Let’s start with some definitions. At Camping Secrets, we generally distinguish between a Camping Mat and a Camping Mattress as follows: Measuring 198 x 130 x 7.5cm, the Deluxe offers a sufficient length of 6ft 6” which should be ample for most of the adult population of the world – apart from Sultan Kosen perhaps. For those that don’t know, he’s the current world’s tallest man!

If space is at a premium, you'll save by just going for a regular air mattress, which are easy to find in a double size. I've tried Coleman's air mattresses and they work well, but really it's much of a muchness in that arena. If you don't fancy that, you'll find plenty of different approaches in T3's best camping bed guide – the Robens Polarshield 120 is a similar idea to the Shangri-La. We really love Outdoor Revolution – they make great quality items at the mid-to-top end of the camping spectrum. Yes they may be slightly more expensive than the Decathlon’s of this world, but we’ve never been let down by their tents or their general camping gear. At Camping Secrets we often like to highlight niche products we uncover which accomplish a task in a clever way, whilst maintaining quality and value. The 3rd generation IForrest Sleeping Pad accomplishes this task extremely successfully. Vango offer a 2 year warranty on all their gear and that gives peace of mind when buying a self inflating mattress. If there are any issues with the valve or unexpected deflations in the night then they will unhesitatingly repair or replace your treasured SIM.

Preview

Our collections by our couriers are happening as usual. As it stands, delivery times are not being affected too much. Please be aware though that Royal Mail and other couriers are sometimes prioritising essential items so please bear with us if your delivery takes slightly longer than expected.

Yes, you can continue to return items as normal as long as you follow the government guidelines about leaving your house. Elastic Fabric - Produced using a soft, elastic yarn knitted into a comfortable fabric providing a home-from-home feeling with the best possible night's sleep.

Weighing only 2kg in large size (196 x 64 x 11cm) and 2.5kg in XXL (203 x 76 x 11cm), this is a surprisingly lightweight product which has greatly impressed us. It is more less than half the weight of the Vango Shangri-La for example. Personally I would plump for the XL if you find you have a choice of sizes – it just gives that extra bit of surface area for a nice sprawl when sleeping, and for not much extra weight. The Shangri-La is exceptionally easy to inflate and deflate, and this is one of its major strengths. The Cyclone ‘flip-valve’ as seen on the Comfort 10 Double is a joy to use. Simply flip it around to the correct airflow direction required. Inflation happens automatically, and deflation can be achieved in a couple of minutes by the old “roll and kneel” manoeuvre. Elastic Fabric - Produced using a soft, elastic yarn knitted into a comfortable fabric providing a home-from-home feeling with the best possible night's sleep R-Value for the KingCamp is ~6.5 which is pretty decent for cold weather camping, but not quite on a par with the Outwell Dreamcatcher. For typical UK winter conditions though, this is ample. Just make sure you bring along a decent sleeping bag or use electric hookup for an overnight heater. The comfort of the MondoKing is exceptionally good. I lay down on it for a few minutes to ‘test it out’ and found myself dropping off surprisingly rapidly – that wasn’t the plan, but it’s testament to the cushioning on offer. Thermarest use a ‘Stratacore’ construction to achieve this which combines a continuous layer of thermal foam with alternating ridges of air and foam. It works very well.