WHat's the best long term tent mattress option?

July 3, 2024 4:21 PM

Looks like I'll be sleeping in tents for the foreseeable future. WHat's the best bed/sleep option for one person? A cot? Inflatable mattress? Camping mattress/pads? Hammock? Current tent fits a Queen size, no problem. I typically have access to at least some electricity, wether car jack or bathroom outlets, though... Not usually full overnight power hookups. Being able to fit in a small car is definitely a concern, but long and narrow is often surprisingly easy to fit. I don't particularly care about insulation.

So many more options then when I last looked, ahhhhh! Seeing lots of good reviews for self inflating mats. Typically exped and thermarest, but I figured I'd see what my ask besties thought. TY!

posted by Jacen to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (13 answers total)

Sorry you are going to be in a tent long term.
My husband and I have found that cots with an inflatable pad is a surprisingly comfy way to go. The pad adds just enough to the cot that I don’t feel the edges, and it insulates enough in cold weather that I don’t wake up with an achy back fro being cold.
The big benefit we like to a cot is getting up is much easier, just sit up and swing your legs over, just like in bed!
I see lots of used Thermarest mattresses on FB Marketplace- it’s the brand I trust the most. Used cots are a bit harder to find, but don’t get the cheapest, look for quality and it should last.
Best of luck in your future endeavors, and may your stint in a tent be short.
posted by dbmcd at 5:16 PM on July 3 [2 favorites]

self inflating mats can be a great option, but if at all possible try some out at a store like REI or Dicks if possible. Some of them are squeaky! Some might be too short or narrow for you. One of their main design goals is to be lightweight and compact when rolled up. That is really useful when you're carrying everything on your back. But it means they are often sized to be just barely big enough, and if you're based out of your car, the difference between 2 pounds and 4 pounds is not critical, and you can either save money or gain some comfort. For backpacking I'm willing to sleep on 1 inch of pad/mattress that is just barely wide enough for my body. For car camping I prefer at least 2 inches of thickness and I want 3 or 4 feet of width.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 5:18 PM on July 3 [1 favorite]

I spent about 2 years sleeping on a klymit static v luxe and really liked it. Preferred it over many "normal" spring/foam mattresses actually.
posted by firefly5 at 5:52 PM on July 3 [1 favorite]

Another advantage of cots is that you can shove stuff under them for a bit of storage, if you get one that's tall enough. But that only works if your tent is also tall enough. Since you're car camping, I would think any old cot from a big box store would be fine -- no need to go with a fancy lightweight one.
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:02 PM on July 3

beware that cots can be much colder than mats since the bottom allows air to pass through. imo the most comfortable are inflatable ones that also have some amount of foam.
posted by monologish at 6:56 PM on July 3 [3 favorites]

Back when I tented, I used a roll of foam, not the squishy yellow kind, it had more defined cells. It was only about an inch thick, but made all the difference in terms of comfort to be insulated from underneath. All the best.
posted by kate4914 at 7:19 PM on July 3 [3 favorites]

I've occasionally lived in tents for periods of several weeks on snow/ice and have been happy with the thickest Thermarest available. I don't see the model I used to use on their web site and can't remember what it was called, but I guess the modern equivalent would be the MondoKing.

An advantage of snow, though, is that you can dig a footwell in the entryway so that you can sit to put your boots on and things like that. If that's not an option and your tent is tall enough, I'd go with a cot - being able to sit is great - but I don't have enough experience to recommend one.
posted by inexorably_forward at 9:22 PM on July 3

We have a Decathlon camp bed and air mattress that I slept on (indoors) for about 3 weeks and found it very comfortable.

https://www.decathlon.com/products/camp-bed-for-camping-camp-bed-second-26-1-person-311152
https://www.decathlon.com/products/quechua-ultimate-comfort-self-inflating-mattress-307396
posted by riddley at 9:44 PM on July 3

A narrow one person camping cot is so great. I got one random brand from the Internet and use their standard mattress. It made a huge difference for me in being able to camp with my family when I had a minor back injury.

It’s also much easier than an inflatable mattress or sleeping pad. Just unfold and go.
posted by bluedaisy at 9:52 PM on July 3

Ah, I hope things work out for you and the tent is ok in the meantime. I would suggest either a foam mattress or a cot. Thermarests and similar are great, but small and you'll slide around. I love mine for hiking/camping, but not full time.

I have used a roll up foam mattress for extended periods (link). Something like the one linked I found to be very comfortable, and you should have plenty of room if you can fit a queen size bed. Depending where you are it might also be possible to get a piece of foam cut simply and you can just put a fitted sheet on it. Would definitely recommend over a self inflating mat for any length of time. However, it would go on the floor. As mentioned by others, a cot might be more convenient because you can sit up and have room underneath etc.

Best of luck.
posted by sedimentary_deer at 1:01 AM on July 4

I car camp a fair bit; I'm short and fit well in the Prius. I don't really enjoy inflatable mattresses. I buy yoga and camping mats when I see them at the thrift outlet, usually a buck or 2, easy to clean. Yoga mats are high density foam, they go on the bottom (also good insulation in cold weather), then a nice camping mat that is cushy, then a folded fleece blanket. If it's really cold, I may use it as a blanket. I dislike the constriction of sleeping bags, so I use a flannel sheet and whatever arrangement of blankets and quilts suits the weather. I'd love to find a self-inflating mat at the thrift outlet; I get all sorts of other camping gear that way. A cot would provide a lot of comfort in a tent.

Get a kettle - a hot water bottle, which can also be a metal or plastic water bottle, or a traditional one. Even at home in bed, if my feet are warm, I sleep much better. If it's hot, a bottle of ice is nice.
posted by theora55 at 10:49 AM on July 4 [1 favorite]

I've found a foam mattress (similar to what sedimentary_deer linked above) works fabulously on a relatively cheap cot. I purchased a closed foam mattress, three inches thick, and it's big enough to overlap the bars on the cot. It's much warmer in cold weather (air mattresses can be very chilly in cool weather or even chilly summer nights, because of all the air flow under it). The bonus of being able to store a suitcase/duffle bag with clothes/belongings underneath it was not lost on me.

Also, if possible, get those interlocking foam mats (you can find them at Five Below) for the tent floor. They make a huge difference in comfort. And they don't slip or slide like moving blankets do.

Wishing you luck!
posted by annieb at 4:01 PM on July 8

Cot -- or Hammock. I currently have a hammock for sleeping in the house...
For camping, the hammock stand is too long for the tent (I tried!)
My cot is almost 20 years old, now and still surprisingly hard,so I layer on pieces of an old memory foam mattress topper and, sometimes, a few camping mattress pads that I bought way back when I thought I could handle sleeping on the ground.

Sheets.. my down comforter.. A few fleece blankets and I'm set for nights where the weather can be anywhere from the 90's to the low 30's....


I car camp at a festival notorious for torrential thunderstorms -- I'm the only one in my group with a cot and the only one who wakes up dry -- or not having to deal with a deflated mattress on an otherwise sunny day.

Recommend a cot with supports only along the side - no bars across the middle.
Also -- if you have a good quilt - or just mounds of fleece blankets, I'd recommend ditching a sleeping bag. They can be alternately too hot, too cold, too restricting....


Hammock. I do not have an underquilt. I've been using the hammock for a bed for a few years and find that I become too cold during the winter months - switch back to a bed, then -- telling myself that I need to make (or buy) an underquilt.
posted by gardenkatz at 1:45 PM on July 10