Air matress opinion

[beemer]

Anyone know of a good airmatress for family camping? preferablly 2 doubles. thanks

[westernkansas]

when it come to air mattresses you pretty much get what you pay for, I mayself usually look at garage sales for them every spring, air them up at home and sleep on it a few nights to test them out, but if i did buy new i would look at the $60.00 plus ones they seem to me to last longer, but regardless I always end up replacing air matresses every season, If I get a larger tent I myself am looking into cots, but i have yet to find a double sized cot .

[OutdoorDad]

you do get what you pay for.  Go name brand and not bargain brand.

definitely fill it and use it for a night or two before you go.  Many of them leak - just a tiny bit but it is enough to drive you crazy.

Get a good rechargeable air pump.

[tplife]

DO NOT USE AIR MATTRESSES (OR COTS) IN UNHEATED ENCLOSURES!  If you do, keep in mind that due to the way heat transfers you are sleeping on a heat sink.  At best you lose a better nights sleep due to the heat loss, and at worst you can develop hypothermia, and most cases occur at between 30 and 50-degrees F.  Use a self-inflating sleeping pad instead unless you camp in the heat of summer.  Brands like ThermaRest or knockoffs are a far better choice for health and safety and are available in a variety of thicknesses from backpacking thin to crazy thick.

[tplife]

For six years, I have camped COMFORTABLY in mid 20's to 30's temps in a small dome tent, with no problem.  I do put a closed-cell foam pad under the inflatable, which prevents much of the 'over-inflated' thermal loss.   If camping on permafrost, I'd go with something more designed for that environment.  My personal experience.  Autumn to early spring is our camping season here in sunny Florida - it can get mighty chilly in January.....    Summer is just too hot & muggy, and buggy.  We have bugs here that can steal a meal from a small dog and fight him off if needed......  
I tried a 'self-inflating' pad, but was not impressed.  It leaked down far worse than my WM brand inflatables.  Another good point of the closed cell pad under it - if it does 'let you down', the foam pad gives you some cushion.  

Better than nothing, at least you reduced your conductive (contact with the cold ground) although not your radiant (contact with the cold air mattress) heat loss.  Using a heater in the tent to keep the inside air that contacts the outside of the air mattress would prevent that, or you could rent or borrow a ThermaRest pad from a friend (or REI) and trying your sleeping experience without the air mattress.  The laws of physics guarantee a better nights sleep (although your wallet will be a bit lighter!).  
BTW, we enjoy Florida camping and have spent nights from  Ichitucknee springs in the north down to Key West.

[campermom]

We use the queen  size tall air mattresses. To avoid the hypothermia issue we simply place two open sleeping bags on top of the mattress and then place a king size fitted sheet over that. Then we cover up with a  top sheeet and another sleeping bag. We stay nice and toasty. I buy the walmart version od the Aerobed. I have two we use for company at home and camping. THey are now three years old and doing fine...

[tplife]

We use the queen  size tall air mattresses. To avoid the hypothermia issue we simply place two open sleeping bags on top of the mattress and then place a king size fitted sheet over that. Then we cover up with a  top sheeet and another sleeping bag. We stay nice and toasty. I buy the walmart version od the Aerobed. I have two we use for company at home and camping. THey are now three years old and doing fine...

Make no mistake, you're not avoiding the hypothermia issue.  You're still sleeping on a heat sink whose hollow chambers will continue to get cold inside all night until it's the same temperature as the outside air.  The insulation you place over it only slows slightly the transfer of heat from you to the inside of the air mattress, which won't ever warm up (until you either heat the inside of the tent or raise the outside air temp) due to the laws of thermodynamics.  While you think you're just fine, you're giving up heat energy all night long and won't have the same rest or energy levels if you simply used self-inflating sleeping pads.  It's your health and safety, and I suppose if you're tenting in your back yard or only during the heat of summer you're fine.  We camp year round with children and taking cheap shortcuts is just not  worth it.  Air mattresses are not for use inside un-heated enclosures.  

[tplife]

Well, the OP title does say "Opinion", and we each have our own. We can bandy about the issue til we are both blue, but I do prefer to let personal direct experience over many years rule over someone's 'scientific theory'.......  just a personal foible of mine.  Nuff said, and that's the end of it for me.

BigDog, you're so right.  Silly me to provide facts based on proven natural laws.  I don't know why I go on with it, maybe I just care about people's safety and hate the way retailers market their products without providing clear safety warnings.  Luckily I'll not turn blue, since the facts behind the statements are so easily retrieved, and it's not my theory at all, just proven science.  And why not, those tenets pay my bills and put food on my table.  Woe is me to ignore them, and worse yet, stand by and let others risk life and limb.  Yep, silly me! 

[tplife]

Sorry to burst your professional bubble, but it borders on both the criminal and the insane to keep telling people who know better that if they use a certain well-established bit of kit that "they will die of hypothermia" regardless of temps and conditions..........

Far too many of us know better..........

Been there, done that - DID NOT die of hypothermia.  Was quite comfy..........  

I'm sure that fine engineer who designed the Titanic put much faith in his scientifc theory of floatation and ship-building too.  

I presented the risks in a fashion that I can back up wtih proven science (NO THEORIES) and hypothermia case data.  If they knew better, they wouldn't need to be told.  If they don't get it from me, they'll get if from any Boy Scout.  If they have families and are concerned about safety, they'll find the information I share to be validated.  If they try to optimize their experience, they will find their sleep more comfortable, and more sound without any personal risks.  Einstein's definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different outcome.  Air mattress users are OK by me to continue to do this to their heart's content.    Juist don't try to convince anyone it's a good idea.

[tplife]

Or as dad said, "Never offer advice.  The intelligent don't need it, and fools don't heed it".

 

[NYCgrrl]

DO NOT USE AIR MATTRESSES (OR COTS) IN UNHEATED ENCLOSURES!  If you do, keep in mind that due to the way heat transfers you are sleeping on a heat sink.  At best you lose a better nights sleep due to the heat loss, and at worst you can develop hypothermia, and most cases occur at between 30 and 50-degrees F.  Use a self-inflating sleeping pad instead unless you camp in the heat of summer.  Brands like ThermaRest or knockoffs are a far better choice for health and safety and are available in a variety of thicknesses from backpacking thin to crazy thick.

I've been using the same Coleman suede top queen mattress for the past 3 years successfully, with comfort and no major air leaking problems. Every once in a while I have to add a little air due to changes in temperature yet since I tend to camp during the warmer months I suspect hypothermia is not something for me to worry about.

[lizrfoust]

Anyone know of a good airmatress for family camping? preferablly 2 doubles. thanks

Been using Aerobed's Air Bed every time that we go tent camping. It's really easy to inflate and deflate, so there is less time spent setting up and tearing down, which is a definite must especially if you got really active kids that want to go and explore.