Everything we take for a good night's sleep in the tent...
Sleeping Bags
I bought my Mountain Warehouse Basecamp 200 Summer Sleeping Bag last year and its been fab. As we only started camping on a regular basis this year, I didn't use it last autumn to know how it handled the cooler temperatures. I think about now (October) is the tipping point. I wore trackies and 2 pairs of socks to sleep in it on our last trip and was ok, but I don't think I'll be warm enough in a few weeks time! Stephen still uses what he had back in school for Duke of Edinburgh and to be honest i'm surprised its still holding together! As we approach winter, it is definitely on both our lists for a better insulated sleeping bag.
Pillows
You could go super minimal and just roll up some jumpers, however, it is worth checking out inflatable pillows – we use the OEX Traverse Self-Inflating Pillow. It says self-inflating but you may as well give it a few puffs - we both partially inflate these, as it is a bit hard when full. Stephen is also pretty fussy and has an extra (soft) pillow on top. All are minimal size and hardly take up space!
Double Air Mattress
For nights where we are going to be camping closer to the car, we often take our EuroHike Flocked Double Airbed for extra comfort. It fits the sleeping space of our Vango tent perfectly and still gives room for some bags / morning clothes at the side. Its not too noisy when moving around and holds up fine to the dogs jumping around on it. That being said, don’t over-inflate when there is a small leak, as it WILL burst.. at 3am in the morning.. when its chucking it down with rain and you are camping on a flooded pitch.
Roll Mats
For summit camps or those further from the car, a sleep mat is a must to keep you off the floor and comfy. I use the Eurohike Camper Compact Self Inflating Mat whereas Stephen has gone for ‘Amazons Choice’, the Trekology UL Camping Mat. In fairness, Stephens is more comfortable BUT is quite noisy when he rolls over through the night.
Foot Pump
While the roll mats and pillows can be blown easily, the air mattress does take a bit more doing! We use the Eurohike 3L Bellows Foot Pump which packs away with the rest of our sleeping gear. It takes about 5-10 minutes to inflate our double airbed.