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Topic: Air beds or mats? 2 Young kids + 2 Adult

Granty1

27/4/2017 at 4:12pm
Location: Cleethorpes
Outfit: Outwell Montana p600

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Hi all,
We are new to camping (at least as a family) there is me my GF and our young kids who are 1 and 2 and a half.

We recently bought the Outwell Montana 600p based on reviews on here, the only thing I'm not sure about other than reading that its exclusive to go outdoors is what the difference is to the 6p? If the 6p extension/awning fit it (assume so, as doesn't appear to be any specific to the 600p)

The main reason I came here is to ask for help on what sleeping equipment for us all and particularly our young kids. I had imagined two double air beds each of us with one of our kids on.
I have started looking at sleeping gear and its been the main headache so far, particularly whether to buy air beds, mats or camping beds and my preference I guess is that order.
The issue in my head is that Im not sure I would trust air beds to last very long and most reviews seem very mixed or poor, is there any that have stood the test of time? If not I guess it would be mats but I'm not sure the GF would be too impressed if they aren't very comfortable.
The other thing is the kids ages of 1 and 2, would they be able to sleep on an airbed, they are both still in cots and I did wonder whether to take a cot mattress or two but we are (as I guess is common) limited on space.

Any help recommendation or ideas are greatly appreciated, thanks

exessexmum

27/4/2017 at 5:14pm
Location: Cambs
Outfit: Nowt.

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When our kids were small we didn't bother with airbeds as they didn't sleep on them. We covered the floor of their pod with those foam roll mats, and a few fleece blankets, then put them in fleece sleepsuits and in their sleeping bags and they always ended up sleeping in a heap, like puppies! They would have been 2,4 and 5 when we first started camping. They were plenty warm enough.

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Amanda

WestonDave

28/4/2017 at 4:15pm
Location: Bath
Outfit: Coleman Weathermaster L + Caister 5

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It is to a degree a matter of personal choice but....

Airbeds don't as a matter of physics provide great insulation - great big volume of air moves heat away from you very efficiently by convection. They can therefore feel cold unless you put something like an additional duvet over them before lying on them.

Also unless you get a really good one they tend to be quite mobile. I hate them because every time my other half turned over I'd get rocked about.

I've used the old foam mats in the past - they're a thing of a time gone by really.

My preferred option is a self inflating mat. We now all have them as a family even my wife prefers it. These are pretty low profile so if you cover the floor over your kids sleeping pod with a couple of them they'll be sorted and wherever they wriggle to they'll still be on them. They're only about 2cm max high when inflated so falling off one is barely noticeable - other than the ground feeling hard all of a sudden. Also because they are foam filled rather than just straight air, the internal air can't move around and chill you - so they are warmer than an air bed. The more you pay the thicker mat you get and/or the smaller pack size. We first started out with some Lidl £10 ones. They were fine but bulky when rolled up. We've gradually swapped them all for smaller packing ones from various camping shops.

exessexmum

28/4/2017 at 6:44pm
Location: Cambs
Outfit: Nowt.

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I'd agree with Westondave that if you have the budget for SIMs then they are great. I wasn't aware Lidl did them for a tenner, they certainly didn't when we started out, you couldn't get one for less than a hundred quid or so, so it's good that there's that option.

They still do the foam mats though...they are de rigeur still for cub camps, I am told!

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Amanda

Madamzsazsa

28/4/2017 at 11:36pm
Location: Essex
Outfit: Outwell Nevada M Sunncamp Pathfinder

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We started off with two single 5cm sims from costco at £25 each. I then bought another two from aldi when they were reduced. I made a cover for them to keep them together, and this was comfy, but a bit slippy (cover needed to be tighter). Last year i had a bit of spare cash and bought the Outwell dreamboat 12cm... Now that is pure luxury & worth every penny! For the kids Id get a couple of cheap sims, at least they wont burst if jumped on!

DeborahTurner

29/4/2017 at 5:43pm
Location: London
Outfit: Vango Kalu Hypercamp Eldorado

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Decathlon sell good roll up foam mats very cheaply, and with a foil backing that helps with the insulation. Kids are fine on these, they are not heavy enough for their bones to press through against the ground! If you two sleep in a SIM either side they won't be able to roll off on to the cold ground.

I just don't like air beds, but you may prefer them.

Granty1

01/5/2017 at 2:40am
Location: Cleethorpes
Outfit: Outwell Montana p600

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Thanks for the replies, I am sold on the SIMS now, I kind of hated the idea of full inflatables, the reviews are very mixed on most brands and I have a vague memory from when I was young of one deflating in the night :), I'm sure the quality has improved in the last 30 years or so mind.

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