Camping Gear finds

[Rani Zemirah]

Tink, I always bring carpets for under our air mattresses, and layer an extra sleeping bag on top, for exactly that reason.  If you insulate them on both sides then the air inside doesn't get as cold.  Oh... I also use a 2" memory foam topper, as well, and bring my regular bedding from home plus extra.  Makes everything nice and cozy! 

[LadyStitch]

We used a memory Foam topper. Some of our friends just do a sleeping bag under them then get cheap flannel sheets ( we got ours at an after Christmas sale- ugly but warm) Best thing we had was a Down comforter.  Great for snuggling. 

Speaking of under the airmatress or tent floors,  There was recently a deal of the day item that was the foam square mats for kids rooms or under exercise equipment.  Keep an eye out for those on clearance or on sale.  I have seen them at Target, Walmart and lowes in the flooring section. 

[KiltedPrivateer]

To give you a 3 of 3, yes the air in an air mattress will get cold and penetrate your bones if you don't have insulation between you and the top of the air mattress.  We also use mattress topper foam on ours.  We go one step further and place compressed foam sleeping mats between the top of the mattress and the foam topper.  Then come the flannel sheets and as Lady Stitch said, a down comforter just can't be beat on those cold nights for cuddling under.

The upside of cots is the newly available storage space that they create.  A lot of space is wasted with a mattress on the ground.  As soon as you put the mattress up on the cots you gain a bunch of space under the bed for storage.  We place our garb bins under the bed as well as the bags that the tent and poles are stored in.

[batninja]

I keep forgetting about the virtues of flannel sheets in the wintertime.   I'm adding those to my shopping list.

[Tink]

Thanks for all the great info./ ideas.  I just remembered that we have a memory foam mattress topper on the guest bed (it's not gonna' be on there during TRF!  LOL)

[Rani Zemirah]

I've been looking at the full/queen size cots for a while now, just because I don't want to give up my queen size air mattress... but they are kind of pricey.  Maybe one of these days there will be a really good sale on them, and I'll have money at the same time...  (VERY wishful thinking...) 

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

The Year of the Fires, since we couldn't use various types of heating,  Nasty and I came up with something.  We took five buckets...drilled a hole in the bottom of each...five round headed bolts & wingnuts...and a 4x8' sheet of plywood.  When assembled(Bolting one bucket to a corner, through the plywood, & one in the middle) we put our air mattresses on top.  It was nice to be able to swing your legs off and just stand up instead of the " Oh-God-I-got-to-go-but-can-'t-get-the-hell-up-cause-I'm-still-half-drunk*.  Of course, at the time, i had a eight man tent for just myself, so space wasn't an issue... my queen size air mattress fit perfectly and there was a huge storage/air space under it.   I was using an electric heater so i set it to blow under the platform and a couple of handwarmers tossed into my bedding and all was good.

[batninja]

I saw this a few days ago at Academy, I think:

http://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Products-Washn-Compact-Gallon/dp/B000FIC6R2/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1408637890&sr=1-1&keywords=wash+n+go+sink

I don't think I'd ever use it, but it might be handy for some.   It's got a clean water stopper that allows fresh water into the bowl.   When you're done, open the dirty water stopper and the sink empties.  Nifty design!

[Rani Zemirah]

Fraser, I've thought about doing that quite a few times... except the logistics of loading and hauling a 4'x8' sheet of plywood always gives me pause.  I'm sure it could be worked out with that in sections, somehow, but I'm not sure it would have quite the same sturdiness.  For years, though, I have wanted to build one of these:



Maybe a shorter version, just so the pieces would fit more easily in the back of the van (although the canopy would allow draping that would hold in extra heat at night)... with 3 - 26" x 60" sheets of 1" plywood laid down in place of slats, and an air mattress on top.  These were originally Viking rope beds, but those are just a pain to tighten every time you want to try and sleep, and they take forever to lace.  This bed could be pretty easily packed/unpacked and assembled in camp, and break down pretty small for the trip home.  It's 16 mortise-and-tenon joins, a few pegs and a couple of router channels to slip the plywood slats into. 


Now, if only I had the necessary tools... 

[KiltedPrivateer]

It could be done with smaller boards instead of one piece of ply wood.  If the top of the side rails were notched with six inch wide by one and three-quarter deep noches, you could bring 2x6 boards with you and lay them across without fear of them slipping.

[Rani Zemirah]

I was suggesting 3 pieces of 2ft-2in wide 1" thick plywood, instead of a single sheet. Otherwise that would be a lot of 2x6's, which would take up a lot of room.  I think you would need enough to make a solid base (so the plastic air mattress doesn't get pushed down through the open spaces), which could be done with the plywood (covered with a blanket to keep splinters away), with less overall weight and space needed to haul.  We're in a mini-van, so space is at a premium.  For those of you who have a trailer and something to pull it with, though... however you envision it is what would ultimately work best!   

[LadyStitch]

It does look nice... but Teach posted one the other day on FB that is absolutely HUGE, and not much more money.  It's made by Teton, and looks just about big enough to get lost on! 

Cabela's was having a big sale this week, so I went and hand a nosey around.  I talked to the guy in the camp cots area.  The adjustable one that someone posted about they said was their most returned cot.  It wasn't that it didn't do it's job, it was that the screw that allowed you to adjust the tilt of the bed can easily be turned so much it comes undone.  If it is undone it causes the cot to loose tention, and Kabbom! 
What he did recomend is the Cabel's version of the Teton.  A thing theirs has is a lever that allows you to get that last cross bar into place instead of sitting on the floor and tugging.   At 40 " wide it is the best bet he had on the floor.  They had them on sale for $100  vs $130 regular.

[Rani Zemirah]

Oh, nice!  I wish I had the extra cash right now!  Hopefully someone on here will be able to take advantage of your info! 

[April Marie]

Well I for sure have to find a new tent...again.... I just bought a new one last year...actually two.  I am sure Rani remembers but I had a new one and then the Ren-ado hit and mine broke so then I returned their defective product for a new one and that one was stolen.  boo So now I need one for this year!

[batninja]

April, what size are you looking for and what's your budget?   I've been staring at websites for new tents for three weeks...