- When you are deciding on
sleeping mats you need to think about bulkiness. Standard foam
sleeping mats take up a lot of space which means that you are not
going to be able to fit them into your gear bag. Rather you will have
to bundle them up every day in a plastic bag (for waterproofing) and
carry them as well as you extra heavy gear bag to the truck each day
– this is not fun. The plus side about them is that they are cheaper
than purchasing a Thermarest or air mattress.
- I personally prefer a
Thermarest which is self inflating. When you are next at a sports
store, check them out in the camping section. They roll up compactly
so as to fit in your gear bag. They come in various thickness and
sizes. At first they look too thin to give you a comfortable feel but
this is an illusion. Be sure to place one of the mattresses down on
the showroom floor and lie on it – you’ll be surprised at the
feel. Also, you do not necessarily have to get a "full
length" mattress (one that is a tall as you). You only need to
ensure that the mattress supports you from your thighs on up. This
makes for an even more compact size and a cheaper price. Thermarests
retail for about $50 but I understand that you can get non-brand name
"Thermarests" from Target and similar outlets for around $20
or so. If you go to a Sports Chalet to buy a sleeping mat, be sure to
ask them to give you an AIDS Ride discount. Though they are not on the
official outfitter list, they have given me a 10% discount when I
asked and showed my AIDS Ride ID card.
- If you decide to bring an air
mattress – be sure to bring a foot pump with you. There is no power
supply to plug into! The down side with air mattresses is that they
take energy to inflate and are bulky.
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