The self inflating air mattress is one of the greatest comforts you will ever take on a camping trip with you. They do a super job in helping to keep you warm and are surprisingly comfortable as well. I’m a huge fan of this type of bed for camping for several reasons.

First of all these things are light weight. When you’re not using them they roll up tightly into a nice little roll that you can lash to your backpack until you need it again. You almost don’t even notice the weight.

Secondly they’re built to last. I’ve been using mine for years in the back country and have never had a problem with rips or tears, punctures or anything like that at all. One or two of mine have come with a repair kit when I bought it but I’ve not yet had to use it on any of them.

Third, and this is the biggest thing, a self inflating air mattress will help keep you warm. The most important thing about camping is to keep warm when you’re sleeping and a mattress of any kind will help keep you off the ground with an insulting layer. The self inflating types however tend to have a higher insulation value and therefore will keep you warmer.

Lastly they’re surprisingly comfortable. I’m amazed every time I wake up in my tent at how refreshed and alert I feel. I realize that an air mattress is fairly small but I sleep like a log when I’m using one. Even though they tend to be very thin they’re very warm and they seem to distribute your body weight just right. If you find it to be not quite soft enough simply blow a little more into it and try it again.

Never look at a self inflating air mattress and think “how would anybody sleep on that thing?” You may have to try one to believe how comfy and warm they are but once you do I’m certain you’ll not only be pleasantly surprised, but will be wondering how you slept on the ground all those years!