Reddit reviews SoundAsleep Dream Series Air Mattress with ComfortCoil Technology & Internal High Capacity Pump - Queen Size

We use a King size duvet cover for a "Queen" size air mattress that is pretty tall Link. Works well for us.

I'm a big guy, bought the following mattress and used for two years - burning man, juplaya, high Sierra, hangtown.... even had a roommate use it for 2 months as their mattress. It went missing after burning man last year and just bought another one to replace.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FAW4O0A/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_ZhRtzbR9S2PFK

I'd recommend a firm air mattress that can be easily transportable plus save money on furniture by picking up cheap/free stuff from craigslist, even the ones already assembled from Ikea.

The minimalist living style begets freedom.

Awesome! I remember camping with my parents from the time I was knee high. What great memories.

For car camping, we use a standard home queen sized air mattress. We use one of these to air it up. Depending on the weather, you can get by with using your own bedding and pillows. Big savings there. And bonus - you now have an air mattress for the unexpected guest.

A good Coleman two burner camp stove is a great investment. As is, as someone else mentioned, a separate set of camping cookware.

Have a great time!

Just an opinion, but I'd avoid the futon if at all possible. I know they are supposed to be the perfect mix between a couch and a bed, but in my experience they end up not doing either very well. And they really do scream "college guy," which I assume is something you are trying to get away from.

I recently faced the same dilemma (and am moving into a place that is about the same size as yours), and while there are some sleeper sofas out there that can pull double duty and look nice, limiting yourself to that makes it much harder to find something you really like.

My honest advice? Find a couch you love and buy that, then buy a really nice air mattress for those days when someone needs to crash at your place. Honestly, the folks that have slept on the one I have claim it's as comfortable if not more comfortable than most beds.

In case you are curious, I ended up ordering a custom couch from Joybird and currently have this air mattress.

I don't have any experience with queen size air mattresses, but here is a buyer's guide for 2016.

The SoundAsleep Dream series is both first on that list and the highest rated mattress on Amazon. I'd say that would probably be a solid choice.

This air mattress is $120 and is excellent. It has a built in pump so you can just turn the knob to add more air when needed. It's also pretty much the height of a regular bed so it doesn't feel like your sleeping on the floor. I highly recommend getting a mattress pad like this one and it will really make it feel like a real bed.... we have this set up (along with some IKEA sheets and comforter) and guests who use it always rave that they can barely tell it's not a normal bed. By the time you add it all up (mattress $119, pad $20, sheets, pillows, comforter) you'll be under your $250 but probably close unless you can just use stuff you already have!

If you absolutely have to go the futon route, check Craigslist and IKEA, but to be honest they're pretty pricey for the decent ones and the cheap ones aren't very comfortable.

We have put up out-of-town guests at a friend's house, if you have any close friends with spare bedrooms in larger homes who wouldn't mind sharing. I have a friend with a large basement with a bathroom and bedroom that she would let me use for my older family, they're there basically to shower/sleep only.

For the kid brother and younger guests who don't mind roughing it and have good joints and backs, they get a very nice air mattress in the squishy gaming room. This is the air mattress, it was worth every penny and is super comfortable. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FAW4O0A

I got this one for guests, it's super comfortable and it still is in great shape after 2 years.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FAW4O0A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My wife and I recently got a bum h of new gear for a trip we have coming up in April. In deciding what to get I did a lot of research price comparison and review reading. My eye was towards price for performance. When I looked at items I looked at online reviews the questions section on amazon(this is a great tool) and even looked up some of the manufacturers. Here is what I came up with and perhaps can help you with gear selection.

Tent I chose NTK Colorado I looked at tents from Coleman, Kelty and a few others and kept coming back to this one. It fit my budget and all the reviews for all their tents were very high. I looked up the company and it said they have been making tents for 40 years in Brazil. I will be test setting mine up today but it looks like a really solid tent for the money.


Air Mattress sound asleep this one I do have experience with as my kid has one and sleeps on it all the time. She has abused the heck out of it and it is still going strong. It was a no brainier for me on this one.


Cooler frosty cooler I wanted a yeti but 600 bucks is crazy for a cooler but still needed something better then a plastic Coleman. After looking at all the yeti clones this one seemed to stand out from the rest.


For sleeping bags what ever fits your budget I wouldn't spend a lot since your car camping you can bring blankets with you for both comfort and warmth.

Camp stove Coleman classic I have had mine for years and the damn thing keeps on going. No need to get fancy the classic Coleman does it well.


My trip is coming up the second week of April we will be going to Zion for four nights then the Grand Canyon for 4 nights then across to Texas where we will be camping just outside of Austin for the Moto GP race. For the tent and the cooler that I have not tested yet I will let you know how they preform.

If you have electric, stick with an air mattress but dont skimp on that. They have nice ones, I slept on one for a year when I first moved here. I also sleep on them when camping. Get a nice thick one and lots of blankets to make it comfy. It really does make a difference.....mine...

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Your kids are going to enjoy spending time with you, they will have your whole attention while camping as there wont be all the electronics going on. So plan family activities and make some memories!

Mine has seen regular and some heavy use on and off the playa since 2014. Even hosted an extended 5 person cuddle puddle during one of those frigid nights in 2015.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FAW4O0A

I just bought an nice air mattress form Sound Asleep Dream products, 2 weeks going strong. good enough. hell half the world sleeps on the floor and they are fine.

http://www.amazon.com/SoundAsleep-Mattress-ComfortCoil-Technology-Internal/dp/B00FAW4O0A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409014143&sr=8-1&keywords=air+mattress