For many people camping is a way to relax and escape the daily grind called life. But all to often some folks decline on a awesome outdoors experiences because they think that sleeping in a tent is not a comfortable option. Which can be true and is what leads to many people wanting to know what is the best bed for camping.
When it comes to getting a good nights sleep in a tent or even in the back of a car, a high quality tear resistant air mattress is vital. But the humble air bed is no longer the only popular option for campers. While air mattresses have dominated the arena for as long as I can remember, many people are taking to camping cots and even hammocks as their camping bed of choice.
But which is the best for sleeping while camping?. An air mattress, a cot or hanging between the trees in a hammock?. Well for me personally, the hammock is not ideal for restless sleepers. It’s a great temporary bed to take a 30 minute nap. But for a full nights sleep I still prefer the air mattress. They are super comfortable and the quality ones are built stronger to withstand outdoor conditions.
In saying this, a cot designed for campers is also a great bed to choose. As it has various advantages over the air bed such as stronger design, heavy duty and longer lasting. But the cot has the disadvantage of being more bulkier and heavier. Without a sleeping pad or air pad, the cot is generally less comfortable than the air mattress. With a few positives and negatives out of the way, lets have a look at what we believe to be the best beds for camping.
Our #1 Top Rated Camping Air Mattress
The Dream Series Camping Edition Review
So if you take the route of choosing to buy a air mattress for your next camping trip, there are a few things you should look out few. Which are disclosed in our camping air beds buying guide. From that list we have taken the #1 top rated air mattress for campers.
The Dream Series by Sound Asleep. The Sound Asleep company are a online only brand of air mattresses which have been getting remarkable ratings. Because they are online only, the overheads for the company are generally lower which results in a better price for the consumer.
What makes the Dream Series a good choice for campers?. There’s 3 factors to consider when buying a air bed for camping purposes.
- Heavy Duty Materials
- External rechargeable pump
- Comfort
The Dream Series Air Mattress Is Super Tough
Unlike cheap inferior air mattress you may have had the ill pleasure of using in the past. The Dream Series is made from a durable and heavy duty PVC plastic. This material creates a strong foundation for the bed to be slept on in the outdoors. While having a stronger bottom to the air mattress is ideal, we also recommend investing in a camping foot print like this one on amazon. This will be an extra layer of protection from rocks, twigs and anything sharp that could pop the air mattress.
The top of the air mattress is important too,it needs to be able to handle unusual objects that comes with the camping territory, such as sand, dirt and pebbles etc. So by having a flocked top like the Dream Series does, it not only makes the sleeping surface more comfortable but can also act as an additional barrier to leak proof the mattress. The Dream Series was designed for camping so you know it’s heavy duty. It’s not just any ole indoors air mattress some campers use and wonder why they don’t last the night.
Don’t Be Left Without Power….OR?
For powered campsites, a air mattress with a built in pump is fine. But if you plan to camp in the more exploring nature kind of way. You will probably not have access to power. So how do you pump the air mattress up in the middle of nowhere? A rechargeable external pump!. The Dream Series camping air bed comes with such a pump. All you need to do is charge the pump the night before you head out, or using the 12v socket in your car.
Sleep Like A King Or Queen
Not everybody cares for comfort while out camping in the woods, but for those that NEED a comfortable bed to sleep on while camping. The Dream Series shouldn’t disappoint. This air bed uses “I” beams inside the mattress which act as the whole body support system. So by having “I” beams, the air mattress is always at a even consistency. Meaning when you sit on one end of the bed, the bed won’t sag.
So when you lay on the Dream Series you get a full body even support foundation. This is where the comfort level stems from. The “I” beam technology is different from the traditional air mattresses which use horizontal channels. With horizontal channels when you apply pressure to the bed like sitting on one end, the bed will sag down. That is because the air flow is horizontal and doesn’t provide the support needed to hold the weight. Horizontal channel air beds typically warp out of shape as well.
That’s Why The Dream Series Is The Best Bed For Camping!
Just from the above 3 features you can understand why this bed is our number one rated bed for camping. While there is more to this air mattress, the essentials have been covered to give you a better understanding. Sizes and specs can be found on the Amazon listing with current prices. The bed comes in either Twin or Queen sizes.
Is A Cot The Best Camping Bed?
Our #1 Camping Cot Bed
As an alternative to air mattresses, many campers prefer the durability of a cot. A cot cannot pop like a mattress, however the canvas sleeping area can tear and shred if a low quality bed is purchased. There are many popular cots that are used as camping beds, but there’s one that stands out from the crowd.
That is the Kamp Rite Oversized Cot. The big appeal to this cot is that it is very roomy. You can spread out and roll over without falling off the bed. This cot is also ideal for heavy people as it has a weight capacity of 400 lbs. So it’s big, spacious and can handle some heavy duty weight. What else is great about the Kamp Rite cot.
For me it’s the shear quality of the materials used to make this cot. Just by looking at the canvas you notice the extra attention that’s gone into the stitching. Like I mentioned earlier, canvas can tear and pull apart from the frame. But with extra stitching and high quality seams, the Kamp Rite looks to be a super tough cot.
While the cot is big, it’s not that big of a deal to set up. It just unfolds in minutes to create a ready made camping bed. When it does come time to hit the hay, the Kamp Rite has got your valuables covered. This cot has 2 zippered pouches where you can keep your overnight valuables like your phone, pocket knife, keys etc.
When your done, the cot just folds back up and slides back into the carry case. The 2 pockets actually form the handle for the carry case when packed away. It’s worth mentioning that Kamp Rite have a variety of cots available such as a 2 person cot, tent cot and a smaller single cot. But it’s the quality of build and the extra sleeping space that makes it number one in our books.
