So I picked up one of the decathlon pop up tents last night for the odd one nighter before a ride a bit further from home. Planning on testing it out this weekend and staying around Hope in a campsite. Already have a double sleeping bag but wondering what everybody loves or uses in terms of lying on. A SIM, air bed or camping bed maybe? Tent didn’t cost a fortune so dont really want to spend double the cost on a bed but equally I’d like to sleep as well as possible. Already bought some ear plugs!

A thermarest, or similar. Warmer and comfier than a blow-up bed.

Hang on, are there two of you, or are you just luxuriating in a massive bag on your own?

Alpkit Dozer is very comfy…
https://www.alpkit.com/products/dozer

Is that over budget? Decathlon and Go Outdoors probably do cheaper, thinner ones.

Just spent the last 3 weeks camping and sleeping on one of these. It’s a bit bulky packed away compared to the 15mm thick mats but it is really comfy.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/outwell-dreamcatcher-sleeping-mat-single-10cm-p366436

Don’t blow anymore air in to inflate hard. I find letting a little out after self inflating is best.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/oex-fulcrum-ev-self-inflating-sleeping-mat-p360871

This is alright if going lightweight.

Best sleeping aid when camping is a bottle of rum though. 😆

edit, ignore the first part of my advice, just noticed it’s 2 person. 2nd part still stands though!

We’ve used a cheapo flock double airbed for years with no problems and my wife is a cold sleeper.

Much more comfy than any of the “self inflators”.

If there’s a large weight discrepancy between the two of you then consider a double chamber type.

Haha I’ve had the double sleeping bag from camping previously with a boyfriend who never actually accompanied me!

Hmmm I’m T total so dont think rum will help other than smacking myself over the head with the bottle 😆

Tesco had some very cheap SIM things on a psa here a week or two ago if I remember correctly.

Edit no longer available, though tesco website search turns up some from “this is it stores” at a low price.

for car camping, In addition to an air mat, I also use a closed cell foam mat (multimat/karrimat?). 1) to protect my air mat. 2) add another layer so I def. don’t feel any cold from the ground. 3) gives a little bit of extra comfort especially if your body presses thru the air mat ie sleeping on your side. 4) back up if the air mat punctures.
Blacks are selling them for £5 at the mo, so you don’t have to spend much, altho it might be worth buying once buying right incase you ever do go full native. Proper 4 season closed cell foam mats are about £15-£20.

On a bike or walking it just depends, 3/4 therma-rest in summer, closed cell foam in winter (strap to handlebars).

I also used a closed cell foam mat

Get one with the foil coating on one side and lay it with the foil pointing up to reflect heat back up through the air bed too.

Just remember if you go for a self inflating mat, then that ‘self’ is you!
I actually find the most important thing for me is having something the right height to use as a pillow.

I got one of the mountain hardware mats a while back. Massive improvement over a basic foam mat in terms of storage once I got past the black magic of how it is self inflating.

Sleeping solution? Stay in a hotel; campers are too anti-social and inconsiderate nowadays.

Alpkit dozer ,we have the double it is self inflating as comfy as our bed and silent when you roll about. Bloody massive and heavy so car camping only.
Get a single sleeping bag a double will be cold as it contains too much cold air . even as a couple who love each other we are happier with two single bags for sleeping in.
Ear plugs and eye masks are good too .

Pop into Aldi at the mo – plenty of camping stuff including a self inflating air mat etc

DrP

Binned our pop up after one night, absolutely soaked through due to internal condensation!!!!

Cheap self-inflating mat. Decathlon/mountain warehouse etc will be fine. Hope? The best campsite (read cheapest and least fussy) has the trainline at the top of it. Don’t worry though – it’s quiet from midnight onwards iirc. Shouldn’t need earplugs.

A thermarest, or similar.

Yeap, one of these. 3/4 length if you’re counting the grammes.

Just remember if you go for a self inflating mat, then that ‘self’ is you!

only a couple of couple usually necessary – open valve, lay mat out… Half an hour later it’s ready with a couple of blows to get the required firmness.

I just got one of these:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=8458

Which is warm and folds up tiny, it wasn’t cheap though. I think about £90 after some shopping around – there are other non insulated and less lightweight but still pretty compact versions though.

We use a self-inflating, double size, 10 cm thick one which is just as good as sleeping at home. We persevered with a cheap blow up when we were skint but it never stayed inflated enough. The only problem is that the self-inflater doesn’t pack down very well. Second the comment on a good pillow to keep your head level.

For car camping two of the Tesco 2.5cm thick self inflating maps – one on top of the other. Sorted for £12.

We’ve used a cheapo flock double airbed for years with no problems and my wife is a cold sleeper.
Much more comfy than any of the “self inflators”.

I bought one of those, having no experience of doing the camping thing, except for one Reading festival; the weekend was sheer misery, the temperature dropped, and having only a lightweight sleeping bag I was chilled to the bone!
I slept in all the clothes I had with me, wrapped in two blankets I carried in the car for putting around the bike.
I learned the hard way, after seeing a thread on here, that they’re the worst possible things, being full of air which cools to the ambient temperature.
And my abiding memory of the two festivals I’ve done since is the wheezing noise all through the night as numerous people keep having to re-inflate the bloody things, and the huge number left outside of tents, deflated and scrunched up and left behind afterwards.
I bought myself a Gelert 10cm SIM, which only requires three or four puffs after being unrolled to provide a really excellent night’s sleep, helped by a £20 Lidl bag which is snigger than a really snug thing!
The SIM was originally £70, reduced to £17, and my tent was £75, so the camping I’ve done over the last five years has been both really comfy, and dead cheap!

Car camping? Go full comfort, a proper single mattress and the pillows you usually use too.

The best campsite (read cheapest and least fussy) has the trainline at the top of it.

Hardhurst farm? Agree they are pretty laid back. Was there for a biking weekend last month.

I actually find the most important thing for me is having something the right height to use as a pillow.

Like a pillow?

Cheers everyone will get myself off down to GoOutdoors to try some out, also tempted by the Alpkit offering as not too expensive. Big believer of buy once buy right but within sensible spend limits!

my abiding memory of the two festivals I’ve done since is the wheezing noise all through the night as numerous people keep having to re-inflate the bloody things,

Maybe they get worse with age? Ours is only 5-6 years old and has only been used for 70-80 nights.

And as for being cold, it copes with Scottish spring/autumn nighttime temperatures (maybe only a couple of degrees below freezing). My only concession is to always cover it with a blanket, otherwise the dew-point can be in your sleeping bag.

Car camping?

Then a Vango Comfort 7.5cm

Had the previous model (Adventure) Lasted years, supercomfy and not cold. Around 30 quid IIRC. Will buy again. (Seasoned camper)

Yes car camping so weight etc. is not an issue at all. Only the distance from car to tent really!

I really struggle to get comfortable when camping and recently tried one of the thicker self inflating mats listed above but was still really uncomfortable. I’ve now found the perfect solution albeit a bit convoluted but almost as comfortable as home. Single flocked air bed for a tenner off amazon pumped up nice and firm so it doesn’t roll, then a memory foam topper (I made mine by peeling the memory foam off an old mattress and cutting to size but I think you can buy toppers) then a bed sheet over the two. Pillow and duvet from home. Warm and toasty and a good night’s sleep with ear plugs and eye mask if necessary.

Vango comfort 10 here, very comfortable but bulky

A decent pillow is bliss if you have been used to using your arm for years 😉

I use the 10cm outwell bed, toasty warm and comfortable but not small

Big believer of buy once buy right but within sensible spend limits!

Never was this ever truer than in the world of camping. I’ve thrown out so much crap gear it’s not funny (I’m looking at you, Gellert).

Half an hour later it’s ready with a couple of blows to get the required firmness.

We’ve all been there.

I’ve had too many Alpkit mats fail so I doubt I’ll buy another. The first generation ones were replaced but I’ve just had a Dirtbag fail, as I’ve had it for four years they wouldn’t replace. Its been fairly lightly used in that time.