There are 4 parameters one could look at when it comes to camp bedding: comfort, Convenience, warmth and weight. Then camping can be broken down to 2 types: “Hiking” and Car Camping, the difference in ideal for these two is as vast as the different options out there, so where do you start?

There are 2 major types of mattress out there: foam mattress and inflatable, these then get broken into open cell, closed cell, self inflating and pump inflated. Stretchers could also be included as a bed, but only for car camping and for the purposes of reading convenience I am ignoring them

Foam

Closed cell foam

The old Gaper pad, they tend to be cheap, light and fairly warm but are neither comfortable nor compact. They are great for kiddy hikes and the seriously cash constrained.

Open Cell Foam

The great thing about open cell foam is it’s made of millions of tiny cells of air; making them easier to heat and retain their heat because they are small. Then when you need to back the mat away it is highly compressible. Basically a sponge, they have two major types: simple foam inside some kind of sleeve that folds for convenience, and self inflating- which get quite varied.

Self inflating

Foam is adhered between 2 pieces of airproof sheets of fabric that are somehow sealed air tight, then there is a valve that allows air in/out. As the foam has a memory when the mat is laid out and the valve opened the foam tries to return to its original shape- sucking air in. When finished the air pressure in the mat is the same at the ambient air pressure, often this is a little soft but a puff or two should solve that depending on the size of the mat and personal choice. Because they fold the air in them the standard 3.8cm deep mat won’t let you sink thru it as your weight is distributed across the surface. If you are sitting on it this won’t necessary apply.

Choosing an ideal

Firstly settle what you are doing and realise that because of the two different types you may end up with multiple solutions in your gear cupboard, or an average solution for both. I own a two mat plan because of this and considering a 3^rd, but also I camp around 80 nights a year.

Car Camping.

Car Camping is about convenience, comfort and to a lesser extent packed size and warmth, not so much weight. As you have the luxury of space you can demand more comfort and convenience out of the unit. Your options: Self inflating, basic foam, inflatable

Self-Inflating

Thick SI is my first choice as it is easy to use, comfortable and is relatively small when packed. The other perk is the large SI mats are exceptionally warm: this can be important in the cold. Remember your body can loose almost as much heat from below as above. Mine is 7.5cm thick wedge cut to 3.8 at my toes, over 60cm wide and taller then my 6’4’’ height: POE Traditional Wide. I sleep like death in a Furness on it, so much so that I often just sleep in my sleeping bag liner, rather then the bag itself and so I use it all seasons.

The other, more subtle reason I like SI car camping mats is practicality: often my trips involve several other people in the car leaving straight after work getting to our camp site beyond sunset. In this situation it is nice having things that don’t take up too much space in the car, and are easy to set up so that I can arrive and crash! I can get my tent up in 3 minutes and while I’m putting up the tent the SI mat is doing its thing- camp can be struck in less then 5 minutes by my self.

Basic Foam

My second option: and not a bad one: convenient, comfortable, cheap and warm. They don’t pack small which may not be a problem for you if you have a large vehicle or if there aren’t a lot of you.

Inflatable

The popular choice for car camping they are relatively cheap, acceptably convenient and comfortable. The reason why it is my third option is the inflating with a pump: its a lus and the pump takes up as much space as my SI mat does. I have heard stories of people car camping in the ‘berg and waking up to see ice forming on their inflatable mat! That isn’t cool, in fact its freezing. The issue is the mat provides zero insulation from below, you don’t miss this in summer or if you have a warm sleeping bag, but if not... trouble. But mainly it is the least convenient of the lot.

Hiking

There is an equation for hiking mattresses: ideal= Comfort/ (packed size and weight). In this case “comfort” includes warmth. Here you are looking for small packed size, light weight but some kind of comfort- even if only to take the bite of the ground. The contenders for your pillow are: self-inflating; closed cell foam, inflatable (lilo type)

Self-Inflating

Yes, I said it: the Self Inflating is my number one for both car camping and hiking but here is why: Firstly my SI hiking mat is NOT the same mat as the car camper I own as that thing is way too heavy and would take half my pack. The “standard” SI mat is a 3.8X51X183cm that backs into the size of a small sleeping bag, weighing less then 700g. I love the convenience of SI mats, their comfort and warmth.

In moment of bravery I bought myself a 3.8cm ¾ length SI mat thinking i could save weight (its only 400g or something), but in reality it goes from shoulder to knee, the head is fine thanks to pillows but my ankles suffer at night and shins down get cold too. For the 200g I saved I should have bought a full length 3.8cm unit. I see you can get 5cm wedge cut SI mats that pack to similar sizes to my now outdated ¾, and if I were in the market I would look hard at them.

Lilo

The pool favourite, they are the lightest and smallest packing option so why isn’t it my number one? Well I’m lazy and self-inflating is easier, but also they aren’t as warm as the SI units (in general) and require some puffing to inflate. To repeat myself they pack to NOTHING in comparison to other options out there and internationally they are proving very popular, especially the new ones with fancy layers and potions that keep you warm, the biggest issue with a Lilo type historically. To be clear here i am not talking about the leisure camper type inflatable, but rather the technical hiking types

Closed Cell

Light weight is the only positive here: I find them uncomfortable, pack to bazooka proportions and is on my list simply due to their price. If you need a mat for your lighties school camp this is an answer but they are archaic in comparison to the modern mats. Their other advantage over the above two is zero risk of puncture. If you are missioning into the mountains you can do better then this!