What is the ultimate car camping bed solution -- for two people?

Question

I've been camping since I was a teenager in the scouts, and I've never really had a very comfortable night out. As an adult with a girlfriend, 20 years later, I'd like to just throw some money at the issue and be done with it and have ourselves a comfortable bed for car camping. ("Car camping" meaning we will have the car next to the campsite and don't care about weight or size much.)

This Memorial Day weekend, we went out with a few other couples, and I don't think a single person had a successful sleep. We brought a feather bed as an experiment and it was pretty terrible, feeling only slightly better than the ground (warm though). Other people spent 30-60 minutes fussing with getting their air beds inflated, and then they leaked or went flat by the morning. I've used self-inflating Thermarest pads and I'm sure those are the best for backpack camping but they aren't great and they get quite expensive once you start buying two of the XL ones.

Are there other choices I'm missing? Or is there an air mattress option that isn't fussy and frustrating?

Answer 1

• ALWAYS bring a patch kit for an air mattress. If your airpad is going flat something is wrong (though perhaps the wrong part is just getting a cheap mattress).
• Get a pump that you can plug into your car (you're car camping after all).
• Buy memory foam to lay out on top of your pad.
• Do not inflate your mattress to be completely taut. You want some give (unless you like sleeping on a rock).
• Buy a mattress with a foam top (and yes, then slap more foam on top of it).
• "Field Test" before camping. Buy it, inflate it at home, then leave a backpack on top of it overnight. If it's flat in the morning, return it.
• For car camping, don't bother to shop for "camping" mattresses, just get a quality air mattress.

Answer 2

When we car camp the night before a canoe-camping trip, we bring an extra comforter from home and put it on top of the Thermarests, under our sleeping bags. We also bring pillows. These combine to produce a luxurious sleep as far as we're concerned. I've also slept on my fair share of air mattresses, mostly in houses, and if they don't go flat they're fine. They shouldn't go flat - if they do, patch them.

Answer 3

Since you're car camping and you don't have to worry about carrying things to the site, the general answer is to layer until you're sufficiently comfortable. If one foam pad isn't enough, lay down 2. If you're worried about the air mattress deflating, bring a patch kit as well as extra pillows and comforters just in case. Is it overkill? Perhaps. But at least you'll have peace of mind and enjoy your trip.

Also, since you mentioned "ultimate", you may want to look at Car Top Campers: http://www.cartopcamper.com/index_files/Page1309.htm

http://www.autohomeus.com/rooftop/

Answer 4

I use two Coleman queen size air matress stacked on top of one another. Between I use an emergancy blanket to reflect heat to me and not the ground. With a few well placed strips of anti slip padding, and its like the Ritz of the outdoors. As for inflation for $30 you can get a powered inflator to run off your car lighter, just rembered to use a cupple of lung fillers just befor bed for fermness and your set for a total of $130 CDN It's tough to beat.

Answer 5

Personally I love a good 4" memory foam mattress topper. I often prefer that to a bed even at home. If you sleep on your back, it's definitely the best option and I've tried air mattresses, cots, blankets, and all combinations of those. The topper will take a bit of room even when you compress it (use motorcycle tie downs), and it won't be the lightest option but if you're going to camp out of your car or near your car, you should try it. They can be found for ~100$ at Walmart.

Answer 6

I agree with the above and recommend Therm-a-rest for anytime of camping provide its within your budget, there a little expensive but well worth the long-term investment if you intend to use them again.

Answer 7

I car camp 30-40 nights a year. I use a twin air mattress if camping by myself or a queen air mattress if I'm sharing. I used to think that a queen for just myself would be best but found myself sinking in the middle. One tip that I always use is to give the air mattress a little extra air right before going to bed. Hot air expands during the day and "stretches" the air mattress. At night the cool air causes the air inside the air mattress to condense so therefore I give it a boost of additional air to provide the comfort it should provide. I also let a little air out in the morning so as it gets hot during the day it doesn't stress the mattress and cause possible leaks. A battery operated pump is much more convenient than one you have to hook up to your car. I always keep extra batteries...just in case. I also bring an extra air mattress...just in case.