Air mattress/Cot advice

[Woody]

Looking to buy a queen sized air mattress for camping.  Any particular brand to get or stay away from?  Any style better than the other?  This is for a leisure family camping trip not a hiking cross country type camping trip.  Thanks in advance for any advice/help! 

Anyone used a queen sized cot?  If so pro's/con's?


The reason I ask is; the Mrs. has a bad back (bulged disks) and needs something more comfortable than the ground to sleep on.  Myself, I am ok to sleep on the ground-however I'm pretty sure at this age there'd be plenty of *SNAP* CRACKLE & *POP* sounds from my joints as I get up off the ground. 

[BiggA]

This is a good question. I have had a couple different ones and they both seemed to develope slow leaks after a couple uses. You fall asleep on a firm matress and wake up rolled together in the middle. I am not sure what brand they were but they were both the double stacked style and the first one had a seperate valve for both the top and bottom. That one was definately better.

[rod-man]

Stay away from Colman brand 3 for 3 have leaked
we finally went to cots from Gander mtn.
guide series
They have a 500lb rating and with a thin pad are great to sleep on.
we have camped for 7-10 day streches and they are a joy so sleep on
my wife has a hurneeated (sp) disc in her back and does fine with this cot
I think we spent $100 ea on them but WELL WORTH IT
good luck

[Fawkinnae]

Woody

I also have made the transition from air mattress to cot. Have used single and queen air mattresses but only single cots.

The air mattresses are comfortable but eventually all of them I've had started to leak - I think they were Colman brand. I bought cots from Galyans when they were bought out by Dick's. The ones I have I think are Slumberland and they are great. I also use a thin self inflating pad on top of it. No more blowing up air mattresses.

Another bonus with the cots is the great storage that you have under the cots. Keeps the rest of the tent much more orderly. And a place to sit down when you're getting dressed.

Let me know if you have any other questions and thanks for taking good care of my fishing challenge teammate.

[thunderpout]

I have the Cabelas military type cot... in the catalogue it shows three big dudes standing on it, pretty indestructable... my buddies put air matresses on their cots...best of both worlds, then if the matress fails, which they all do, ya still have the cot.  The only air matress I have that has never leaked is the Thermarest... Its like 20 years old, and I still have it, though it doesnt get used as much as when I was a bit younger and was hitting the BWCA once or twice a year.  They are self inflating and come in different forms from a 3/4 length, thinner, backpacking style to thicker, cushier, full size base camp style.  Their a bit more spendy but worth it.  Cheaper than the giant inflateable matress bed types that you buy over and over when they leak.  My buddy bought a two person cot last year for him and his wife, so far he likes it...not sure where he got it...

[CampYJewel]

Air mattress are only good if you are the thinner of two people sleeping on it.........then if a slow leak happends you (the thinner one) will still be elevated.  But you will soon loose your sleeping partner since they most likley slept on the ground all night.

[Jdrummer]

There is a air mattress that Wal-mart sells that is guarunteed notto leak . it comes in all the different sizes. I bought the twin size and i feel that it starts off firm but by morning its a litle soft. If you are looking for support for the wifes back I would look into one of those padde ot non padded double decker jobs. Have her sleep on it before you go camping to see if its good enough for her 

[Auggie]

Jeff,
     Buy a sleep number bed off ebay and just use the bladders. Sometimes bladders are listed alone. Very tough material. Never had a leak in mine. Blow it up with a airpump and get some little plastic caps to plug the hole.

[kenhuntin]

Target has a queen air mattress that I used for four weeks this summer and it still is good. Mind you there was no jumping on it or other tom foolery. you need to keep those things from the sun and baby them. The cordless blower did not quit and inflated it in seconds. It has a grey bottom and a blue kinda velour or flocked top. I think if you inflate these things to a firm feel they tend to spring leaks. They should feel like a pillow because when you lay on them the air needs a place to go.

[UncleDave]

I have had mattresses from the time I was thin up until the last 5 years when I am now larger than the average Joe.  I have had no luck either way with air mattresses as well as friends I have camped with.  They all claim certain weight restrictions and guarantees for whatever period.  Bottom line is in a way too short period they all fail and you wake up with a half inflated bed and a backache.