I was going to buy some picnic blankets to put under our airbed after reading this helps with keeping warm but I've seen some really cheap camping mats. Would camping mats be as good as picnic blankets?
Roobie, when I've been on airbeds whilst tenting I found that I needed to insulate the top of the bed as you are not going to stop the air in the bed from getting cold. So I put a high tog duvet directly on the top of the bed as the insulation layer...very light for transport and kept me warm during an October camping trip. HTH.
Agree with Grizgut, it's between you and the aired that needs insillation. Although something under the airbed may stop any nasties from piercing the airbed.
------------- I love camping, just wish the weather was more predictable.
I put a foil backed picnic rug underneath the airbed, then a sheepskin fitted mattress cover on top under a flannelette sheet - we then sleep inside a gelert sleep pod each (kids prefer a duvet) and we are all as warm as toast!
------------- July - Bishops Meadow - Brecon - 4 nights
August - Wyeside Rhayader - 6 nights
September - Watusi Festival Fonmon - 2 nights
we use a padded blanket (Aldi) underneath our lilos; not to insulate the lilos, but simply to make things feel nicer underfoot...padded mattress toppers (look a bit like thin duvets with elasticated loops on the corners) work well on top of lilos to insulate them...
-------------
"tereba nessa, kemer wyth"
.~*MOONIE*~.
Snowdonia - Peak District - Brecon Beacons - Lake District
we use a 4.5 TOG double duvet as our sleep-on sheet, on top of the two single airbeds we use. Works well at keeping the beds together and keeps us toastie warm (with a 15 TOG on top of us). Sometimes too hot.
I agree with other posters, I can't see the point of insulating under your bed and not putting something in between you and the bed. Your body heat will go to warm the air in the bed up. And cool you down.
We have a thermal fleece overblanket from dunelm, flanalette sheet, sleeping bag and 2 fleece blankets to go on top of the airbed. It was just reading on here about putting picnic blankets under the bed that made me think that foam mats might have the same effect and would save me buying picnic blankets?
We use an old double bed blanket underneath our double air bed and a cotton sheet on top. In our sleeping bags,(nitestar 250) with a cheap argos sleepingbag opened up over top of both of us works a treat.
Defo needs to be between you and bed. We have these with a brushed cotton (they used to be called flannelet - not sure when that changed) fitted sheet over the top - it is very warm. If it gets really cold we also put a fleece under the sheet.
We then have duvets and a big fleece each. We also have sleeping bags but I find them restricting as they are mummy style so we unzip to the knee and then use duvet style if it gets silly cold.
I would think the foam roll mats would be better than the picnic blanket. I've never insulated on top of the airbed, I find it sufficient (but crucially important) to insulate underneath an airbed.
The cheapest and one of the best methods, and free, is to go to the nearest shop and ask for a discarded large cardboard box. Opened out under your airbed it's perfect for insulating against the cold ground. It can be recycled when you're done with it.
An airbed absorbs cold from the cold air around it as much as from the ground below so insulating underneath the airbed does little to reduce the cold. Its far better to insulate yourself from the airbed.
All we use are the fleecy mattress covers from Wilkinsons. I believe that Dunelm also do them. They are mock sheepskin effect so they keep you slightly off the airbed surface and provide an excellent layer of insulation. They have elasticated edges so fit nicely over the airbeds and don't move. Its all we've found that we need with sleeping bags to keep away any cold from below. You could add a fitted sheet over the top but we just use the mattress cover itself as a soft sheet. Take up far less packing room than taking multiple different layers for under and over the bed.
If you have a footprint groundsheet, you probably already have 3 layers under your airbed to protect it from sharp objects - the footprint, tent groundsheet and inner tent groundsheet.
------------- Love our set-up and need no more tents or gear, so trying to stop looking!
We do poundshop emergency foil blankets underneath and then wilko's matress protectors on top....the furry ones....we each have decent sleeeping bags too which really does make a difference