How to make super comfortable Camping beds?

Camping is great. You can fall asleep under the stars, wake up in the sun to enjoy some awe-inspiring sunrises, eat too much morels, and spend the night in nature.

Too good... Until you realize that your tent is on what appears to be a large stick or rock that you didn't notice earlier in the day when you set up your tent. Bad...... Or the ground is so cold/wet that you are extremely uncomfortable and you don't have enough padding to protect you from the cold/wet ground.

Ok, so camping is great, but there are some downsides. I'm one of those people who, if I don't have 7-8 hours (or even 6 hours) a night, I become a grumpy camper.

While backpacking is all about minimalism, car camping is something else. I learned that if I had enough room in the car to feel at home, I would be a very, very happy camper. When I fall asleep, I have the energy to really enjoy the hike the next day. After not sleeping at all on previous camp trips, I shamelessly said this was my solution. Oh, did I mention I'm a light sleeper (even at home).

After trying out this idea, I created a super comfy camping bed in my tent that I'm happy to share with other grumpy sleepless campers!

1.) Camp sleeping mat

Step 1 - Sleeping mat

Place two air mattresses on the floor of the tent.

Alternative: You can also use foam blocks used in elementary school classrooms. (You know, the connected color!)

2.) 3 "foam pad (2 double sizes)

Step 2 - Foam pad

We sell it at Smith's Marketplace for about $20 a piece (probably less?) Purchased 2 double size 3" foam pads for the price of. You might find something similar in Walmart or department stores. They weren't pretty or fancy, but they did exactly what they were supposed to do. I've seen people use all kinds of foam bases. We finally chose two double sizes to facilitate shipping. For transportation, we just roll them up with bungee cords, as tightly as possible.

Unfold the foam pad and place the exposed outside side down on the floor (on top of the sleeping pad). This way, you use the same side every time you use them. I noticed that the outside/exposed surface of our mat turned yellow as time went on. I just turned it over and the inside was as good as new!

3.) Fitted sheets (full size)

Step 3 - Fit the sheets

In my opinion, this form is really the finishing touch! I used old full-size sheets from college and wrapped the edges in cushions and foam as one big piece.

There are two things:

Keep the foam beds together so no one falls between the two MATS at night.

Create a more comfortable surface to sleep on. The foam is not very breathable because it has a hot/sticky feel. I don't like the texture of sleeping on it, so this solves that problem!

4.) Sleeping bag, blanket, pillow

Step 4 - Finished product

We brought sleeping bags because it gets cold at night and the tightly insulated side helps keep warm compared to standard blankets. Then, depending on how "luxurious" you want to go, you can bring extra blankets, pillows, etc., to make yourself comfortable.

We felt absolutely no shame about our last trip and almost made our bed. (Ok, not exactly, but we're not shy about the number of pillows we bring.)

5.) Bonus tip: Use something you already own from the trip to prop up your pillow.

Now, I'll give you my final tip, which will make a huge difference...

Use something like a clothing bag on the floor or on a camping bed (depending on the length of the tent, the size of the bed, and your height) to support your pillows. At home, I use two pillows and a rolled-up blanket to support my neck. I feel much more comfortable when my head is higher than the rest of my body. It's a personal preference, but Brighton tried one last trip, and he was more comfortable. (He used his hammock for camping, which we ended up not using due to lack of the right trees - ha!)