blondeviolin Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 We've only taken the kids camping a few times and less than a week each time. This summer we're looking at an extended camping trip for nearly three weeks. Should we invest in air mattresses for the kids? The last camping trip (two years ago) they slept in their sleeping bags on the ground without an issue for five days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I would. But then again, I would have them for a weekend's camping trip. The ground is hard. They will probably sleep better with a mattress. You can probably stick a couple kids on one or get one double size and stick everyone not in a play-yard on the same one. You also have to access if the tent is big enough. If you are going for a week at these young ages and now a 3 week trip, I see camping a lot in your future. Maybe one at a time, invest in therma-rest mattresses. But that's just me. I camp once or twice a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I grew up camping with no air mattress. dh likes air mattresses and so we have them for everyone. the other thing about an air mattress is it acts as an insulator so you don't lose heat to the ground, you stay warmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I would say it depends on where you'll be camping. Warm, grassy area--if they did well before at similar ages you'd probably be fine again. Colder weather or rockier area--I'd at least get Thermarest mattresses. Pippen, who spent a lot of cold, uncomfortable nights NOT sleeping in a tent as a child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I grew up camping with no air mattress. dh likes air mattresses and so we have them for everyone. the other thing about an air mattress is it acts as an insulator so you don't lose heat to the ground, you stay warmer. Oh I would disagree with the staying warmer bit. We learned the hard way one camping trip that those air mattresses can get COLD if the temperature does. We learned to make sure we had a good thick blanket to cover it with before crawling on top. That won't be a problem in the middle of the summer though. We used those thin camping pads for the kids to make the ground a hair bit softer for the kids (they were from my DH's camping days though so no expense for us). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I grew up camping with no air mattress. dh likes air mattresses and so we have them for everyone. the other thing about an air mattress is it acts as an insulator so you don't lose heat to the ground, you stay warmer. Actually the opposite is true when it's cold out. Rule of thumb is use one when it's warm, but use a different kind of ground barrier when it's cold. Air mattresses in summer are fine. OP, I would definitely invest in something for sleep comfort for a trip of that duration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I would. But then again, I would have them for a weekend's camping trip. The ground is hard. They will probably sleep better with a mattress. You can probably stick a couple kids on one or get one double size and stick everyone not in a play-yard on the same one. You also have to access if the tent is big enough. If you are going for a week at these young ages and now a 3 week trip, I see camping a lot in your future. Maybe one at a time, invest in therma-rest mattresses. But that's just me. I camp once or twice a year. Oh, I thought the OP was talking about the serious mattress-sized inflated air mattresses! That's what we use when we car camp now, we gave gotten to be serious wimps in our "old" age. But the kids get foam pads or Thermarest or extra blankets for padding under their sleeping bags and are happy as clams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 Well, we are moving to Alaska and will be driving there in June. We are planning on a big long trip from Denver (where family lives) to Anchorage. So... We are looking at night temps of about 45°. We have sleeping bags that can handle the temps... I'm thinking of investing in some self-inflating foam pads... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I suppose it depends on the kids, but our two share a queen sized mattress for our two week trips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleEJ Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Well, we are moving to Alaska and will be driving there in June. We are planning on a big long trip from Denver (where family lives) to Anchorage. So... We are looking at night temps of about 45°. We have sleeping bags that can handle the temps... I'm thinking of investing in some self-inflating foam pads... Good luck! We did that drive almost three years ago, except going the other way. It was an....adventure. Lol. I think you will have a blast with the camping along the way. I wish we had done that but we just drove. And. Never. Stopped. Ever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Well, we are moving to Alaska and will be driving there in June. We are planning on a big long trip from Denver (where family lives) to Anchorage. So... We are looking at night temps of about 45°. We have sleeping bags that can handle the temps... I'm thinking of investing in some self-inflating foam pads... Yes, that would be better. Body heat is lost with air circulation around (and under) the body, so the goal when it's cold is to not leave a big gap under the body (an air mattress essentially is a gap). At 45 degree nights, I'd personally want a waterproof, dense foam layer, a 30 degree bag and stocking cap. But I HATE to be cold! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I'd get them foamies: either high density closed cell ones or self-inflating thermarest type. I'd no more expect a child to camp on the ground than I'd expect them to sleep on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 Good luck! We did that drive almost three years ago, except going the other way. It was an....adventure. Lol. I think you will have a blast with the camping along the way. I wish we had done that but we just drove. And. Never. Stopped. Ever! Thanks! We regularly travel 10-12 to see family, so they are used to the car. We are hoping to take it in 6-8 hour stints and stop and see things along the way - Rushmore, caves, national parks, Calgary, Edmonton, etc. I'm not beyond hotel stays if it's raining, but otherwise we are hoping camping will provide a lot of the "fun" for the kids - swimming, scooters (we bought some that food flat), hiking, running around. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 Yes, that would be better. Body heat is lost with air circulation around (and under) the body, so the goal when it's cold is to not leave a big gap under the body (an air mattress essentially is a gap). At 45 degree nights, I'd personally want a waterproof, dense foam layer, a 30 degree bag and stocking cap. But I HATE to be cold! We have 30 degrees bags with a mummy style hold so they should be warm with that. Any foam pad recommendations? I've looked at Thermarests. I think a trip to Bass Pro is in order... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilma Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Thermarest sleeping mats are awesome. We've not invested in them for the kids yet, but will eventually (when you weigh 40 lbs. there just aren't the same type of pressure points adults have). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 Thermarest sleeping mats are awesome. We've not invested in them for the kids yet, but will eventually (when you weigh 40 lbs. there just aren't the same type of pressure points adults have). This is why we had not invested. My heaviest is just barely 50lbs. BUT! We're talking about three straight weeks of camping here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilma Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 This is why we had not invested. My heaviest is just barely 50lbs. BUT! We're talking about three straight weeks of camping here. I still think they'd be fine without. We've done a month-long camping deal (probably the oldest kid was 35-ish lbs?) and they all slept just fine without fancy stuff - just nice sleeping bags and their pillows and stuffed pals from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Some Therm-a-Rest styles just use air, but if you're moving to a colder location you'll want foam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 If you were camping in the same spot, or just one or two places, I would say get an air mattress. In your case, I would get a foam pad, because inflating those air mattresses are a pain. It doesn't have to be an expensive one, just something to have some padding in rockier areas, or between them and the cold ground. Sounds like a fun trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 We camp every summer. We all have those self inflating sleeping pads. They roll down to almost nothing and can be propped up on their side during the day to allow the tent floor to air out. We got them at LL Bean. We got the cheapest ones, but I admit that I kind of want the super thick ones. We tried one in the LL Bean store and it was amazing. Those inflatable big air mattresses are more trouble than they are worth. We used them for years. They deflate in the middle of the night, they aren't all that comfortable, and we had to replace them almost every year. Just not worth the hassle, and in the end, more expensive due to annual replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livetoread Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 The foam/self-inflating ones are the best. We got some LLBean heavy duty ones years ago and love them. When it's really cold I put a blanket down under them, but they protect from the cold much better than air mattresses and are quite comfy. We camp frequently with our homeschool group and someone is always complaining about their air mattress deflating or being too cold. Another option is cots. I know people who swear by them and I know they make more room in the tent. They might be chillier than the pads though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I'd no more expect a child to camp on the ground than I'd expect them to sleep on the floor. I'd expect kids to do both. I still go camping without an air mattress/foam pad/whatever. Even if I start on one, I slide off before I fall asleep anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I always slept on a sleeping bag on the ground as a kid / young adult and it didn't bother me at all. Kids don't get the kinks that adults get. I would not think twice about it. The last time I slept on an air mattress, I was in considerable pain. I would rather sleep on the floor/ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 If you plan to buy these items when your kids get older, I don't think they are going to get any cheaper in the intervening years. They can be used the whole time, which would be more use per child for the same cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.