.

For us it's SIM every time  We use Alpkits Fat Airics (purchased a few years ago) but think they are now called Dozers.

We used airbeds when we first started out but they are so uncomfortable and its like sleeping on a lump of cold concrete