Viewing 38 posts - 1 through 38 (of 38 total)
  • What beds for children when camping?
  • mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    Going camping with our little (3 yr old) girls in a couple of weeks for a full week. We have ‘ReadyBeds’ but, to be frank, they are horrible – noisy and the girls don’t seem to get on with them (waking up lots during the night when we stay at friends and they use them).

    So we are looking at alternatives – does anyone have any recommendations for temporary beds or, alternatively, does anyone just use mattresses on the floor?

    Advice needed please – I can’t bear the thought of a week of rubbish sleeping!

    Bimbler
    Free Member

    Self inflating mats work brilliantly for my two ime.

    neninja
    Free Member

    We’ve had ready beds for our boys. The kids one was horrible and unstable, the larger adult size one was spot on and used a different style of inflatable.
    Now have a self inflating mattress for one and a CampingGaz inflatable for the other which was bought on offer at Argos (one son rolls off an inflatable as he’s a fidget) – when I took them camping the other week they both slept through the night until 7.30-8.30am which for our boys is a miracle.

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    euain
    Full Member

    Mine were happy on an old foam Karrimat folded over to make it double thickness… They’re on self-inflating mats now. Sleep like the batteries were taken out on both.

    Camping and all the associated activity makes them so tired, they’d sleep on anything.

    jonba
    Free Member

    try alpkit for self inflating mattresses they work for my nieces when they stay.

    crankboy
    Free Member

    normal camping mat you could even use the short torso only one. Crankbrat aged one was comfortable on the ground with a foam mat for comfort and insulation.

    iainc
    Full Member

    ditto on the self inflating ones. We used airbeds a few times and they weren’t much good – kids rolled around/off too much. All on Thermarests now

    binners
    Full Member

    Self inflating mats. My 2 are happy on their Decathalon ones.

    DezB
    Free Member

    We used airbeds a few times and they weren’t much good – kids rolled around/off too much

    Really? Did you blow them up? 😆
    Nothing wrong with an airbed. If I can sleep on one then a child certainly can.

    aracer
    Free Member

    mini-aracer was perfectly happy on my 3/4 length lightweight Thermarest (first took him when he was 3, and will take mini-aracer #2 this summer at 3 if we ever get decent weather for it). We went cycle camping, so no way we were taking a ReadyBed – though I can’t see any reason why you’d consider something different to what you’d use when camping as an adult anyway.

    binners
    Full Member

    Nothing wrong with an airbed. If I can sleep on one then a child certainly can.

    Aaaaaaaaaah – the refreshingly rational/logical voice of people who clearly don’t have kids 😉

    transporter13
    Free Member

    Who needs a bed when camping. We just sleep on the floor with a sleeping bag. Kids have never complained

    binners
    Full Member

    Is it character building?

    DezB
    Free Member

    the refreshingly rational/logical voice of people who clearly don’t have kids

    You think? only one thing for that: 🙄

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Can’t you just string them up from a few poles hammock-style?

    binners
    Full Member

    If rolling off them is an issue, maybe…

    aracer
    Free Member

    Can’t you just string them up from a few poles hammock-style?

    Ropes on wrists and ankles?

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Steady… 🙂

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    It started off being helpful… 😉

    geologist
    Free Member

    Just back from week camping on islay, my 3 year old used the toddlers camping mattress and duvet set from decathlon. He got on fine with it. Would defo recommend it.

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    Geo – do you have a link to that on their website – can’t find it….

    EDIT: is this it? http://www.decathlon.co.uk/sleepinbed-camp-junior-pink-id_8129695.html

    And I notice it is inflatable – is it noisy when the child rolls around on it? We find the ReadyBed ones to be VERY noisy and trying to avoid that scenario again.

    carlosg
    Free Member

    My 2 boys have a self inflating matress each , my 18 month old has his folded double in his travel cot and my 7 year old uses his like his mum and me. We bought adult sized ones as they dont get enough regular use to wear out so hopefully will still be useable when they get bigger. We just bought whatever was cheapest at Go Outdoors at the time.

    Stoner
    Free Member

    just spent a month camping in france. Both Stoners Junior slept on decathlon thermarestalikes in decathlon junior sleeping bags. No problem. Jr #1 is 5 and Jr #2 just turned 2 last month.

    Sleeping bags are a great way to make the transition from cot to bed too – Jr #2 is sleeping in his sleeping bag on a bed in his room now since our return and the cot has been taken away. In a few weeks or so, we’ll move to a duvet.

    brassneck
    Full Member

    Double airbed & sleeping bags – just don’t put the pressure at adult levels or they bounce about a bit. To be honest, they soon oscillate into a space and fall asleep so don’t worry too much. You or your wife will end up sleeping with them anyway to get them to calm down!

    Biggest advantage of an airbed is the insulation – last week I was on a self inflating mat whilst no. 1 son was on the airbed, and he had no complaints about being cold. I suspect they’d sleep just fine on a mat, but an airbed is a lot more comfy and not really any more space or hassle to take if you’re driving to site.

    teamslug
    Free Member

    We use a coleman airbed which has pocket sprung bits. Very comfy. 5 y.o thinks it great and single is plenty big enough. Goo Outdoors sell them.

    aracer
    Free Member

    Biggest advantage of an airbed is the insulation

    On the contrary – standard airbeds are colder than thermarestalikes.

    geologist
    Free Member

    Sorry for the late reply mastiles, yes that’s the one. No noise from it at all.

    redthunder
    Free Member

    ReadyBeds are really good 🙂

    thegreatape
    Free Member

    Having tried a variety of things, the best has proven to be a self inflating mat that is the same size (or as close as possible) to the area in which they will be sleeping – this is important because otherwise they just roll off. Then just a duvet underneath and one on top. This allows them to get under it again when they’re cold. Small boys don’t seem able to get back in a sleeping bag when they’re half asleep.

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    ReadyBeds are really good

    But they are not – damn noisy! See my OP!

    I have now experimented with putting extra sheets between the inflatable part and the outer lining which seems to have made an improvement.

    BikeStyle_Billy
    Free Member

    Double air bed (if you have room). Never any problems here.

    rudebwoy
    Free Member

    a couple of duvets,and blankets under them is plenty good, they seem to like nests

    mastiles_fanylion
    Free Member

    Yeah good point rudeboy – if space allows we may end up taking a load of old duvets and stuff.

    samuri
    Free Member

    We always used this for my son when we went camping.

    TuckerUK
    Free Member

    Beds? Good god what kind of delicate ninnies are you raising? What’s wrong with the floor! Obviously check the area for sharp stones first (always worth bringing a supply with you in case there aren’t any).

    glupton1976
    Free Member

    M_F in overthinking things shocker.

    transporter13
    Free Member

    Holy thread resurrection batman!

    kimbers
    Full Member

    we used inflatable for our 2yr old son

    only trouble is that he views an inflatable mattress as a trampolene was a nightmare getting him to go to sleep!

Viewing 38 posts - 1 through 38 (of 38 total)

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