Bedding options

creativecstasy · Post by **creativecstasy** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 12:30 am

Hi!

2011 will be my first burning man, and I'm simultaneously terrified and excited. It's great!

I don't own much camping gear, so I'm watching sales and stuff to get all my gear at reasonable prices over the next few months. I saw a fold out mattress today that looks great for travel in general. Think of a twin mattress, folded into thirds and with handy handles and a carry case. Actually, this ( is similar but the one I saw is a third of the price.

Upside: comfy sleeping! Downside: It's kind of huge when packaged up.

I'm curious what your personal favorite playa bed is? Any particular style that you tend to see a lot of people using?

I know I will be miserable with a sleeping bag on the ground, or even a thin camping pad. I need a comfortable place to decompress at the end of the day.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 12:53 am

Inflateable bed....just make sure to use sheets

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 5:25 am

Self-inflating backpacker's mattress.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 7:19 am

A wind sheald reflector from the dollae store under your mat makes all the differance in the workd..

MyDearFriend · Post by **MyDearFriend** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 7:44 am

I think it was Savannah who wrote, somewhere on this board, that having a tent she could stand up in and a bed that was off the ground made a huge difference. So (figuring I should maximize my resilience factors) I got a big tent and have been looking for a military-style cot.

Thank you, Savannah (or whoever it was, I can't find it now) for that bit of advice.

sputnik · Post by **sputnik** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 7:47 am

I usually bring an air mattress (the $20 kind from Target), a 'space blanket' which I lay down on the ground first, sheets and blankets but sometimes I substitute a sleeping bag. How much I bring depends on how my stuff is getting there from Detroit. When I can ship stuff with someone else I like to throw in blankets. If I have to drag everything with me, then I go with the sleeping bag.

DoctorIknow · Post by **DoctorIknow** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 8:32 am

If you go with the air mattress, be sure to put insulating material between you and the mattress.

With just a sheet, your body will be heating the air inside the mattress....not a good thing...very uncomfortable.

As mentioned, car windshield sun reflectors are good under the mattress, but are not enough to stop heat suck from your body.

Chances are, you'll have to "top it up" every day, too. Take a repair kit, also.

Air mattress's can be a huge pain when they fail, which is often (some here say to not even have sex on one...too much stress on them.)

I gave up on them (even expensive ones) and have been using Thermarest type backpacking inflatable pads for years... not as soft, but very dependable.

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 8:46 am

A cot allows for handy storage underneath, but they don't fit two people and are a literal pain to fuck on. Cheap ones cannot be used as couches. We have one for the shade structure, for naps and stretching out when the tent will not do.

We top our inflatable double backpacker with a memory foam pad, which makes it plush. Takes up a lot of room, but we haul a utility trailer.

I hate inflated mattresses.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 8:57 am

I have used a canvas strecher type cot for about 15 years of camping. (It broke last year) It stands about 6 inches off ground.. Put a reflector then a pad (folded king blanket), blanket and sheet.. Makes a good bed.. Add covers as needed.

Now to find a new cot..

geospyder · Post by **geospyder** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 9:09 am

I keep it simple - double high air mattress and sleeping bag. King size sheet to cover during the day to keep the dust off.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 9:16 am

Creativecstasy, last time I brought a folding futon just like the one you described.

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 9:18 am

I slept on one of those for nine years in Japan.

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 9:44 am

If space is critical, if you are flying in, for example, choose the thickest Thermorest that you can find or carry. Not outstanding comfort but it won't leak or fail completely. Very important. An air mattress next. As pointed out, these are prone to leak or fail. Have a patch kit. Or a back up. Don't fill them all the way, you don't want them full and tight like a basketball, just don't bottom out. If space is less an issue, try foam. Memory foam is really good. But even when you roll it up tight and tie it with cinch straps it is huge. It does take a few hours to expand fully, though.

My virgin friend last year bought a stand up Springbar tent and put cots and regular foam on them. This requires both space to haul and some $$$. But excellent comfort.

As with most things you will want to bring, set up your tent and mattress and USE them before you hit the playa. If it's not going to work you really want to know before.

Post by **Savannah** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:04 am

I think it was Savannah who wrote, somewhere on this board, that having a tent she could stand up in and a bed that was off the ground made a huge difference. So (figuring I should maximize my resilience factors) I got a big tent and have been looking for a military-style cot.

Thank you, Savannah (or whoever it was, I can't find it now) for that bit of advice. Cool

Hey, cool--that was me.

And yes, those two things are my favorite comfort measures. (I also have a wooden tv tray for my contact lenses and kleenex and things I might need in the night, a wire wastebasket and a folding chair in the tent nowadays). This is my cot:

http://www.rei.com/product/769019

I am inordinately fond of it. Though it's well made, I have paranoia about cot collapse, so I do take special care to make sure that the ends of the frame are at the proper (slight) outward diagonal before I go to sleep, though I've slept on it for 2 Burns now, with no problems. The foam does not hold the cold like an air mattress. The weight rating for the cot is surprisingly low (220 lbs) so REI's "Byer Maine Military Cot" would probably also be a nice choice, it's got no mattress but it's the same price and apparently even more sturdy (and rated up to 350 lbs).

I love being able to shove things under my cot to help keep my tent (somewhat) organized, as I do not have my own vehicle at the event to store things in.

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:34 am

Roll-a-cots are awesome also. My friend uses one. they are light & pack small. kinda spendy though @ 150. you can get them online & I think Cabellas has them?? I would spend the extra for the large one. I think it gives you an additional 4" width.

Homiesinheaven · Post by **Homiesinheaven** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 12:47 pm

yep, blow up mattress. you can find them for $20 or less at Big 5. sweet dreams!

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 12:57 pm

Once you inflate it, you will have no choice but to pass out.

JStep · Post by **JStep** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 1:50 pm

AntiM wrote:Self-inflating backpacker's mattress.

This is what we use for camping and I highly recommend them. Ours are Cabellas brand I think, they velcro together at the sides for coupling up. I have camped for years and liked the inflatable mattresses but they rarely last more than a year or two worth of trips and they start leaking. Some have lasted maybe 6 camping trips, others 2 or 3. Inevitably they will need to be replaced and just waste money.

Plumeria · Post by **Plumeria** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:10 am

For me, it was important to find the right bedding. I have 4 herniated discs and run cold. Admittedly, if I don't have enough blankets to keep me warm, I don't sleep and am miserable. So, I knew that I needed to not go light on that. This is the bed I got (well, one similar..not this exact one)....

With sheets, sleeping bag, comforters and pillows..it was so comfy adn I had no problem with it. It does take up room, but, is also big enough for a friend to *sleep* with you!

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:33 am

If you use an inflateable, go with the twin only, all the bigger sizes guarantee that you will wake up in a "taco" in the middle of the night(on your first night usually).

For some reason the twins seem to hold up all week long from my experiences, and that is more than 99% of those that post here saying what they think.

Elorrum · Post by **Elorrum** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:47 am

MyDearFriend wrote:I think it was Savannah who wrote, somewhere on this board, that having a tent she could stand up in and a bed that was off the ground made a huge difference. So (figuring I should maximize my resilience factors) I got a big tent and have been looking for a military-style cot.

Thank you, Savannah (or whoever it was, I can't find it now) for that bit of advice.

Post by **Elderberry** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:47 am

Here's what we use, with a four inch king size foam mattress on top. I can't tell you how nice it is to not have to crawl up off the floor in the morning.

We will be building some more furniture from them for this year.

http://www.playatech.com/index.php

JK

Turnip · Post by **Turnip** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:14 pm

I figured I would be okay with just a pallet on the floor of the tent but by midweek I was in agony. Slept horribly.

I found myself wanting to stay behind when my campmates left because I could steal all their sleeping bags and blankets and pile them to use as extra padding, but by that time the damage was done and my hips were hurting for weeks afterward.

Gonna be bringing an air mattress and a memory foam pad this year. Anything will be an improvement over the mess in 2009

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:20 pm

Why praytell did you think that a pallet would make a good bed?

Trishntek · Post by **Trishntek** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:26 pm

We've had the same queen size coleman self-inflating double thick matress for about 5 years. Camping, guests, BM, motorcycle camping and it still works great. It was $60 back then so, yeah a bit pricey, but if it gave out now, we would still have our money's worth. We always have a cheap backup with us.

And yup, insulate it from the ground with an old quilt, space blanket or egg crate foam.

Turnip · Post by **Turnip** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:34 pm

oneeyeddick wrote:Why praytell did you think that a pallet would make a good bed?

(I'm assuming you're not thinking about wooden shipping pallets)

I never said I thought it would make a good bed, just that I would be okay.

I've gone on extended camping trips before with only a sleeping bag, I was assuming it would work out at BM.

The ground was so much harder there, it seemed.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:28 pm

that is the only type of pallet I know of...

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:30 pm

People in books are always sleeping on pallets. That's historical fiction and fantasy. So, I think it's some sort of old-timey mattress.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:37 pm

Well, there you go then.

I rarely read books, unless they have a centerfold.

Trishntek · Post by **Trishntek** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:57 pm

A pallet in the Old World was a mat fashioned out of papyrus or bamboo. Still see them used in Asia.