Stretchers vs inflatable mattresses

Stretchers are easy to get in and out of, allow you to store clothes etc under your bed, creating more room in the tent, but take up space when packed.

If you go for mattresses, get the self inflating ones, even the ones about 1" high are comfortable.

The blow up ones should be banned from camping, they leak, are freezing and you nearly die blowing them up. They are the best way to have a crap camping trip.

If you go for an inflatable buy good quality and get another one as a spare, as they are difficult to repair.
I’ve seen near divorces over mattresses that have deflated miles away from replacements.
I have 2 Colman queen size (they each have 2 separate inflatable compartments in them).
With 4 compartments - I would have to get 3 punctures before on of us was sleeping rough (and it wouldn't be the missus).
We use them one stacked on top of the other – so that we get a bit of height.

If you have plenty of space and no weight requirements, then I can see the attraction in the stretchers. You are off the ground and you can make it more like a bed.


The air mattresses whilst look great when they are all blown up and without leaks....but....spring a leak, and you could be in for a miserable time. I dont know what the queen size mattresses are like in terms of warmth - remember your body heat will not be enough to warm the air contained within that mattress. We have had a SHOCKING time, sleeping on the individual blow up air mattresses. They are like sleeping on a block of ice. One camping trip using them - and they were binned on our return.

Our choice is the self inflating mattresses (like Thermarest or Black Wolf or Denali). They are light, you don't need a pump and they don't take up much room when rolled up. We find them very reliable and the warranty on these products shows how much the companies stand by their products.

Depending on your age, getting up out of stretcher is easier than getting up off the floor.
I know as I have been sleeping on a stretcher with an self inflating mattress for two months and will be till the house is sold [sold all the furniture] the floor is along way down as you get older.
PeterH

Hi Grant, we have self inflating mats, blow up mats and stretchers - the type that join together to make bunks, and by far the most comfortable are the self inflating mats. Given a choice the kids & I would chose the self inflating over all other options. Cheers Rachael

I use the Lilo style rubberised cotton inflatable mattresses. They used to be only available in the tubular style single and double sizes, but you can also get them in queen size and with quilted (ie flat) center section. They dont take anywhere near as much air to inflate as the vinyl mattresses, are warm, and dont puncture easily. Their only downside is that they are too heavy for hiking.

I used these for years and found them very comfortable.

Just watch the pressure points if you go for stretchers as legs can damage an RV3 . This and there bulk tends to be off putting - but they do work well for friends of ours.

Really one needs to have different options to match conditions.

Some don't like the cold Li-Los but some of our most uncomfortable nights in tents have been because its to hot from groundside.

The various synthetic materials and down can be to hot and also do not handle the litre or so of water the body can loose overnight whereas natural materials can be much more comfortable provide sufficent is taken to also remain warm.

Also beds get warmer as your body warms them and one can wake up to hot.

Any on ground mattress requires that you have reasonably flat ground - less of a problem with stretchers , but still an issue.

So our solutions have been to have options , blankets , no sleeping bags, we have (no longer available) Nomad brand 4inch thick self inflaters and always have cotton based sheets and good pillows and a means of building up the mattresses if ground has humps, and always take hot water bottle.

Recently we brought and interesting device - a 12v electric blanket , haven't done sufficent camping just yet to be sure of its viability but its looking good, as
preparing hot water bottle takes time and care.
They effectively use little power as they are operated by a push button which times out after 45 min.
The idea being to just warm the bed as required.
The hope is that this will mean a colder type mattress (possibly lilo) can be taken and it can be warmed if needed.

Nett idea is to be able to match a range of conditions better and carry less bulk.

We went through all of this earlier this year. We ended up throwing out the blow up mattresses as they kept going down all the time. The earlier post that they should be banned is absolutely spot on.

We got some Oz Trail self inflating mattresses (2 x King Singles, easier storage than a queen). Then, we got 2 stretchers that zip together and put the mattresses on top of them. This way we have flexibility on our set up depending where we go. Friends that have seen it have gone the same way.

If the ground is clear with no sticks or sharp items and we are only staying 1 night we'll just use the mattresses, but if the ground is uneven or has too much debris, we'll use the stretchers and the mattresses. We don't use the stretchers on their own as it's more comfortable with the mattress on top. My wife is the first to let you know if she doesn't get her uninterrupted 8 hours. Haven't had a complaint since.

The stretchers don't really take up that much more space, although a little heavy. But they are great for storing stuff under them to keep the rest of the tent clean. And it keeps you off the ground so you don't feel the cold as much.

Make sure you measure the tent and measure the stretchers carefully before you go down that path.

Min

Hi grunta1970
We have two Rv5 oz tents and we use Oztent King Goanna stretchers with thin foam mattresses and the kids have Thermarest self inflating mats but they would sleep on almost anything and still be comfy
We find our combo just right storage under the frames and ease of getting in and out but my feet do touch the tent and Im only 5'10
We put the beds at each side and have a small corridor down the centre with our heads at the door end

Cheers Michael

We purchased a Dune 4x4 mattress when we bought our oztent and it has been great. It is self inflating but also has a couple of inches of foam so even if you dont inflate it or if it were to puncture it would still be warm and comfy. I had a couple of stretchers with mattresses on top but found that everytime someone rolled over it was a bit noisy.

I'm a big boy and would l'd love to find a stretcher that is rated over 150k and doesnt feel like it's going to fall apart.
Capt.