Air mattress alternative

[droid_ca]

Just like everyone on here everybody's situation is different...as in my case I'd choose comfort over weight in regards to a good nights sleep but then I'm also looking for a more permanent solution (Tiny House) so for a little extra weigh I'm going to be going with a http://www.ebay.ca/itm/320574507615?ssP ... 1423.l2649 but then again like I said I'll be living in mine...But maybe others might want to do a similar idea

This was an idea I had for a previous one when weight wasn't an issue

[Xtremespeed]

Ok. I was in the Dallas area this weekend, so I tried a couple things out. The first was the previously mentioned Cabelas deluxe camp bed. This is not a self inflating pad. It is a piece of foam with a cover and has a board on one end to assist in rolling it up. The deluxe camp bed is way too soft and I immediately sunk to the bottom. It's also a little to short. This may be an option for children or people who weigh 150lb or less but not an adult over that in my opinion. The next thing I tried was the Cabelas Ultimate sleeping pad. This is a self inflating pad. The smallest one is 30" wide and 3" thick. They also have 36" and 50" widths. This is a very nice pad and very comfortable. I ended up taking 2 if these home. It is the first self inflating pad that I have tried that works well for me. The pad inflates pretty quickly to full thickness and even seems to require letting a little air out to achieve the best comfort. I did have to add air initially and leave it over night to allow the foam to expand after being tightly rolled from the factory, but after that, it deflated and inflated quickly and easily. These pads have the Cabelas name printed on them, but I noticed in the instructions that they are made by Alps Mountaineering. I was fully intending on buying the foam mattress from foambymail but I was still concerned about storing it. The pads are just a better option for me at this point I believe.

[revorunner]

Thanks for the update Xtremespeed. I hope they work out for you.

[woytovich]

Inspired by your positive review of the Ultimate pad I went to the Cabelas site and found them on sale AND with free shipping. I bought a large one! Merry Christmas to me!
Thanks...
Mark
PS That is the pad that I originally meant to point you at by the way - I'm sorry I got you on the path to the Deluxe pad ("Deluxe"... "Ultimate"... I got confuzeled)

[Xtremespeed]

Not a problem. I really wanted to look at every option I could find. Didn't really intend to go back to the self inflating pads, but I am impressed with these and they should work out much better for my setup. I believe you will be impressed with it as well. Just remember to inflate the pad by adding air the first time, and leave the valves closed overnight the first time to allow the foam to expand fully. They are rolled so tight from the factory, the foam needs a little extra time to expand.

[roadinspector]

Thanks for the update. You've been on a pretty extensive hunt for a cure. Sure hope this works for you.

Earnest

[Xtremespeed]

I think these pads along with the memory foam topper will do it. We have a 4 night camping trip planned the weekend after Christmas, so we'll know for sure then.

[revorunner]

Looking forward to your next update.

[woytovich]

FWIW I received my Cabelas Ultimate, large. It is a nice pad... on a concrete and tile floor I am supported pretty well. If I push up on an elbow I can feel the floor but otherwise, while laying down and flopping around, I'm not feeling through it. I weigh about 220lbs.
It feels more firm than I would like for sleeping generally. I liked the Ikea foam (not memory) mattress better but this is certainly more portable - I may look to add a 1" waffle foam pad on top of this. I won't be back sleeping in the trailer till spring so a real test will have to wait.

mark

[Xtremespeed]

Update as promised. We just returned from a 5 day camping trip yesterday. The Cabelas ultimate sleeping pads made a great base for the memory foam mattress toppers. They took a little while to fully expand, and I think part of that may have been weather related. It was just below freezing when we got there. We slept on these for 4 nights and never had to go back and add any air. My ribs and hips never sank enough for me to feel the plywood base. In fact, I let a little air out a couple nights to try and soften the bed. My only complaint is that the bed was a little firmer than I would prefer, but the ultimate pads are thick enough that you can let some air out without sinking too far. I think if I had the room, I could probably gain a little comfort going to the foam mattress, but with my limited space, the Cabelas pads are doing a pretty good job and still have the ability to be rolled up and stored easily. Overall, I spent more money than I wanted to, but it got to the point of comfort being more important than the amount spent, within a reasonable range of course. If anyone is considering this setup, I am using a 2.5" 4LB density memory foam mattress topper from Sams Club on top of the Cabelas ultimate sleeping pads. If you can find one a little thicker without going to a higher density, I think it might help keep more of your weight from pressing down to the firmer Cabelas pad and make the bed a little softer. Just a thought.

[hankaye]

Xtremespeed, Howdy;

Update as promised. We just returned from a 5 day camping trip yesterday. The Cabelas ultimate sleeping pads made a great base for the memory foam mattress toppers. They took a little while to fully expand, and I think part of that may have been weather related. It was just below freezing when we got there. We slept on these for 4 nights and never had to go back and add any air. My ribs and hips never sank enough for me to feel the plywood base. In fact, I let a little air out a couple nights to try and soften the bed. My only complaint is that the bed was a little firmer than I would prefer, but the ultimate pads are thick enough that you can let some air out without sinking too far. I think if I had the room, I could probably gain a little comfort going to the foam mattress, but with my limited space, the Cabelas pads are doing a pretty good job and still have the ability to be rolled up and stored easily. Overall, I spent more money than I wanted to, but it got to the point of comfort being more important than the amount spent, within a reasonable range of course. If anyone is considering this setup, I am using a 2.5" 4LB density memory foam mattress topper from Sams Club on top of the Cabelas ultimate sleeping pads. If you can find one a little thicker without going to a higher density, I think it might help keep more of your weight from pressing down to the firmer Cabelas pad and make the bed a little softer. Just a thought.

Just a thought and question;
Have you tried 'just' the memory foam to see how that might work for you?
I'd be of a mind to just have one thing to deal with opposed to 2. Thinkin' with my fingers again...

hank

[Xtremespeed]

Yes, we tried that first and for someone that doesn't weigh much it might work, especially if you use a higher density pad. It didn't work for us though. We could feel the plywood base and it was quite uncomfortable. That was the reason for adding the self inflating pads.

[revorunner]

Thanks for the update Xtremespeed.

[hankaye]

Xtremespeed, Howdy;

Thanks for the reply. As I'm in the same weight 'ballpark',
I felt it necessary to inquire... Ya never know till ya ask ...

hank

[Xtremespeed]

Absolutely. Hope I helped out.