Anyone using a Balloon Bed? How comfortable/easy to use is it?

looking at options over a 1/2 size alpkit sleeping mat.

comfortable but quite easy to pop the baloons.

Comfy – tick
Light – tick
cheap – tick
Pack small- tick
Amusing during the night if the balloons pop – tick
PIA if the balloons pop – tick
Takes anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes to set up depending on how good you are tying balloons and how warm/nimble your fingers are.

I use one for single nighters in a tent, but wouldn’t for multi-dayers or bivvying (in a tent you have room to move out of the wind while you spend time setting up, but a bivvy is more open).

Good alternatives – cut down foam mat (£4), Neoair (£50+), Klymit Inertia (£60+), Alpkit jobby (£35).

I use one for Mountain Marathons and for one 1 night were we’re looking to save as much weight as possible then the’re great.
However I wouldn’t want to use one for anything other than a race scenario.

Pick your camping spot carefully avoiding thistles n sharp things, take spare balloons and blow up a spare in case of 1 popping during the night.

1 plus is that the faff involved in blowing the balloons up with the supplied inflator warms you up and provides low level amusement 🙂

they pop! ultra lite 3/4 Thermarest still going strong after 15 years of use James.