Do you use an air mattress?

Woodland

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When you are camping in a tent are you using an air mattress or sleeping on the ground? Maybe we are spoiled now but I remember using just the sleeping bag on the tent floor when I was younger.
 

Grandpa

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I used to plop down on a soft spot but now I use either a thermarest or insulated air core for comfort and protection from the cold.
 

carmen

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We tried this a few times but it never worked out. We have tried expensive ones and mid-expensive ones, none worked for me. I always woke up sore and hated it. I would rather have a little soft but firm and then a sleeping bag.
 

Simplify

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I use one of the cheaper self-inflating types. If I sleep on the ground I usually toss and turn.
 

Rosepetals

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We use big, comfy sleeping bags. We have never tried using air mattresses. Never really gave it much thought, to be honest. I think they would take up too much room.
 

ponderosa

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Grandpa

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I need a mat of some kind to avoid freezing to death. The additional comfort is nice, but insulation is the biggest reason for a sleeping pad. A basic air mattress isn't much good for warmth, unless it is insulated with something. I used one of these for a couple of decades:
http://www.campmor.com/thermarest-backpacker-3-4-inflating-sleeping-pad.shtml
And now I use one of these luxurious little gems:
http://www.exped.com/usa/en/product-category/mats/downmat-7-m
How compact is your exped Ponderosa? Does it campare bulk wise to a thermarest?
 

Blazer

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Sleep on the ground? That doesn't sound very comfortable and with the compact and lightweight air mattresses out there why do so?

For backpacking and kayak camping I used a Therm-a-rest Prolite 4 but recently invested in an even lighter weight Therm-a-rest Neo Air X Lite. Folded up it's about the size of a nalgene water bottle and weighs 11 oz...half the weight and size of my older Therm-a-rest.

http://www.rei.com/product/829852/therm-a-rest-neoair-xlite-sleeping-pad-womens

For car camping where weight and compactness isn't an issue I just use my old Coleman air mattress. It's a bit more comfortable then the thinner Therm-a-rest and with a tarp and groundcloth underneath it I have no problems keeping warm even in freezing temperatures.
 

vinovampire

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I can't image sleeping directly on the ground, which is pretty much what you're doing if you camp without a sleep pad of some sort. It doesn't matter much if it's an air mattress or a closed-cell foam pad, anything helps. Without one there's nothing to keep the heat from your body from being lost through transfer to the ground.

I remember camping once as a kid without sleeping pad. I remember tossing and turning most of the night and shifting from side-to-side to keep warm. I also remember shoving some extra cloths under my body to get my torso off the ground. It wasn't a great night of sleep, but I was okay.

Looking back I suspect I was able to "get away" with not having any ground insulation because I was using a big, thick heavy 20 degree synthetic sleeping bag. My suspicion is that down or modern synthetic bags, which have much thinner insulation, would not work at all without a ground pad.

Sleeping pads help with comfort, but they're critical for maintaining body temperature during the night.
 

Cappy

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When tent camping which we did for alot of years, we always used air matresses, I still own several of the blower uppers that run on 12 volt. We camp hunt and fish the majority of the time in the swampy south. A place where dry aint even dry. I have several funny stories that I hope will wind up in a book one day of waking up in a thunderstorm rain falling in sheets to find your self floating on an air mattress in your tent.
 

ArkansasMom

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We don't use a air mattress normally. I've honestly found them to be a pain to deal with. Usually we just use a sleeping bag and our pillows. My husband is talking about trying another type of air mattress for our fall trips.
 

Blazer

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If you get a good, high quality air mattress or sleeping pad it's not a pain to deal with. Some self inflate and others just require a bit of huffing and puffing and they are done. They fold down to nothing and take up very little space. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be used in cold weather or warm. It's just a matter of how much you can spend and what you need.

Check 'em out. Vinovampire is correct that without a pad or mattress the ground literally sucks your body warmth from you. Having something underneath is better than nothing. You can have your cake and eat it too on this one:

http://www.rei.com/c/sleeping-pads?ir=category:sleeping-pads-cots-and-hammocks&r=category:camping-and-hiking|sleeping-pads-cots-and-hammocks|sleeping-pads
 

ponderosa

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How compact is your exped Ponderosa? Does it campare bulk wise to a thermarest?
It packs into a sack about 9 inches long, and a little bigger around than a nalgene bottle. I love this mat. Very warm and very comfy. The only thing I don't really love is the integrated pump. It's a little tedious and makes my weakling wrists tired, but really it only takes a few minutes so I should stop whining. The older models used the stuff sack as a little bellows to inflate the pad. I liked that much better, but apparently that puts me in the minority. I had an older one in 3/4 length, but upgraded to full length during a pregnancy when I couldn't stand to have my feet 3 inches lower than my back. One of my kids uses the shorty one now.
 

Grandpa

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That size is about the same as my air core then. Guess I know what to ask Santa for this year.
 

carmen

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Has anyone here heard of the Mobile Mummy? I was reading about it this morning and I thought it was kind of interesting but I am not sure if I would be warm enough in it or not. I like being able to use a normal bag so I can kick my feet out if I need to.
 

featherloosa

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We tried to use an air mattress, and the first time we used it outdoors, it worked just fine. Next season was the issue though. Some stick or rock had poked a hole in it earlier in the day, and it slowly deflated when we finally when to bed, only to wake up covered in the bed and struggling to get out! Not very fun.
 

ppine

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I haven't used an air mattress since about 1965. As teenagers we slept on the ground, then Ensolite pads in the 20s, then Thermarest insulated pads since then. I just bought a 3 pound cot made by Thermarest. It is too heavy for backpacking, but will be great on canoe trips, especially sleeping on gravel bars.
 

Nature25

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I use an air mattress when I go tent camping. The only problem is that you need to still put something underneath the mattress, like a blanket, if it's chilly out because the mattress will draw the cold air to it and you end up being chilly the whole night.
 

Cappy

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You are exactly right Nature 25 about them being cooling and that is exactly what those of us below the 30th parallel are looking for.
 
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