C90Club.co.uk

Ahh Capitano, that's what I'm talking about. Very elegant.

knapdog wrote:Capitano, I found the bulky camping mat scenario was solved by getting a foldaway Thermarest. They're not cheap but they're great. I've still got the same one that I bought when I walked Offa's Dyke in 2002, camping along the way.

Sadly, between me, my Son, my Nephew and my Son's mate & Wife I think we're up to double figures of those beds failing after very little use.

We had 3 brand new ones fail on the Isle of Man last year.

Some folk claim long life out of them, but it hasn't been our personal experience, which is why I've gone back to mats.

I've had an inflatable pillow I've used for well over 10 years now though and that's still going strong, even after lending it to a mate's Wife when the pillion seat pad broke on his hardtail chop. She did over 100 miles sat on my pillow gaffa taped onto the rear mudguard, washed the pillow case and gave it back to me.

Capitano wrote:

knapdog wrote:Capitano, I found the bulky camping mat scenario was solved by getting a foldaway Thermarest. They're not cheap but they're great. I've still got the same one that I bought when I walked Offa's Dyke in 2002, camping along the way.

Sadly, between me, my Son, my Nephew and my Son's mate & Wife I think we're up to double figures of those beds failing after very little use.

We had 3 brand new ones fail on the Isle of Man last year.

Some folk claim long life out of them, but it hasn't been our personal experience, which is why I've gone back to mats.

I've had an inflatable pillow I've used for well over 10 years now though and that's still going strong, even after lending it to a mate's Wife when the pillion seat pad broke on his hardtail chop. She did over 100 miles sat on my pillow gaffa taped onto the rear mudguard, washed the pillow case and gave it back to me.

For reasons best known to myself (intriguing isn't it?), for the last ten years my Thermarest has been used over 100 times per year without fail.

knapdog wrote:Capitano, I found the bulky camping mat scenario was solved by getting a foldaway Thermarest. They're not cheap but they're great. I've still got the same one that I bought when I walked Offa's Dyke in 2002, camping along the way.

Got mine here
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ultralite-Cam ... 419a39d8ab

Lot cheaper !

I do a lot of motorbike touringand have done for years. The trick in my opinion is buy the right gear.

Buy good lightweight gear. The important word being "Good".

Exped air are good sleeping mattresses. I use a Vango 300 tent.

I like airbeds, but it's hit and miss as you are guaranteed a dreadful nights sleep when they fail, which can spoil your weekend. Especially if the next day is bank holiday and you waste the day trying to find a store to buy a replacement.

In cold weather like minus 6, simply folding them can break them at the creases giving a slow puncture.

The trouble with camp beds is the lack of insulation under you, and what insulation there is compresses and becomes useless.

I bought some sheet Armaflex. It's like neoprene. 30mm for my upper body, 15mm for my legs. And joined it. It rolls up compact enough. I strap onto it an Argos hiking airbed. If the airbed goes flat, the Armaflex is quite soft and I'm still insulated.

Nothing to go wrong with Armaflex. My brother used to be a lagger at York's, lagging stuff for American nuclear submarines with it.

http://www.karrimor.com/karrimor-foldin ... mat-782058
This what I use...was good at -6 at the 2015 Dragon ,thermarest do a similar one for a lot more money .concertina fold up and waterproof .

I steal my wife's NeoAir. It's great. Just paper thin. Not sure how I'd feel about using it if I weighed what some of you do....

http://www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-r ... te/product

Newtsalad wrote:....

I bought some sheet Armaflex. It's like neoprene. 30mm for my upper body, 15mm for my legs. And joined it. It rolls up compact enough. I strap onto it an Argos hiking airbed. If the airbed goes flat, the Armaflex is quite soft and I'm still insulated.

Nothing to go wrong with Armaflex. My brother used to be a lagger at York's, lagging stuff for American nuclear submarines with it.

The REAL Armaflex stuff is awesome, the cheaper copies not so much.

My back and air mattresses are incompatible, if it's not the 10-12" Inflateable bed type, which weigh and fill a lot. I think only a cot, maybe one with built in tent, would allow me to go tent camping by bike.
Kamp-Rite Compact Collapsable Tent Cot

I have the Ventura version of a 'cot tent', it's very comfortable for sleeping on but you still need an insulating layer underneath.

Also there is nowhere to store your gear out of sight or in the dry, and nowhere to get changed or even put your boots on.