The 9 Best Car Camping Mattresses for Sleeping in Your Rig

There are a few secrets to successful car camping. First, always bring an extra roll of toilet paper and a shovel/trowel. Second, paper maps are underrated and can save your butt in the case of a dead phone battery or lost service. And third, getting a proper night’s rest isn’t just in the hands of the birds, bees, and dirt you’ll be camping with—it’s on you. (Well, and the weather, partially.) Getting a quality night of sleep in the great outdoors is largely controlled by the gear you bring on your trip. If you’d like a good night’s sleep on your next car camping trip, we’ve got you covered. Just keep reading for our camping mattress gear guide.

The luxury of car camping and truck camping is that it allows for heavier, bulkier gear to come along for the ride—meaning your sleep set-up can lean more glamorous than minimalist. Compared to their lightweight, backpacking-oriented brethren, car camping mattresses are thicker, heavier, and usually inflatable. They typically feature thicker insulation and materials, and can be used anywhere from the back of an SUV, van, or pickup truck bed to a tent, suppose it’s big enough.

After hundreds of hours testing sleeping pads while camping outdoors—both traditional tent camping and car camping—I’ve determined which sleeping mattresses are worth the splurge—and which should be left behind in your gear closet. I’ve camped everywhere from the California desert to the mountains and have slept on a wide range of setup. And the eight options below are my picks for the best car camping mattresses. If you’re sick of sub-par sleep in the great outdoors and are looking for an upgrade, read on for eight best camping mattress options I recommend. Sweet dreams.

Source: https://www.fieldmag.com/articles/best-car-camping-mattresses-guide