Once you’ve understood which type of camping mattress feels right for you, then you can start thinking about things like your budget, luggage space, the climate you’re riding in, and all the other factors, before scouring the web for the best deal on your preferred option. So head on down to your nearest camping store and actually lie down on some of the options before you spend any money. If you want to get a good night’s sleep, night after night, you need to know which of the three categories of camping mattress will best give it to you. And yet others sleep better on a thinner ‘self-inflating’ mat with a foam structure (I’m in this latter category). Others, especially side-sleepers, need a thick layer of air cushioning beneath them to get the same good night’s sleep. Some people can unroll a thin piece of foam on rocky ground and sleep the whole night through. The other deciding factor is your own sleeping preferences. If you’re off on a fully-loaded tour, however, a bulky closed-cell foam mat or thick self-inflating mattress will sit happily on top of your rear rack. How much luggage space you have will also affect what type of mattress you choose.įor bikepackers trying to reduce gear volume, ultralight inflatable mats or minimalist self-inflating mattresses will stow in a seat pack or handlebar roll. Most of the camping mattresses we’ll be looking at come from the hiking, trekking and backpacking departments of outdoor stores, which is where the needs of bicycle travellers overlap with those of more lucrative markets. Within each category you’ll find a range of options and styles of interest to the cyclist, from a simple slice of foam costing £5 all the way up to to luxurious padded air mattresses costing hundreds of pounds. The 3 Types Of Camping Mattress You Need To Know AboutĬamping mattresses suitable for cycle touring and bikepacking are split into three categories: No matter how soft and comfortable your sleeping surface feels, cold spots will wake you up if you’re not properly insulated – and then you won’t be able to sleep at all. In other words, the main purpose of a camping mattress is to keep you warm.Īlthough comfort is often the first thing people think about when choosing a camping mattress, this is a secondary concern. A camping mattress solves this by providing a structure for the trapped air needed to insulate your body from the ground. But a sleeping bag has the air squashed out when you lie down in it. Why doesn’t a sleeping bag stop this happening? Well, it’s the trapped air in the lining of a sleeping bag that keeps your body heat in. This is because – as you’ll know if you’ve tried sleeping on bare ground – it’s where your warm body touches the cold ground that heat is most quickly lost. Know that this is not another spam-blog stuffed with affiliate links – this website is a long-term labour of love, and it’s here to help you, not to make me rich.Īre you sitting (or lying) comfortably? Then I’ll begin…Ĭamping Mattresses for Cycle Touring & Bikepacking – The Basicsįar from being an unnecessary luxury, a camping mattress is at least as important as a sleeping bag when camping on a bike trip. I’ll guide you through this topic by combining advice from my 14 years of personal experience with a list of camping mattresses for cycle touring and bikepacking recommended by the community. I’ll be looking specifically at which camping mattresses or sleeping pads are ‘best’ for cycle touring and bikepacking trips – and how the definition of ‘best’ might differ depending on personal preferences and the details of your planned ride.
Z LITE FAST AND LIGHT R VALUE HOW TO
It’s time to deep-dive into another thorny topic (sorry) regarding equipment for cycle touring and bikepacking – how to choose a camping mattress, or, as my American friends would call it, a sleeping pad.
0 kommentar(er)
