Sleeping mats for camping

Their Z rest line is bulkier than the classic inflatable but a little more robust and less slippery on an incline. Easy to trim to size if needed for hammock etc.

We have a couple of Klymit mats that we take backpacking. I personally don't love them but my husband thinks they are really great. They are easy to blow-up and store. My biggest gripe about it is that it's noisy when you turnover at night but if you're a deep sleeper (I am not) you will be just fine.

I've used Sea to Summit before with great luck but they tend to focus more on lightweight gear which sacrifices a bit on the other fronts. And I'm guessing you aren't overly worried about gear weight. I recently slept on a Hest and was pretty blown away. It's not nearly as bulk as the air mattress we sometimes bring (yep... blow it up using the car cig lighter and it's awesome) but it's not as thin as some of the others out there.

REI has a selection you can lay on to make the decision a little easier. (Generally) The thicker the more comfortable. the 4" thick ones (exped) are as comfortable as a memory foam bed, IMHO. you might find that there are almost too many choices.

The "REI Co-op Kingdom Insulated Air Bed - Queen" will make you feel like you're still at home. Amazing. Big, but amazing. Definitely not for back packing, but car camping it's great.

If you have the space in your tent, consider an air mattress ... it’s totally worth it!

The other thing I really like is my camping quilt. Huge improvement in quality of sleep over the old sleeping bag. It's a comfy blanket/bag thing that keeps you warm on top while the insulated pad (or mattress) keeps your warm underneath.

oh girl, this is what you need...ditch the sleep mat for this...or anything that gets you off the ground for a better night's sleep. Ha!

Mountain Summit Gear Horizon Easy-Set Cot

Cots are a pretty great alternative

There are lots of great alternatives on Amazon - if you have Prime you might be able to order and have them delivered before you leave!

I got this on Amazon. Very comfortable!
Coleman 765353 Trailhead II

I got the KingCamp self inflating sleep mat from Amazon for my son. We haven’t used it for actual camping yet but he’s been using it on his floor in the bedroom and loves it. To inflate, you pump one end with your foot. He says likes the small workout.

Believe it or not HomeGoods has had a lot of options but they sell quick.

Thanks everyone! The stock was fairly picked over by the time I arrived last night, but I picked up a couple of the Sea to Summit mats based on the rec from Kristy Morrison. I didn't see anything in the cot family while I was there, but super interested to try that at some point.

I have a really good one you can have. I am never camping again except maybe at a Holiday Inn :)

We camp 1-2 times a year and have tried a few different options. Last time we went we borrowed camping cots with pad on top and it was the best we’ve had versus air mattress or self inflatable floor mats (terrible). Something like this is what we had...

FWIW the mat you got looks way better than the ones we had. Good luck.

Do you like what you bought?

Bummer! I wish I would have seen this earlier. I recommend this one:

Jessica Cook I wish you had, too! That looks comfy and it a lot cheaper than what I got. Deb Escher The Sea to Summit mats were totally fine - slept a lot like what I remember of the Thermarest. I think the end game has to be the air mattress though...

Liz Pearce Not gonna lie, taking our AeroBed camping has totally changed my attitude about camping. We take that and real bedding -- down comforter in a duvet and good pillows. A sound night sleep makes a lot of the other "challenges" easier to swallow :)