Some of the gadgets, gizmos and gear for camping can be quite bewildering with huge variations in designs, usability and prices. When it comes to choosing your sleeping mat it is rather refreshing to discover that at least here your gear selection is relatively confusion free. This is because there are basically only three choices with regard to type.

Why Use a Sleeping Mattress When Camping?

Sleep mats or mattresses for camping are primarily about insulation from the ground, providing a heat preserving layer between you and your sleeping bag and the cold ground you are lying on. The selection of your sleep mat is every bit as crucial as that of your sleeping bag. If you buy a super-duper-all-singing-and-dancing sleeping bag to protect you from the cold it has to work in conjunction with your sleep mat or that huge price tag you paid for its special insulating properties will be, at least partially, wasted.

Sleep mats, at the bottom end of the scale can be incredibly cheap – starting from about £6. If you are looking for a bit of comfort along with your insulation then you will want to spend a little more accordingly.

Types of Camping Mat

Closed Cell Sleep Mats

Closed cell mats are made from a foam, the construction of which is comprised of thousands of separate, sealed in bubbles of air. These are what give the mats their insulating properties.

- The Pros -

• extremely lightweight
• waterproof
• very cheap to buy
• durability – very hard-wearing and virtually indestructible
• easy care – requires no care as such and easily washable and storable
• will eliminate any small ground irregularities such as twigs, small stones, ground bumps etc but beware if you are of the 'Princess and the Pea' constitution
• good closed cell mats use foam which has good compression recovery to retain the thickness of the ma

- The Cons -

• can be bulky
• generally offers little cushioning
• won't eliminate any large ground irregularities

Who uses them? - serious campers who don't want to spend too much and don't need too much  comfort; backpackers who need to consider weight.

Cost – from £6

Self-inflating Open Cell Mats

These mats use open cell foam which is contained within an airtight outer layer usually made from nylon or polyester. The foam is highly compressible, which allows it to pack down small while the connected air chambers within the foam prevent too much air circulation which give these mats good thermal properties. When the valve on self-inflating mats is opened, air is sucked in to fill the chambers of the foam. If extra firmness is required you can blow a few times into the valve to inflate it a little more. Deflation is just as simple – open the valve and roll the mat up which pushes the air back out.

Choices become a little more involved than with a simple closed cell mat and new innovations in construction continue to surface in efforts to increase comfort, reduce weight and add greater insulation. Outer coverings vary a little as well with choices of Rip-stop fabric to make the mat more hard-wearing or fabrics designed to be maximum anti-slip with regard to sleeping bag and mat against each other. Other options include integrated pillow area, 'mummy' shaped mats which aim to reduce the overall weight and size of the pad when not in use and various thickness and overall size.

- The Pros -

• offers a good cushioning layer
• eliminates all but the biggest ground irregularities
• excellent insulation from the ground
• lightweight
• reduce well in size – particularly if you roll them tightly on deflation
• options for firmness of mattress

- The Cons -

• more expensive than closed cell mats
• take a little more caring for although in reality this is still minimal
• not always waterproof
• not as durable as closed cell mats

Who uses them? - serious campers who want a little more comfort and cushioning

Cost – from £15

Inflatable Air Beds

This is the inflatable mattress type which requires a pump or very healthy lungs to fill with air.

- The Pros -

• greater cushioning and comfort (but also see 'cons')

- The Cons -

• offers no insulation from the ground
• very heavy
• very bulky
• can be punctured
• time consuming to set up and deflate
• if you choose a double air bed and intend to sleep on it with some-one who is a very different size and build to yourself then beware. The bulkier one of the couple may 'bottom out' and find themselves sleeping on hard ground while the lighter one of the pair will be bounced around as if they are on a trampoline every time their partner moves. Although this provides great slap-stick moments the joke can wear a bit thin as the sleepless night progresses.

Who uses them? - summer campers who are carting everything to their camp-site by car.

Cost – variable