People find many ways to fill up their free time.

People find many ways to fill up their free time. No matter how much vacation time you get it seems that you are always able to find something to do. Some people like to relax at home, others do major traveling and still others like to get in touch with nature by camping. Our family has always enjoyed camping. We started doing this because it was inexpensive and have continued doing it because we enjoy it so much. It involves a great deal of packing and preparation, but we feel the effort is worth while.

Through the years we have found ways of packing that helps condense space needed in the vehicle. We have also tried to find products that add to our comfort as we get older. It seems like the ground is harder to sleep on as we age. We wanted to have something that would not take up as much room as cots, but would still be softer than the floor of the tent. We tried air mattresses, but they were too easy to roll off of and they were time consuming to blow up. We did find a self inflating air mattress that was nice and portable and did not take up a great deal of room. The self inflating air mattress is about one and a half inches think and you simply roll it out and it inflates. You then put in the plug and the air stays in. When you are done using it you pull out the plug and put pressure on it and it deflates. This was a great find because we did not have to pack a pump. The self inflating mattress is very comfortable and it is quiet to sleep on. The blow up air mattresses that can be used in the water make a loud rustling noise when you turn on them when they are on a hard surface.

The self inflating air mattresses are costly, but they come with a warranty and will last for years. We also use them in the house if we have more guests than bed space. The kids use them when they have sleep overs. We roll them out on the floor and let them inflate then use sleeping bags on top. The kids lay on them and watch movies and then sleep on them. They are also compact enough for them to take over to sleep overs that they are invited to. They have been a good investment and help us to get better rest when we are on our camping trips.