Hot take: my $8 pool float mattress outperformed my fancy sleeping pad

I got tired of my sleeping pad losing air by 3 AM every trip, so last summer at a lake in Michigan I just grabbed a cheap pool float from the gas station. That thing stayed fully inflated all night, was way softer than my pad, and cost less than a bag of charcoal. I still use my normal gear for backpacking but for car camping at state parks I'm never going back to the expensive stuff. Has anyone else tried using something goofy like an inflatable couch or kids mattress on a real camping trip?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_martin408d ago

Got a buddy who brought one of those inflatable pool loungers shaped like a flamingo to a campsite in Virginia last fall. Stayed pumped up for two nights straight but he kept sliding off the thing every time he rolled over in his sleep. Woke up on the ground twice with the flamingo floating next to him.

lewis.brian8d agoProlific Poster

And that's exactly why most "floaty" camping gear is a trap (it's all fun and games until you're fighting your own bed).

anthony7638d ago

Worst part is those things are round on the bottom and totally unstable. Grab a cheap foam pad next time, way more forgiving when you toss and turn.