Budget camping mattresses used to fall into two unsatisfying camps: thin foam roll mats that do little to cushion you from hard, uneven ground, and bulky flocked airbeds that are prone to punctures and require either a pump or superhuman lung capacity to inflate.
The self-inflating mat felt revolutionary when it first appeared. I remember my boyfriend giving me a Therm-a-Rest in the mid-2000s and promptly declaring myself a camping convert. But for ageing side-sleepers like me, these foam- and air-filled mats have their limits: unless you opt for one at least 8cm thick, rocky ground and aching hips can still detract from the magic of a night spent outdoors. And as mats get thicker, they also tend to get heavier, bulkier and more expensive.
