Camping Mat - How to Choose

Camping mats serve two main functions; it provides cushioning and insulation. One other function is that they protect you from ground insects. Combined with a tent and sleeping bag, the camping mat can keep you warm and comfortable at night.

However, the camping mat is what most beginners tend to overlook. It may seem unnecessary until you find that the cold ground keeps you awake at night or makes it difficult to get a good night’s sleep at camp.

When weight is not an issue, go for something from Aerobed. They come in a variety of shapes, color, and sizes and are well known to be reliable. There are other brands you can choose from based on your taste but be wary of cheap camping mats because they tend to puncture very easily. All airbeds  can be punctured but some puncture more easily than others.

Below are air beds from Aerobeds suitable for family camping (camping in a campground):

Raised Explorer Bed

The higher you are from the ground the less you lose heat to it. The raised explorer bed has a 14” bed height and there’s a twin (supports up to 450 pounds) and queen-sized (supports up to 750 pounds) version of the camping air mattress.

The twin-size version weighs about 5.5 pounds and the queen size version weighs 8 pounds. This is the lightest air bed from Aerobed.

The Raised Explorer Bed inflates and deflates in less than 3 minutes using the included dual purpose Air-light pump that runs on either 8 C-cell batteries or a DC adapter.

Aero Sport All-Terrain Bed with Dual Power Pump

This camping air mat only has a bed height of nine inches but it is made of heavy gauge puncture-resistant material which makes it heavier than the Raised Explorer Bed. They also come in twin(6.81 pounds) and queen(10.32 pounds) sizes and support the same amount of weight.

While is takes less than 3 minutes to inflate or deflate the Raised Explorer Bed, it only takes about 60 seconds to inflate this one using the powerful, rechargeable handsfree pump.

The built-in pillow is a cool feature of this camping mat.

Endura Bed

Made of 3-ply puncture resistant tarp, this is toughest and heaviest air bed from Aerobed. With a 10” elevation, the twin-size version weighs about 13.5 pounds and the queen-size version weighs 21.2 pounds.

The durable rope coil construction enables it to withstand the harshest outdoor environment. It inflates in less than 90 seconds with a powerful rechargeable pump.

Air beds are usually heavier than bivvies or some tents so they’re not the ideal choice for backpacking. For the minimalist, a simple sleeping pad will be enough to insulate them from the cold ground.

My personal preference for backpacking is the self inflating pad. They’re at least as comfortable as an air mattress and insulates better than most pads.

Therm-a-Rest by Cascade Designs was the first to come up with this camping mat. Aerobed also manufactures self-inflating pads but many still prefer Therm-a-Rest.

The warmest and most comfortable self-inflating pad from Therm-a-Rest is the LuxuryCamp which won “Best in Breed” for camping mattresses chosen by Overland Journal editors. The German magazine Alpin, also gives this one its stamp of approval in 1996.

The smallest version of the LuxuryCamp weighs about 3 lbs 2 oz and the biggest version weighs 5 lbs 1 oz. The average weight of a self-inflating pad is a little bit more than 2 lbs.

Aerobed’s Ultra Light Self-Inflating Camp Mat weighs 2.34 lbs. However, Therm-a-Rest’s NeoAir series weigh as little as 9 oz. In fact, no other air mattress is lighter. They also pack to the size of a 1-liter bottle.

You might also want to try cheaper sleeping pads and see how it works out for you. Any camping mat is better than none.