Whats a good air mattress?

KingofSpirits · Post by **KingofSpirits** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:35 pm

Me and my girlfriend are doing some shopping around for a good quality air mattress that won't pop on the playa. Here's one that we have been looking at but does anyone else have any better suggestions?

Token · Post by **Token** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:46 pm

We had something similar a while back. Not good for Playa if you go to bed before 6AM.

No matter how much we inflated before bedtime, the night/morning cold would deflate the mattress just a bit and then we would sag into the middle like there was a black hole in there.

Also the big thick mattresses are very cold at night.

I suggest getting one that is not that tall.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:49 pm

Have had great results with the Swiss Army mattress, Never lost air, and was comfortable as fuck! Even good to fuck on!

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:52 pm

Sorry..Duh! SwissGear! thats what you want to look for!

KingofSpirits · Post by **KingofSpirits** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:47 pm

yeah I checked out the swissgear and I didn't see too many good reviews on them. Before me and my girlfriend were together she brought an air mattress and it kept leaking. Apparently a rock made that happen where she was camped on. This is our third time and we really want something comfortable this time around. She's on a medication where her skin is very sensitive to sunlight so we are taking extra precautions during the day.

Myliatronic · Post by **Myliatronic** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:21 pm

I usually just go with Coleman. The key is to get a good hand or foot pump, the electric ones will not inflate your mattress enough no matter what you do. Sometimes you have to put a bit more air in before going to bed but for the most part they are solidly constructed :)

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 4:21 am

After having a half dozen give out on me I have given up using air mattresses. Get a cot, couch, futon, or just use a shitload of padding and blankets.

EB · Post by EB » Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:37 am

After bringing an air mattress (deflates in the middle of the night) and a futon (too heavy) I've settled on a Thermarest inflatable pad. Inflates in seconds and STAYS inflated.

Put two next to each other and you'll be fine. They're also very compact.

bdeywoo · Post by **bdeywoo** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 11:45 am

I'm trying the air mattress one last time, if it goes south yet again I'm giving in and gettign a cheap or free cragslist bed and strap it to the car. Usually by the end of the week i've left something in my pocket, brought in something or somehow popped the damn thing.

Burp! · Post by **Burp!** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:17 pm

We've given up on the air mattress thing and get a futon for free off of craigslist each year now. Trick is to roll up the futon like a big Ho Ho. Bungey it, so it'll stay rolled up, then wrap in garbage bags, and duct tape. Very easy to move around once rolled up. Much more comfortable that an air mattress.

But... if you have to get an air mattress, we've had very good luck with this one (Coleman 4-1 quickbed) . All others that we've had leak. this one has been the best and with the multi functional aspect is a good buy.

T.

misfit · Post by **misfit** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:57 pm

coleman,,, it pops, they replace. best to lay a tarp under the matress,,, reduces the chance of slow leaks and complete meltdowns.......

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:48 pm

We use a double self-inflating backpacker roll, the big thick kind with valves, with a memory foam topper in a cover from Costco. Bulky, yes, but I sleep as well as if in my own bed.

Something like this:

http://tinyurl.com/6lbw2k

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:48 pm

Didn't have any problems with th swiss. Is the only air mattress that hasn't leaked air on me. And something about the channeling of air inside, reduces the teeter totter effect..i just made that up...where getting on and off doesn't disturb your partner. And is just as comfortable, if not more, than my Sealy at home. If you're good at repacking these...and Ive done it, as it came out of the box, you can always test run different brands. Coleman's good too.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:15 am

We have gone through a dozen or so of the queen sized inflateables over the last 16 years.
They all suck, ESPECIALLY COLEMAN.
I will say the swiss air lasted a bit longer before it started sucking also.

But suck it did. And an expensive suck at that.

Those double tall ones mean that you wake up in a big taco with your partner instead of with your ass on the ground.

Smashed together.

Lots of fun at 5 a.m.

The trick is, use twins, not queens.
It leaves less chance of waking up with your ass on the ground
merely on the physics of how plastics stretchwhen inflated.
I even taped two of them together, to make it taller, and never had to add air to either of them for the entire 13 days out there.

If you have to sleep with your significant other, put them side by side and cover them with a sponge mattress.
You will never even know it isn't a queen size under you.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:35 am

Swiss Gear double tall? I used one about 8 inches above the ground. Think putting your mattress on playa is a mistake, to begin with.. Lay down carpet under it. And, don't jump on the fucking thing!

BitterDan · Post by **BitterDan** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 10:57 am

Seriously, it's all about the cot. Air matresses suck out there as they tend to underinflate at night and overinflate during the day from the fluctuations of heat and cold. Cots, on the other hand, offer a constantly stable sleeping platform which is raised off the playa which allow for air circulation underneath you. You can get a good cot for just a little more than a good air mattress and you'll be much more comfortable IMHO.

Post by **AntiM** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 11:05 am

Double cots are difficult to find. We do have cots in the shade area for daytime napping.

Orchid · Post by **Orchid** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 3:30 pm

We found one of these guys at our local Goodwill:

http://www.comfortchannel.com/prod.itml/icOid/6963

Very nice, very nice indeed. The air circulates, and you don't have to flail around trying to roll off and stand up at the same time.

swingle12 · Post by **swingle12** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 8:59 am

I've got one of these and have been really happy with it. The version I got is insulated, so it's good down to 15 degrees, but I'm sure this one would be fine on the playa. Thermarest makes a kit to join two pads together, just a couple of simple straps. You could probably find or make something similar for these. A little bit expensive, but these will hold up a lot longer than the disposable Coleman mattress. I'm starting to wonder how much gear will be used this once and then thrown away.

http://www.rei.com/product/691240

chiefdanfox · Post by **chiefdanfox** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:49 am

I've used the coleman queen size for the last two years, and haven't had a problem, but then it is just me on it :( The cot or futon sounds like a great idea, but the futon is heavy.

StevenGoodman · Post by **StevenGoodman** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:39 am

chiefdanfox wrote:I've used the coleman queen size for the last two years, and haven't had a problem, but then it is just me on it The cot or futon sounds like a great idea, but the futon is heavy.

I use a full size futon. Yes, it is heavy, just like my tent! But I drive a pickup, so I take a 1,000 lbs of crap to the playa. And the futon is just slightly smaller than the bed of the pickup, so it makes a nice "lid".

The futon, with sheets, pillows, etc, in my big tent makes for a nice apartment on the playa.

Martini Steve