OT: Family Camping Comfort

[stephenmarklay]

Each year we camp several times (Wife and a 7 and 10 year old.) We don’t rough it but we do tent camp.

We have always used a blow up mattress to sleep on and each time someone ends up on the ground by morning with a leaking mattress.

I am wondering what other options there are for sleeping pads of sorts that won’t get crazy expensive. If it were just me I would get a thermarest but 4 of them is just too much money.

What are my options?

[buldogge]

Dunno how much help I can be...we always use Thermarest NeoAirs...both XLites and AllSeasons.

#1 thing is to police your tent site before setting up...flints, branches, etc.

Use a Tyvek groundcloth as well...can't hurt.

-Mark in St. Louis

[Cornfed]

If you're car camping and all in the same tent, just get a cheap memory foam mattress topper from Costco or Overstock.
Otherwise, just get the old-fashioned foam sleeping pads.
And always use a ground cloth / footprint. Holes in the tent bottom lead to all sorts of bad nights. ;)
Good on you for getting the kids out there in a tent. Some of my favorite memories.

[ofcounsel]

I'm a fan of the ALPS mountaineering brand. They've worked well for my family. We have several of the self-inflating pads.

http://www.alpsmountaineering.com/products/pads/self-inflating-air-pads/comfort-air-pad

The prices are pretty good on Amazon.