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Topic: Which airbed keeps out the cold best?

halcyon29

15/4/2019 at 4:40pm
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Hi all
This will be a bread and butter question for experienced campers but I would be most appreciative of advice.
I recently camped out on a damp spot in Scotland in March. I used a Halford air mattrass which is quite comfortable but I was absolutely freezing overnight even with my full clothes on and a reasonably thick sleepin bag. I wondered if the light rubber skin is so thin that the cold easilly transmitted through the space inbetween the mattress. I have camped out with the tent a few times but the temperature must have been warmer than this time as I have used this mattress before and never felt cold like that. Any advice on a comfortable mattress that does not transmit the ground temperature through the sleeping bag or should I put something between the mattress and tent floor? Any advice is welcome.
Thanks

ottos mummy

15/4/2019 at 4:59pm
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It might not be helpful, but we just invested in a Vango Shangri-La 15cm self inflating mattress having experienced freezing in bed whilst using an inflatable lilo type bed. We've just returned from Suffolk, where it was freezing cold (must have gone down to zero degrees) and I have to say I was amazed how warm the bed was. None of that cold back that you suffer from with an airbed. So I'm a bit of a convert now to self inflating beds with their thermo ratings. The Shangri-la might just be a bit overkill!

TimCESmith

via mobile 15/4/2019 at 11:49pm
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Rugs or a tent carpet on the floor of the bedroom are the most civilised options. Some people use laminate flooring underlay and cardboard works well if your tent is dry. A fleece blanket or fleece sleeping bag liner over the top of the air mattress completes the job.

I once experimented with an electrically heated throw under an airbed. It was wonderful, except that it softened the adhesive of the many repair patches. You can guess the rest. We now use Thermarest Dreamtime XLs.

NdBuk

16/4/2019 at 8:08am
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The general consensus (and definitely supported by my own experience) is a SIM. (Self Inflating Mat). I have waxed lyrical on the virtues of these to friends before and have been met with scepticism until they tried one - and bought them.

Basically, it's a cross between an air bed and those foam mats we used to sleep on in scouts back in the day.

There is a spongy foam mat inside the sim which expands when you lay it out, drawing in the air. You then close off the valves to stop it going flat again when you lie on it. The foam stops the air moving about in the mat (unlike an airbed) so the insulation is much better as there is no convection going on inside.

From what I can gather, the ones that appear occasionally in Aldi seem more or less as good as the more expensive branded models (although I can't vouch for the longevity of either. I have the Outwell 10cm Dreamcatcher and that's a couple of years old now and still OK).

The only real difference seems to be in the thickness. Thicker mats are more comfortable and warmer, but also have a bigger pack size. My son sleeps happily on a 25mm SIM. 2 and a half cm doesn't sound like much, but a sim is definitely more comfortable than the equivalent thickness airbed would be,.

halcyon29

16/4/2019 at 11:07am
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Thank you

Bob61

16/4/2019 at 1:32pm
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My problem with SIM's is that you have to crawl about on hands and knees to get on and off them and at my age I don't do crawling.

I tried a camp bed with a SIM on top which was fine and reasonably warm but eventually I found it a little too narrow and kept banging my knees on the side rails so a couple of years ago I went back to using an airbed again and bought a decent 4 season sleeping bag.

I bought a Tesco High Rise airbed with an integral pump. It inflates and deflates using the pump in less than 3 minutes. I have had no problems with it and in my opinion they are just as good as those costing a lot more.

For insulation I have a picnic rug underneath (which is the equivalent of a tent carpet). I use a doubled over fleece blanket on top to soften the lumps and bumps on the surface of the airbed and another fleece blanket draped over on top of that, so 3 thicknesses of fleece blanket. Then I have my 4 season sleeping bag so I am as warm as toast...sometimes too warm!

I also have an electric fan heater which I can use on thermostat if the weather is particularly cold, so the tent stays warm and hence the air in the airbed stays fairly warm.

NdBuk

16/4/2019 at 2:33pm
Location: West Lancs
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To be fair Bob, we got fed up with sleeping on the floor on our double sim too and now stick it on top of a couple of the much lauded Air 70s. At the same time we bought a bell tent to go around it and a stove to go next to it...

Also - not all airbeds suffer from convection to the same effect. My parents had a high rise queen size airbed that plugged into the mains to inflate, and it had a complex network of tubes inside rather than a large air bag. It was a real pain to try and deflate (well, not so much a pain, just slow - even with the pump on reverse) but it didn't draw the heat away like a normal airbed / lilo does.

Ewen c

via mobile 16/4/2019 at 7:38pm
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The best is the inflatable air beds used by lightweight campers. They have a layer of down or artificial down inside.
Manufacturers include, klymit, thermarest, exped, Kelty, vaude, big Agnes, vango and Paria. They pack up smaller than a two litre bottle and also come in doubles. Thickness is usually 10cm max. The downside? Don't blow up by mouth. It encourages mould and mildew. Most now come with a pump sack to inflate. They are also very comfortable.
If car camping, chuck them on top of decathlon air 70 bed bases and you will be in cosy heaven.

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TimCESmith

via mobile 16/4/2019 at 8:09pm
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Am I missing something about the Air 70s? The top slats look too far apart to support a SIM adequately, yet everyone who uses them says they are brilliant. And I’ve got a birthday coming up.

Ewen c

via mobile 16/4/2019 at 8:33pm
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Quote: Originally posted by TimCESmith on 16/4/2019
Am I missing something about the Air 70s? The top slats look too far apart to support a SIM adequately, yet everyone who uses them says they are brilliant. And I’ve got a birthday coming up.

We use ours with airmats, either double or single. They do not slip between the supports. My daughter uses a 5cm SIM. It does not slip through or sag. Gary from cross camping shows them used with sims here

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=einPGX0uBak

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TimCESmith

via mobile 16/4/2019 at 11:46pm
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Thanks Ewen. Probably won’t play nicely with my NeoAir thermarests, as they’re not really SIMs but pump-up air mattresses with a memory foam topper.

Ewen c

via mobile 17/4/2019 at 6:16am
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Quote: Originally posted by TimCESmith on 16/4/2019
Thanks Ewen. Probably won’t play nicely with my NeoAir thermarests, as they’re not really SIMs but pump-up air mattresses with a memory foam topper.

It is pump up air mattresses that Decathlon recommend. We use their air seconds 140 for the double and I also use my paria backpacking inflatable mat as a single. No problem at all.

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NdBuk

17/4/2019 at 8:16am
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Quote: Originally posted by TimCESmith on 16/4/2019
Thanks Ewen. Probably won’t play nicely with my NeoAir thermarests, as they’re not really SIMs but pump-up air mattresses with a memory foam topper.

My son's 2.5cm SIM might struggle a bit, but anything 5 and over will be fine.

I would think that a pump-up air mattress would be even better (in terms of not falling through the slats) as I would expect it to be a bit more rigid as there should be a it more pressure in there with the air being pumped in rather than just drawn in.

If your bum touches the ground when you sit on it on the floor ( as there isn't enough pressure to hold you up) then it might push through a bit if you sit on it between the slats on the bed but once you're lying down you'll be fine.

Bob61

17/4/2019 at 4:50pm
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But why use an airbed with slats and a SIM when you can just have an airbed?

Ewen c

via mobile 17/4/2019 at 5:03pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 17/4/2019
But why use an airbed with slats and a SIM when you can just have an airbed?

Convection is one reason and the bed base is blown up to high pressure so is like a bed at home. You have more height and storage under the slats. It doesn't wallow and the slats mean it is sprung like a normal bed. All in all a superior experience.

-------------
Hypercamp Alaska
Vango Force 10 mk3
Vango F10 Helium 1
Coleman Cobra Pro 3
Coleman Cobra 2
Naturehike Star River 2
Eureka! Solitaire
Dutch army goretex bivvy bag

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