Air Mattress Bed for camping

self inflating models benefit from a few extra puffs of air to be truly comfortable.

 It isn’t always easy to drag your significant other into the wilderness for miles of hiking followed

by an overnight stay in the middle of nowhere. It’s even more difficult to include the entire

family. Little legs have a tough time keeping up over the long haul. A common solution

worldwide is to forgo barebones roughing-it and accept a comfortable middle ground. Enter

camping and the thousands of campgrounds that support the habit.

Whether dwarfed in a sea of behemoth RVs or standing humbly by the family minivan, tents

packed with family and a few amenities are all the rage. This method of semi-roughing-it allows

for more luxuries than could be packed on backs and hauled into the wilderness but still affords

the benefit of proximity to the wild. Campers simply park at the campground, setup the tent (or

tents), plug their tiny tvs into campsite outlets and then do in day hikes what your real Grizzly

Adams types would spend all weekend accomplishing.

This kind of excursion lends itself supremely well to the inclusion of less portable but infinitely

more comfortable air mattress beds. As your gear gets packed in your car or RV rather than on

your back during transition, stowed size isn’t as big a concern. That allows for greater focus on

comfort rather than convenience.

When picking air mattress beds with camping in mind, start with 4” thick models as your

absolute low end thickness (this is also the absolute thickest you should consider for

backpacking). Coleman offers a self inflating 4” air mattress bed but as noted before, even the

Thicker models (+/- 8”, 9” or 10”) are your real luxury options. If you’ll be spending your nights

at a campground, pick air mattress beds with inflation and air retention in mind. The literature

should mention features like double lock valves or other gimmicks designed to retain air once

inflated.

Another important consideration is the inflation system. High-flow manual foot pumps are a

great feature as you won’t always have electricity available to use an electric pump. Your model

would ideally accommodate both manual and electric inflation options. If electric, try to get a

system that includes a cigarette lighter adapter to allow you to inflate it from your vehicle.

Finally, there are a variety of comfort options to consider. Independent air coils or other features

such as heat retaining or no-slip suede surfaces are nice. Just remember that suede doesn’t

respond well to moisture and you’re likely to encounter plenty of that in the great outdoors.

Air mattress beds for camping are one of the great creations no family camping trip should do

without. The fresh outdoor air lends itself to a great night of sleep but removing yourself from

the cold, hard ground and floating on a cushion of air ensures that you’ll be well rested and ready

to face a great day of fishing, hiking and exploring.