Camping Air Mattress: Versatile and Convenient

Even though I'm not a huge fan of the great outdoors, I usually make it out to a campsite or two every summer with my family. It's a good time for the kids, who get to enjoy cooking over a fire and sleeping under the stars for a few days. The only problem for me is that it's hard to justify buying expensive equipment that will only be used for one week out of the year. But rather than skimp out on quality, I just learned to use the equipment in other ways -- easy enough, especially with something as versatile as a camping air mattress.

You wouldn't think so to look at it, but the camping air mattress that I have is actually very comfortable. It's inflatable and comes with its own little foot pump, so getting it ready only takes a few minutes. Once inflated, it does a terrific job of supporting the weight of two adults and makes for a much better sleeping surface than the hard ground. Maintenance is minimal, consisting only of wiping it down after each trip and periodically checking it to see that there are no punctures or leaks. Best of all, a deflated camping air mattress folds up nice and small to make storage simple.

But as I said, I was really interested in using my camping air mattress more often than on our once-a-year family trips. Fortunately, it has come in handy time and again, both in and out of the house. For instance, whenever we have houseguests during the holidays, we inevitably run out of sleeping space on the beds and sofa. So out comes the camping air mattress to serve as another option. The same thing happens whenever my kids have sleepovers with their friends or want to camp out in the backyard in the summer.

I've also been known to throw the camping air mattress into the back of my work van so I have a place to sleep while on overnight driving trips. I just park at a well-lit 24-hour rest area, climb in the back, and hunker down for the night. I've saved a lot of money on motels over the year by sleeping in my van. It's not something I would recommend with kids in tow, but it's perfectly fine when I'm on my own.

Anyway, I've had my current camping air mattress for about six years now and have gotten plenty of use out of it. Having this extra bed has paid dividends over and over again over the years, and in this regard is one of the smartest purchases I've ever made. Even if you're not a frequent camper, you can't go wrong by having a good camping air mattress at your disposal!