What beds for children when camping?

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!

Self inflating mats work brilliantly for my two ime.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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 😉

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

Is it character building?

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

You think? only one thing for that: 🙄

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

If rolling off them is an issue, maybe…

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

Ropes on wrists and ankles?

Steady… 🙂

It started off being helpful… 😉

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Biggest advantage of an airbed is the insulation

On the contrary – standard airbeds are colder than thermarestalikes.

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

ReadyBeds are really good 🙂

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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).

M_F in overthinking things shocker.

Holy thread resurrection batman!

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!