Hilux 4x4 Forum

What do you use for a bed when camping?

I'm talking about if you camp in a ground tent, not RTT or TTT.

I'm done with blow up mattresses , I now have a nice high density foam mattress but the wife does not like sleeping on the ground.

I was looking at a double stretcher but I am not sure on how comfortable they are?

What is your input?

blow-down-mattress ... been there, done that, .... no thanks

foam mattress - comfortable. PAIN to pack. And getting up from ground level reminds you how the years have passed ....


Stretcher bed .... first thing to always remember - its feet will cut through the tent floor if you dont protect it ..... Not sure how the double bed version will work - these are effectively hang mats with a low middle point, so you end up rolling down to the middle ... okay if it is one person, cant be comfortable for two .... Mine also gets a bit hard late at night, think it would work better with a thin mattress ontop of it (nog goed om te pak) .... You need some serious floor space to house the bed and have space left to stand while getting dressed ....

You've obviously never used a proper blow up mattress. Buy a Thermarest Neo Air or Mondo King. They are simply incredible. Expensive yes, but they are insanely good quality and will last a very, very long time.

https://www.mountainmailorder.co.za/ind ... t&catId=39

niclemaitre wrote:You've obviously never used a proper blow up mattress. Buy a Thermarest Neo Air or Mondo King. They are simply incredible. Expensive yes, but they are insanely good quality and will last a very, very long time.

https://www.mountainmailorder.co.za/ind ... t&catId=39

I'm sorry Nic, I am done with blow up mattresses, I tried all sorts. At the end of the day I spent enough on that. I could have bought a Sealy Posturepedic

If you go to Everest. Thermarest mattresses would outnumber all the other mattress 5 to 1. In a environment were you cant afford to sleep on the ground otherwise you die. All mattresses fail in comparison to a proper thermarest.

A thermarest is actually half foam and half air. So if you get a puncture (super unlikely) you still have the foam left.

Every member of my family including my parents own a proper thermarest. These mattresses have been through about every country in sub Saharan Africa. Puncture free.

The super thick models even have velcro on the edges so you could attach it to the mattress of your significant other forming a double bed. They also have a stretchy upper that conforms with your body as you lie on it.

For punctures and because its the best out there I carry a roll of gorilla tape. It is space age duct tape. Any good bicycle shop uses it to make bike rims tubeless (seal the spoke holes in the rim). It is completely air tight. If ever you get a puncture in any mattress. Regardless of make or type.

http://www.gorillatough.com/gorilla-tape

I managed to get a hole in one of my thermarest matresses due to a badly cut bolt in the canopy that had a razor sharp edge. 3cm long gash. A single 5cm long strip of gorilla tape is still keeping it airtight after a year and multiple uses.

I dislike stretchers because the lack insulation from below. You get cold from the bottom. To prevent that you need to put a thermarest type mattress on it anyway.

niclemaitre wrote:You've obviously never used a proper blow up mattress. Buy a Thermarest Neo Air or Mondo King. They are simply incredible. Expensive yes, but they are insanely good quality and will last a very, very long time.

https://www.mountainmailorder.co.za/ind ... t&catId=39

We have one that is now nearly 20 years old. Never leaked, yet ...


BUT, it is such a fine balance when blowing it up !!!

Too much air and it is simply too hard.

Too little air and when the night temperature drop the pressure drops just enough that the bed is underinflated ....



nee dankie. that mattress is packed away.

Eks ook anti opblaas matras pappie.. Al teveel op die sand met die vrou bo-op my wakker geword...

Hangover wrote:Eks ook anti opblaas matras pappie.. Al teveel op die sand met die vrou bo-op my wakker geword...

en jou proebleem is?

Obelix and Dogmatix wrote:

Hangover wrote:Eks ook anti opblaas matras pappie.. Al teveel op die sand met die vrou bo-op my wakker geword...

en jou proebleem is?

As n man wil rus wil n man rus..

Obelix and Dogmatix wrote:

Hangover wrote:Eks ook anti opblaas matras pappie.. Al teveel op die sand met die vrou bo-op my wakker geword...

en jou proebleem is?

klink maar na fyn brag ...

ChrisF wrote:

Obelix and Dogmatix wrote:

Hangover wrote:Eks ook anti opblaas matras pappie.. Al teveel op die sand met die vrou bo-op my wakker geword...

en jou proebleem is?

klink maar na fyn brag ...

Hahaha

we have 2 of these and I can recommend them and they can handle more than 120 kgs
http://www.outdoorwarehouse.co.za/?subm ... cts.search

Buy/Build a Camper & you will never look back...
Fit the mattress that you require & plan the Camper around that
You will never have anything to moan about again
Ask ChrisF

Wayne,

I have one of the Natural Instinct double stretchers; fairly comfortable but one has to have a foam mattress to go with it, the normal OWH ones work fine. Durable frame and canvas IMO.

Ours do not get much use due to the stress on tent bottom on rough terrain and also it is a bit heavy; lately we just use the fold up foamie on the ground. Think I slept on it maybe 5 times hehe...

I had to drive to town and buy a foam mattress when the blow up mattress gave in... I'm ok with it, its the wife that does not like it.

Haboob wrote:Buy/Build a Camper & you will never look back...
Fit the mattress that you require & plan the Camper around that
You will never have anything to moan about again
Ask ChrisF

Stef, I saw a chap put very thin carpet on the tent floor - it insolate the floor and the stretcher stand on the carpet no marks and tears in the floor of the tent. Easy to clean as well. I am still going to do that for the trailer tent.

Ek het altyd maar n slaaprol verkies. Daai skuim rubber matrase is heel ok, toe later daai self opblaas matrasse. Hy het n prop wat jy oop maak om dit klein te kan oprol.

Maar toe begin gat vol word vir tent opslaan, grond gelyk maak voor die tyd, en opvou as dit nat is en al daai dinge.

Toe koop ek n off road caravan en n camper om op die bakkie te sit. Eers n off road trailer probeer, maar die RTT se slaap besigheid werk toe nie. Veral in die nag se oormekaar klim om af te klim. n Man kan hard val daar van bo af ook, iets wat ek glad nie meer van hou nie. Die opstaan is te moeilik.

Johan Kriel wrote:

Toe koop ek n off road caravan en n camper om op die bakkie te sit. Eers n off road trailer probeer, maar die RTT se slaap besigheid werk toe nie. Veral in die nag se oormekaar klim om af te klim. n Man kan hard val daar van bo af ook, iets wat ek glad nie meer van hou nie. Die opstaan is te moeilik.

Daai is dieselfde rede hoekom my pa ook sy boswa verkoop het in 'n bos karavaan gekoop het