sleeping bag and airbed suggestions

[Gabi taft]

hey guys, Not too sure if this has been asked already but i am looking for suggestions for airbeds/mats and sleeping bags that are compact and easy to carry! i saw blow up mats that look like beach lilos in go outdoors, they roll up to about 30cm. has anyone used these?

thanks!! 🙂

[Skip997]

Not a cheap option, but thermarest are very light and compact and surprisingly comfortable.

[gooner1990]

I bought this last year, very expensive but I've had a good amount of use from it.  Lightweight too, I clipped it to the top of my rucksack.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08SQQW9M8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

[Mark E. Spliff]

24 minutes ago, Gabi taft said:

hey guys, Not too sure if this has been asked already but i am looking for suggestions for airbeds/mats and sleeping bags that are compact and easy to carry! i saw blow up mats that look like beach lilos in go outdoors, they roll up to about 30cm. has anyone used these?

thanks!! 🙂

Sleeping comfort is completely down to personal preference, but when it comes to pack-size, there's no question: those lilo-type things are way more compact than 'self-inflating' sleeping mats.  You can get very expensive ones (e.g. look up Thermarest Neo Air mats) and ridiculously cheap ones, like this one which you often see when Lidl have their camping sales on:

 I've got all of the above, and I absolutely rate all of them.  So long as their design has lots of tightly-packed, narrow air ribs, then they're going to keep you from touching the floor, which will both keep you warm as well as comfortable.  (I always got dead arms trying to sleep on self-inflating mats as they're just not as soft as these inflating ones.)

If there are two of you, you can get ones which will clip together side by side to make a double.  Also, at Glastonbury, I use two of them (one on top of the other, held together in a cotton sleeping bag liner) to make them deeper - in terms of comfort, it's amazing.

There is no contest in terms of pack size - the one in the video above packs down to the size of a can of coke.  Self-inflating ones are way bigger than this because they contain a layer of foam inside.

Sleeping bags etc...  This is definitely a personal preference thing, but one thing that's certain is that the most compact way of having warmth is going for a down-filled product, which are usually quite expensive.  If you go for a synthetic bag, it's usually at least twice the size of a down bag for the same warmth-rating.  But down requires special treatment, e.g. when storing it, you need to leave it uncompressed, and only squeeze it into its little travel bag for the least amount of time possible.  And you have to avoid washing it as far as possible, but when you do, use special cleaning products, and dry it in a particular way - i.e. rapidly in a tumble dryer.

But personally, I hate sleeping bags so I go for a down camping duvet as it packs down incredibly small, but is still warm and allows you to move around.  My one is hellishly expensive, but there are cheaper ones available - you'll have to do a bit of Googling to try and work out if they're any good.

Edited May 25, 2023 by Mark E. Spliff

[Gabi taft]

23 minutes ago, Mark E. Spliff said:

Sleeping comfort is completely down to personal preference, but when it comes to pack-size, there's no question: those lilo-type things are way more compact than 'self-inflating' sleeping mats.  You can get very expensive ones (e.g. look up Thermarest Neo Air mats) and ridiculously cheap ones, like this one which you often see when Lidl have their camping sales on:

 I've got all of the above, and I absolutely rate all of them.  So long as their design has lots of tightly-packed, narrow air ribs, then they're going to keep you from touching the floor, which will both keep you warm as well as comfortable.  (I always got dead arms trying to sleep on self-inflating mats as they're just not as soft as these inflating ones.)

If there are two of you, you can get ones which will clip together side by side to make a double.  Also, at Glastonbury, I use two of them (one on top of the other, held together in a cotton sleeping bag liner) to make them deeper - in terms of comfort, it's amazing.

There is no contest in terms of pack size - the one in the video above packs down to the size of a can of coke.  Self-inflating ones are way bigger than this because they contain a layer of foam inside.

Sleeping bags etc...  This is definitely a personal preference thing, but one thing that's certain is that the most compact way of having warmth is going for a down-filled product, which are usually quite expensive.  If you go for a synthetic bag, it's usually at least twice the size of a down bag for the same warmth-rating.  But down requires special treatment, e.g. when storing it, you need to leave it uncompressed, and only squeeze it into its little travel bag for the least amount of time possible.  And you have to avoid washing it as far as possible, but when you do, use special cleaning products, and dry it in a particular way - i.e. rapidly in a tumble dryer.

But personally, I hate sleeping bags so I go for a down camping duvet as it packs down incredibly small, but is still warm and allows you to move around.  My one is hellishly expensive, but there are cheaper ones available - you'll have to do a bit of Googling to try and work out if they're any good.

wow thank you so much!!! this is incredibly helpful! a down duvet is a great idea... will defo consider that! thanks again! 

[Gabi taft]

25 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Not a cheap option, but thermarest are very light and compact and surprisingly comfortable.

thanks i did consider these too! thanks for your advice 🙂

[simes]

One feature to look for  in a festival bag.  A security pocket where you can store your wallet and valuables overnight.

For the sleeping mat for the love of god don't  use anything with a shiny  non grippy  surface ( ie Cheap lilo's ) or you'll spend all night sliding off them.

[Mark E. Spliff]

1 hour ago, simes said:

For the sleeping mat for the love of god don't  use anything with a shiny  non grippy  surface ( ie Cheap lilo's ) or you'll spend all night sliding off them.

Good point, but there's an easy solution, ie put whatever you're using inside a cotton sleeping bag liner (or sew up your own ). These are very cheap in camping shops, pack down to Apple-size and are easy to bung in the wash after the festival.