Double camp beds
Discussion
Fed up with repairing airbeds, looking to buy a 'high' folding double, weight not an issue but it needs to be compact enough when folded (to go in the car, not a rucksack!)
Also an appropriate mattress to suit.
Occasional use, typically 3 nights at a time, half a dozen trips pa.
Your recommendations please, preferably from personal experience.
Oh, how do you get on with those central bars? And what do you put under those (groundsheet damaging) feet?
Cheers!
Rik
Also an appropriate mattress to suit.
Occasional use, typically 3 nights at a time, half a dozen trips pa.
Your recommendations please, preferably from personal experience.
Oh, how do you get on with those central bars? And what do you put under those (groundsheet damaging) feet?
Cheers!
Rik
We loved our high double air bed too.
But impossible to keep air in after the first year... so wish they made them in that old rubberised canvas material but, crappy pvc is all you can get nowadays.
Back to the camp bed, I assume that a decent SIM would prevent feeling the cold from beneath, we have always had a duvet covered by a fitted sheet under us on the airbed, so would continue that on a camp bed anyway.
But impossible to keep air in after the first year... so wish they made them in that old rubberised canvas material but, crappy pvc is all you can get nowadays.
Back to the camp bed, I assume that a decent SIM would prevent feeling the cold from beneath, we have always had a duvet covered by a fitted sheet under us on the airbed, so would continue that on a camp bed anyway.
We have a Vango double10cm self inflating mat - and it is brilliant (but massive to carry). Having tried camp beds and air-beds, this is by far the best (for us) and I'd replace it tomorrow if needed.
However, I'd prefer to be off the floor, and wondered if putting one on top of the camp bed would work? Eliminating the 'bar in the middle' and temperature issue of the camp bed alone? Anyone tried this?
However, I'd prefer to be off the floor, and wondered if putting one on top of the camp bed would work? Eliminating the 'bar in the middle' and temperature issue of the camp bed alone? Anyone tried this?
Tried air mat on top of double campbed but bar in middle awkward.
Ended up with 2 decathlon inflatable bases that the air mat sits on and that was very good.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/single-inflatable-ca...
Ended up with 2 decathlon inflatable bases that the air mat sits on and that was very good.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/single-inflatable-ca...
Converse2020 said:
Tried air mat on top of double campbed but bar in middle awkward.
Ended up with 2 decathlon inflatable bases that the air mat sits on and that was very good.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/single-inflatable-ca...
Seen these and wondered if they will bring out a double... it's the height of a folding (or inflatable) base that is important for us, couldn't go back to lying on the floor (well I could, but I'd never get up again).Ended up with 2 decathlon inflatable bases that the air mat sits on and that was very good.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/single-inflatable-ca...
These could be used as a life raft in an emergency too
Airbeds (or any blow up camping stuff - sofa beds, for example) only ever seem to last one year for us. The next season they never hold up for longer than a few hours. This has included Halfords, Argos, Vango, Intex etc.
Trying a different solution this year......
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trail-Outdoor-Leisure-Sel...
Trying a different solution this year......
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trail-Outdoor-Leisure-Sel...
mike9009 said:
Airbeds (or any blow up camping stuff - sofa beds, for example) only ever seem to last one year for us. The next season they never hold up for longer than a few hours. This has included Halfords, Argos, Vango, Intex etc.
This exactly. It's the repeated folding.Never had this trouble with the old red & blue rubberised canvas airbeds.
mike9009 said:
A SIM on a raised base is what we imagined we would get. Trouble is that it all gets rather expensive egDouble folding camp bed £80
or
Two single Quechua bases £140
plus
Decent (70+mm) double SIM £150
Might just resign ourselves to buying a new double raised airbed each year for £40, in the hope that something better comes to market in the next 5 years !
Thanks for all your suggestions.
At the weekend, i tried raised camp bed with sim.
I slept ok, however the raised air bed wins hands down at all times for me.
I've switched tents from the big berghaus 6xl to a smaller decathlon air tent with separate bedrooms, dont know if my air bed will fit but we are off again doing semi wild camping at the start of June so will see how we fair
I slept ok, however the raised air bed wins hands down at all times for me.
I've switched tents from the big berghaus 6xl to a smaller decathlon air tent with separate bedrooms, dont know if my air bed will fit but we are off again doing semi wild camping at the start of June so will see how we fair
Australiam said:
We have a Vango double10cm self inflating mat - and it is brilliant (but massive to carry). Having tried camp beds and air-beds, this is by far the best (for us) and I'd replace it tomorrow if needed.
However, I'd prefer to be off the floor, and wondered if putting one on top of the camp bed would work? Eliminating the 'bar in the middle' and temperature issue of the camp bed alone? Anyone tried this?
With you totally on the 10cm Vango. Had one for several years, and it's superb. We just throw it on the floor though. Even at nearly seventy I can still manage to extricate myself from it! However, I'd prefer to be off the floor, and wondered if putting one on top of the camp bed would work? Eliminating the 'bar in the middle' and temperature issue of the camp bed alone? Anyone tried this?
TwinKam said:
Well that was lucky... what great timing!
I've now accepted that these are a 'consumable', so that's us sorted for a couple or three years (hopefully).
How did you get on with these OP? I always imagine that it would be like sleeping on a rolling ocean the moment anyone moves, and hard for them to retain their air for more than a day or two. Are you forever topping up?I've now accepted that these are a 'consumable', so that's us sorted for a couple or three years (hopefully).
We've got an Outwell Dreamcatcher SIM, it's wonderfully comfortable, but the missus moans about 'sleeping on the floor', she doesn't like being down so low.
Haven't used these yet, but they are exactly the same as we had before.
That was supremely comfortable, we had 'as good as at home' sleep. The revelation is in their height which, as 'comstrike' stated above' is a "gamechanger". Once you've slept 'high', there's no going back! In our experience they're not roly-poly at all, no sea-sickness experienced, just like sleeping on a 'proper' bed. OK, perhaps a slight rise/fall as your partner gets in/out...
Their only drawback is that they don't last very long, maybe two seasons. It's the packing away that does it, it appears that folding stresses the seams more than sleepng on them does! This seems to be as true of the dear ones (Outwell) as of the cheap ones (Lidl), hence it was a no-brainer for me to grab a couple at £40 each when I had the lucky chance to see them last week. The other option was to buy (and transport the extra bulk of) some other form of base, and that's where it all starts to get expensive, with no guarantees of whether we'd like it. So we talked ourselves around in a full circle, and now accept these airbeds as comfortable but cheap consumables.
If you hurry there may be some left in Lidls.. I think they dropped one by advertising them as 'doubles', but they're not, they're Kingsize (1.52m. wide).
You won't truly know if they suit you until you try, and at £40 this is a relatively cheap gamble.
PS We cover ours with an old duvet then a fitted sheet to hold it in place, with normal duvet over us. We find we need fewer pillows as the head area is slightly raised.
Forever topping up? ...not initially, certainly... but that's when it's time to ditch that one and reach for the spare
That was supremely comfortable, we had 'as good as at home' sleep. The revelation is in their height which, as 'comstrike' stated above' is a "gamechanger". Once you've slept 'high', there's no going back! In our experience they're not roly-poly at all, no sea-sickness experienced, just like sleeping on a 'proper' bed. OK, perhaps a slight rise/fall as your partner gets in/out...
Their only drawback is that they don't last very long, maybe two seasons. It's the packing away that does it, it appears that folding stresses the seams more than sleepng on them does! This seems to be as true of the dear ones (Outwell) as of the cheap ones (Lidl), hence it was a no-brainer for me to grab a couple at £40 each when I had the lucky chance to see them last week. The other option was to buy (and transport the extra bulk of) some other form of base, and that's where it all starts to get expensive, with no guarantees of whether we'd like it. So we talked ourselves around in a full circle, and now accept these airbeds as comfortable but cheap consumables.
If you hurry there may be some left in Lidls.. I think they dropped one by advertising them as 'doubles', but they're not, they're Kingsize (1.52m. wide).
You won't truly know if they suit you until you try, and at £40 this is a relatively cheap gamble.
PS We cover ours with an old duvet then a fitted sheet to hold it in place, with normal duvet over us. We find we need fewer pillows as the head area is slightly raised.
Forever topping up? ...not initially, certainly... but that's when it's time to ditch that one and reach for the spare
Edited by TwinKam on Monday 16th May 12:20
Edited by TwinKam on Monday 16th May 12:22
This would be my ultimate option, after trying about 100 different combinations before we bought a campervan..
Two of these: (They clip together)
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/single-inflatable-ca...
and two of these:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/inflatable-camping-m...
Also needs a pump to pump up the bed bases (Same sort as if you have an inflatable tent).
We've got the bed and mattress for my son who sleeps in a small tent, super comfy and never have any issues with it deflating.. think we're on year 3 now.
Two of these: (They clip together)
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/single-inflatable-ca...
and two of these:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/inflatable-camping-m...
Also needs a pump to pump up the bed bases (Same sort as if you have an inflatable tent).
We've got the bed and mattress for my son who sleeps in a small tent, super comfy and never have any issues with it deflating.. think we're on year 3 now.
Each to their own but i find those tall inflatable mattresses absolutely awful and would sooner sleep om the floor. Every time the other person turns over you get woken up, they're not supportive in the slightest and your hips sink lower than the rest of you causing you to get a sore back.
A decent "luxury" self inflating mat from thermorest or alpkit is worth a try but, for car camping, we now just take an ikea foam mattress. Takes up quite a lot of space but will be the best nights sleep you'll ever have in a tent!
A decent "luxury" self inflating mat from thermorest or alpkit is worth a try but, for car camping, we now just take an ikea foam mattress. Takes up quite a lot of space but will be the best nights sleep you'll ever have in a tent!
Third for the Vango self inflating mattress. Just been to North Devon for a week and it was comfy except I missed having a second pillow (nothing to do with the mattress). The only issue is size. Taking the comforts filled the car to the roof - I suppose it was a alternative way to have lowered suspension.
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