The best sleeping bag is no use if the cold comes from below , and that’s exactly what happens on the cool, often damp Baltic ground. The right mat decides warmth and recovery. Here’s everything about lying down: the sleeping mat, the often misunderstood R-value, and when a camp bed is worth it.
The R-value: the most important number
The R-value says how well a mat insulates downwards , how much ground cold it keeps away from you. Thickness is comfort, the R-value is warmth, and the two are often confused.
- Summer, mild nights: an R-value of about 2 to 3 is enough.
- Spring and autumn on the Baltic: better 4 or more.
- Trick: R-values can be added. A thin foam mat under your air mat adds noticeable warmth , and protects the air mat from sharp stones.
Mum says: Don’t just look at the thickness. A thick air mat feels cosy, but without insulation you still freeze from below.
Which mat suits you?
- Foam mat: cheap, indestructible, solid insulation , but bulky. Perfect as a robust base or an extra layer.
- Self-inflating mat: the best all-rounder , comfy, warm, medium pack size. Open the valve, it fills itself, top it up by mouth.
- Inflatable ultralight mat: thick yet packs small, very comfy , but more delicate (bring the pump sack, don’t forget a repair kit).
- Double mat: nicely wide for couples in the tent or van, but heavy.
Camp bed & air bed
- Camp bed (cot): raised off the ground, great in summer (air circulates, no ground contact), comfy for long-stay campers and the van. But: cold air flows underneath, so on cool nights a mat belongs on top. Heavy and bulky.
- Classic air bed: very comfy, but cold (one big air chamber) and puncture-prone , more of a fair-weather, near-the-car option.
Mum says: Always put a mat on the camp bed in spring , otherwise that lovely ventilation becomes an ice-cold draught at your back all night.
Care: so the mat lasts
Wipe off the sand, dry it before packing (or it smells musty), and store it with the valve slightly open, which keeps the foam springy. A small repair kit patches any hole in the air mat on the road.
In short: lying comfortably
- Choose the R-value by season: summer ~2 to 3, spring/autumn 4+.
- Thickness = comfort, R-value = warmth , mind both.
- Self-inflating is the best all-rounder, the foam mat the robust base.
- Camp bed great in summer, but with a mat on top against cold from below.
- Store dry and with the valve open, keep a repair kit with you.
Note: as soon as our shop and partner links are live, you’ll find concrete recommendations for the sleeping mat, camp bed and the rest here. Until then: the content stands on its own, even without a single click.