Camping Accessories Air Beds

You Gotta Sleep!

Eventually, the fire will die down. The last few bits of sunlight will fade from the horizon. The ghost stories will run out and the marshmallows will all be eaten. Heck, your flashlight batteries may even die (you didn't forget spares, did you?), so you won't be able to read a book in your tent. What's left after the lights go out is some much needed rest among the sounds of nature. Take advantage of the lack of car horns, noisy neighbors, loud radios, and all the other day-to-day disturbances we live with in town.

One of the best ways to do that is to get some genuine rest—and that means you're going to need comfort. Don't think that just because you're camping out, you have to sleep on the ground on a blanket or in a sleeping bag you've had since you were a teenager. Invest in a good night's sleep with any needed camping accessories, air beds included.

Sleeping on an air bed can be interesting, to say the least. If you're sharing the bed with someone, when they move, you'll move too. It's like sleeping on a waterbed, but slightly less luxurious. But hey, you went camping to rough it a bit. Otherwise, you'd have visited a botanical garden and camped out in a five-star hotel afterward.

Air mattresses are really not that bad; just make sure they're solid and you can settle in for a night of relatively uninterrupted sleep. It's when they start to deflate that you experience problems. Check for holes and tears, patch them up if needed, and you're good to go.

Camping Accessories: Air Beds you'll Love

With so many types of air beds out there, it may be tough to choose. Here are a few to get your mind rolling in the direction of figuring out exactly what you want:

• The AeroSport All Terrain Bed comes in your choice of Queen or Twin size, for $69.99-$89.99. You can pump it up cordlessly or use your car lighter to take it from flat to full in seconds. It's puncture-resistant and has a raised pillow built in.

• The AeroSport Minute Bed runs about $59.99-$79.99 and comes in Queen and Twin sizes. You get a rechargeable pump, a bag, a patch kit, and a built-in pillow. In less than a minute, your bed will be ready and waiting for you to hit the sack.

• If you're looking for a quick fix without investing a lot of cash, try the Swiss Gear Airbed with Pump, which ranges from $39.99-$49.99. This one comes not only in Queen and Twin sizes, but Full, too. This is a good basic bed for those who don't need it for house guests throughout the year, and those who don't go camping very often.

Other Uses

Air mattresses are great for guests when they want to set up camp in your living room or that last empty room you haven't really done much with since you moved in. We're not all lucky enough to have guest bedrooms with inviting pillow-scattered beds and sturdy oak furniture, but we can all appreciate the ability to accommodate family and friends when they're visiting town. The great thing about having an air mattress in storage is, well, you can store it, for one thing. It's out of the way when it needs to be, but when you have guests, it only takes minutes to blow it up and slap some sheets on it. Voila—your home is their home.

When you think of it that way, investing in a nice air mattress doesn’t seem so bad. Your purchase won't be just for those rare trips out to the woods when the weather's nice. It's always good to buy products with multiple purposes.

Air Bed Alternatives

If you still aren't sold on the air mattress idea, you can always go for a traditional sleeping bag. Chances are, they're much better now than they were when you were a Boy Scout. There are mummy-shaped sleeping bags, regular rectangle styles, two-person bags for snuggling up with the one you love, and even hooded bags. Check out AllSleepingBags.com to get started on your search.