Skip the air mattress and just use a sleeping bag and light camping pad underneath. Egg crate is fine. Unless the ground is very rocky or full of roots, you should be fine. Particularly if you spend a lot of time out of doors or running around first, your kid should sleep just as well on the ground as on an inflatable thing. I guess I am a purist but I can't imagine using one for camping. The whole point is to be more connected to nature, including the ground. It's one thing if you physically can't do it (like my 85-year-old grandparents who finally starting using an inflatable mattress when they camp, because they can't push off the ground). But a 3-year-old shouldn't have any trouble. It might even be more fun for him. You can't roll very far on an inflatable mattress, because you'll fall off. Much better rolling around on the ground!

Agree that you have a hole in your air mattress. We (me, husband, and 5-year-old) always sleep on an air mattress while camping and the deflation is usually negligible.

Anonymous wrote:Kids are really light and probably only need a pad....

Proabably true, but good luck keeping your kid on the pad. I always found my DD snuggled on the air mattress with me when I tried this. So we bought another air mattress, which actually takes up less room in the car than the old pad did. Of course, you need a tent big enough for all those air mattresses.

Kids are really light and probably only need a pad....

We camp a lot and have experimented with all kinds of padding under our sleeping bags--self-inflating pads, cots and air mattresses. Air mattresses are by far the most comfortable. Sounds like you have a hole in yours. Just buy a new one. Nice that they roll up compactly, too. We never seem to have enough room in our Outback for all our stuff and four people, even with a roof box. Three singles would be best for you, so that when one person moves, the others don't go flying.

Get a new air mattress and a rechargeable battery operated inflater and overinflate. We don't have any problem at all with all of us sleeping on one. I like to touch up each night before we go to sleep, but we have a great one right now, so I sometimes go three or four days without reupping.

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like it's a problem with that particular air mattress. We use three individual twin size ones every time we camp and have never had a problem with them deflating. I'm a stomach sleeper so I absolutely have to have something underneath. These old bones can't take it anymore.

Maybe that is the only solution for us too (three different ones). I do a lot better these days if I get some decent rest.

Sounds like it's a problem with that particular air mattress. We use three individual twin size ones every time we camp and have never had a problem with them deflating. I'm a stomach sleeper so I absolutely have to have something underneath. These old bones can't take it anymore.

Anonymous wrote:why do you think the air mattress will deflate in the middle of the night? odd assumption.

OP here, if all three of us sleep on it I think we are just too heavy and that would cause it to deflate. DH slept on it alone and it deflated every night.

I guess I should have added that I want to me comfortable (as much as you can be camping). I know we can sleep in the sleeping bad and on our pads and we have many times before, but since this is the first time with our child I want him to get a good nights rest. Otherwise, we'll all be miserable the next day.

why do you think the air mattress will deflate in the middle of the night? odd assumption.

Umm sleeping bags? Duh! Ok let me stop being a mean y. I'm sorry. U can also looking into buying a camping pad..it's a foam insert that goes under the sleeping pad it's really comfy.

Is this a serious question?

^^human kids have been sleeping on the ground for millenia, I meant. Not egg-crates!

Egg-crates are a great supplement for the adults to add to self inflatables. Kids can sleep on eggcrates and be fine. They're kids! Human kids have been doing it for millennia and I assume you are trying for a more natural experience. Most modern tent are self contained with a sealed floor. Always put a waterproof tarp under your tent in case of heavy rain, your tent can easily lift-off and get washed away. Happy camping!

We are going in a camping in a few weeks and don't know what to take to sleep on. There will be two adults and a 3.5 year old. We think the air mattress is going to deflate in the middle of the night and that would annoy us. We have the self-inflatable pads but those are two small and we don't have one for the kid anyway. Egg crate mattress? Any other suggestions would be very welcome.