been a long time since i camped in a tent and sleeping bag. my question is can a 63 year old guy be comfortable sleeping on an air mattress in a sleeping bag in a tent? last time i did this i was in my late 30's without an air mattress. i couldn't do that now.
camping
- Thread starter randy41
- Start date
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
I've never enjoyed sleeping on an air mattress. To me, they make me cold and uncomfortable. I like a sleeping pad a lot more. Foam is my favorite, either a nice thick pad if don't have to carry it miles, or a lightweight one that I roll up when backpacking. You can also just make a pallet of folded blankets to sleep on and be comfortable.
Do you have a quality sleeping bag? Good and bad and night and day from each other in how comfortable you will be and how warm you stay. If you are not backpacking, then go for comfort and size. I've also found the ratings on them for how cold they are good for is very misleading. Whatever they say that they are good for, subtract 20 from that number and you'll be fine.
Eddie
Do you have a quality sleeping bag? Good and bad and night and day from each other in how comfortable you will be and how warm you stay. If you are not backpacking, then go for comfort and size. I've also found the ratings on them for how cold they are good for is very misleading. Whatever they say that they are good for, subtract 20 from that number and you'll be fine.
Eddie
2LaneCruzer
Super Star Member
I hope your joints are all in good shape; no old injuries or arthritis...I have trouble sleeping on a king sized mattress.
jonnyc1999
Silver Member
I second what Eddie said. We camp a few times every year, and tried an air mattress out last year. It was cold underneath us, and left my 'ol lady rolling towards me all night long. It also supported me in all the wrong places, because I felt like crap in the morning. We did much better when we bundled up a bunch of comforters under us, and even better than that with foam pads. Air mattresses are cheap enough to try but I wouldn't recommend them. Next camping trip we're going to try cots with a foam pad!
vabiker23518
Gold Member
I'm just now 60; wife and I bike/camp on rail trails a bit. The self inflating pads (they only are about 2" wide) are the best for us as they don't take much room or weight much. Still, don't get a lot of comfortable sleep on them.
My answer to your question would be no. The self inflating mattresses are pretty good, much better than an air mattress, but you'll know you slept on one in the morning. You didn't say whether you'd be packing in or just driving up to a campsite, but if your driving, or the hike isn't far, a good cot with one of the self inflatoring mats will do wonders for quality of sleep.
If you do decide to get a cot, check around and see if you can find a GI issue, not hard to do at all if you're anywhere close to a military base, just check the pawn shops out.
If you do decide to get a cot, check around and see if you can find a GI issue, not hard to do at all if you're anywhere close to a military base, just check the pawn shops out.
RobertN
Super Member
I still do a lot of camping with our Scout Troop. When we are car camping, I have a twin size air mattress, with a big rectangular Coleman sleeping bag on top. then I put the sleeping bag I use on top of that. That fits in the two person tent I usually use.
Just an air matress is not very good; they do not offer any insulation.
If I am in a big tent, then a large cot and large mattress is the only way to go. Lots of them out there; Cabel'as has a good selection
Cabela's Deluxe Camp Beds : Cabela's
Cabela's Outfitter XL Cot & XL Cot with Pivot Arm : Cabela's
Just an air matress is not very good; they do not offer any insulation.
If I am in a big tent, then a large cot and large mattress is the only way to go. Lots of them out there; Cabel'as has a good selection
Cabela's Deluxe Camp Beds : Cabela's
Cabela's Outfitter XL Cot & XL Cot with Pivot Arm : Cabela's
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 60,259
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
We have two air beds from Coleman. They are very firm and comfortable. Our summer tent is large and fits a king and queen at the same time. I sleep like a baby in there.
I think it depends on the mattress and the season. In spring, summer and fall they are great. They get you off the ground. In cooler weather, put a blanket or quilt on top of it and then your sleeping bag and you're good to go. They make battery inflators. We have a 120v AC unit that we can run off of the car inverter. Or a manual pump works well, too. However, nice air beds are H-E-A-V-Y. The queen mattress is about 12 pounds and the king even heavier. Then ad in the weight of an inflator.
So the question is... are you going "camping" as in drive to a campground, set up a tent next to your car and sleep in a tent? If that's the case, air beds work great.
Or, are you going "real camping" where you have to carry everything in on your back, there's no power and you could die if you mess up? Then the sleeping pads are better. :laughing:
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 60,259
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
One more note about air beds... we used to use ours as a guest bed or when the kids had sleep overs. They work great.... until the cat walks over them!
:smiley_aafz:
:laughing:
:smiley_aafz:
:laughing:
yes. this would be setting up next to the vehicle. i guess another alternative is to get a cap for the pickup and put a mattress in the bed ;-). and then get a good sleeping bag. not sure i'm going to be making this trip but trying to think it through. i'm not a big fan of hotels. i would be travelling from va to ca with no timetable and probably taking a southern route to keep warm. i'm divorcing and if i can't keep the farm i want to leave this area. one of my sons lives in oakland. no family around here.