Camping is a favorite activity for millions of families, but one thing a lot of people don’t take into consideration when planning a camping trip is the car they drive. Camping may include sleeping in a tent, hauling a trailer, or sleeping in your car. You may be driving over rough terrain, so it’s important to drive a car that can handle anything you encounter off-road.

The Subaru Forester is excellent for weekend camping trips, with 32 mpg on highways. The Subaru is a compact SUV, is roomy and offers more than 74 cubic feet of cargo space. The Forester has all-wheel drive and is available with an X-mode to handle rough terrain.

The Honda Odyssey isn’t usually considered to be a vehicle for camping. However, for anyone who chooses to go camping at an area with paved roads and sites that are tended by campground hosts, this car is capable of hauling all your equipment including sleeping bags, coolers, lounge chairs and food that you’ll need for a fun weekend. The Odyssey has a large 148 cubic feet of space and is equipped with a portable vacuum to keep the interior clean and free of dirt and pine needles.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has three different four-wheel drive options available, so you can choose the one that bests suits your needs. The Grand Cherokee can comfortably seat five passengers and has plenty of room to haul all your camping gear. The jeep has turbodiesel power and is available with a V-8 engine and is capable of hauling up to 7,400 pounds, making it easy to drive with an attached, medium or large size camping trailer. The Grand Cherokee can easily maneuver mountain roads or cross a river to your camping area, and you don’t have to think about getting stuck.The Grand Cherokee can tough it out in the worst road conditions.

The GMC Acadia offers all the features of a minivan and the convenience of an SUV. The Acadia can handle all kinds of terrain and has the cargo space of a minivan, so you can haul your equipment and coolers you need for an extended camping vacation. One of the best features of the Acadia is that it can seat up to eight passengers or convert into 116 cubic feet of cargo space.

The Land Rover Range Rover offers the most luxurious options for a camping vehicle. The four-wheel drive is designed to adapt to whatever road conditions you encounter so that it can handle the backwoods or mountain roads. Wood grain interiors, comfortable leather seats, and a variety of electronic offer all the options you need for your camping trip.

The Ford Expedition is a large-size SUV that can handle hauling a large camping trailer, making it a good choice for large families. If you aren’t carrying many passengers, you can fold down the seats to give you 130 cubic feet of space to carry all the camping gear you need for our trip. The XL version of the Expedition has an extended wheel base providing more maneuverability when hauling a large trailer.

The ScionxB is a good option for one or two people who love camping. The spacious cargo area offers enough room to sleep in if the weather gets stormy during the night. The cargo space is 70 cubic feet and provides plenty of room to store all your gear when the rear seats are folded forward. The ScionxB is a good choice for a weekend getaway.

The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited offers the features of the traditional version of the jeep but is geared for driving on more extreme roads to a campground in the back country. This jeep can accommodate up to five passengers, making it an option that’s fun for families or a group of friends. Another feature of the Wrangler is that the roof can be removed. You have the option of a hard or soft roof, so it’s ideal for fly fishing trips. The cargo space is roomy enough to stand in when the roof is removed to cast your lines into the lake or river.

Toyota’s TRD Pro 4Runner is the ideal vehicle if you do a lot of off-road driving. The Toyota is designed with more clearance from the ground than a lot of other vehicles and has an amazing suspension system. The skid plates are constructed to be heavy duty. The TRD Pro offers construction that makes it easier to drive to wilderness campgrounds. The spacious cargo area is designed to hold everything you need for your camping adventure.

When you’re planning a camping trip, things to take into consideration are the number of people in your party and how much camping gear you must bring on the journey. If you’re traveling to a remote spot make sure your vehicle has the suspension and four-wheel drive to handle the roads.

People camp for many reasons. For some, camping is an opportunity to live more simply. Still others travel in style, bringing along elaborate kitchens, exquisite meals and all the comforts of home. But whether camping rough on the ground or with class in a tent, the trip is always better on a full night’s sleep. The easiest way to improve the experience is to sleep well, and a good camping pillow can be an inexpensive way to do just that.

Camping pillows exist in a space of contradictions. Viewed by some as a luxurious extra, they must be comfortable enough to be worth bringing along, while rugged enough to stand up to the elements. They should be easy to pack while providing enough padding and support for the head. Just as there is no perfect pillow, there is no perfect camping pillow for every set of needs. Here are just a few factors to consider before making a purchase.

First, identify the primary camping style in which the pillow will be used. The needs of a casual camper will differ drastically from those of a back country hiker. Picking the wrong pillow at this stage isn’t the end of the world by any means, but it may make the trip less enjoyable later on.

Car Campers

Casual car campers aren’t quite as concerned with space or ruggedness. Space constraints in a trunk or cargo area are generous. Also, gear can be stored if the weather turns bad. Car campers can opt for more comfortable, less ruggedly-made pillows that weigh more and take up lots of space. It may even make more sense to bring along household pillows to help determine what characteristics make for better outdoor sleep, then to purchase camping pillows at a later date.

In general, pillows can either be filled or inflated. Since car campers aren’t nearly as concerned with space, filled pillows offer the best comfort. Memory foam and polyester fibers are great choices for the casual camper looking for a good night’s sleep. Just as is true with many choices made by the car camper, comfort is king, and which filler material to choose is a matter of personal preference.

Back Country Hikers

By contrast, space and weight are crucial variables for backpackers and rough campers. Hikers spend time evaluating gear so minutely, that the choice to purchase one item over another might hinge on a few ounces of weight difference. Look for case materials that are rugged but light. Also, find something that compresses well, and realize that these factors will likely come at the expense of some degree of comfort.

Choosing a pillow filling is much like picking sleeping bag material. Broadly, fillers can either be synthetic or down. Down fills such as cotton and fleece compress better. They are also lighter and softer. By contrast, synthetic fills are a great choice for someone wanting a bulkier pillow. They fill out more, are firmer and cost less. Hybrids are the best of both worlds, using both synthetic and down fills to achieve the perfect mix of firmness and compression. No one filling is perfect, and while the above is a good guide, there can be no substitute for trying pillows in realistic conditions and evaluating them directly.

Inflatable pillows are also an option. While these do compress down nicely, they are often less comfortable. Additionally, their shape and texture may cause them to slide, and pressure differences throughout the night can further change how the pillow feels. Further, while inflatable pillows are the easiest to adjust with regard to firmness, this advantage is more present in temperature-controlled environments such as planes and other vehicles. Some pillow designs mitigate these drawbacks by combining inflation with filling. The result is both easy to adjust and firmer than an inflatable-only pillow.

Of course, the easiest and least expensive option is a stuff sack of clothing. On one hand, this eliminates the need to purchase additional gear, thus making it the ultimate way to save weight and space. On the other, if clothing is ever wet then it must be dried out as thoroughly as possible. As such, campers may find themselves enduring a sleepless night for dry clothes the next morning, wishing they’d packed an actual pillow rather than relying on dirty laundry.

Don’t take weight and space savings to the extreme. Neck pillows may seem like a backpacker’s best choice because their designs are smaller. Unfortunately, traditional U and J-shaped designs are meant for sleeping while sitting up. Also, a pillow with little filling isn’t much better than no pillow at all. The point at which a pillow stops providing benefit is different for each person, and should be evaluated in advance under extreme conditions before hitting the trail.

Another often unconsidered aspect of pillows is their case. It is easy to overlook pillowcases at home, where the environment is controlled to a high degree. But any camper caught out in a sudden storm knows the true degree to which they are at the environment’s mercy.

If sleeping rough, pillowcases should be made of durable material to both keep out moisture and protect from damage. Tent and hammock campers should determine if the case material might slip along the tent floor, thus causing the pillow to drift away in the middle of the night. Poor case material can often be mitigated by wrapping the pillow in a towel or dry clothing. Even so, ground conditions are rarely enough for an ideal sleep, and while case material may only be aesthetic at home, it can easily make a major difference in the back country.

With the above in mind, here are a few top camping pillows from which to choose.

The West Wolf Automatic Inflatable Pillow

No one likes the light-headed feeling and plastic taste that are associated with many inflatables. Fortunately, this pillow airs up automatically. Simply pull it out of its stuff sack and let it do its thing. Fully inflated, it measures 16 x 9 x 5 inches, and weighs a minuscule 0.35 pounds. West Wolf offers a no questions asked lifetime guarantee and refund for this pillow, making trying it out a no-brainer.

This pillow’s compact form and thicker exterior make it a great companion both on the trail and in the plane. For hikers, the bright orange color option makes the pillow easier to find and harder to abandon. Not only is it great for sleeping, but it offers superior lumbar support for longer trips. If looking for a compact travel pillow, this West Wolf model is a great, well-rounded choice.

Kohbi Sport Ultimate

Sometimes inflatable pillows are simply too flexible. In those cases, this Sport Ultimate pillow may be a better choice. The Loftness Elite foam ensures a more even filling distribution throughout the pillow, meaning it won’t bunch up and make the sleep surface unlevel. The microfiber exterior is comfortable against the skin. When ready to face the day, simply roll the pillow into its included pocket, compressing it down to a compact package less than half its expanded size. Like the West Wolf, Kohbi also offers a no-hassle lifetime guarantee and refund policy.

If purchasing this pillow, be sure to follow the directions and wash it before use! Like many foam pillows, it is shipped compressed and expands over time. But, if not washed, it won’t reach its full size and plushness.

Another interesting aspect of this pillow is its dual cover material. While one side is microfiber, the other is composed of more traditional cotton. This makes it an excellent choice for anyone uncertain of which material is best for their circumstances.

Quixote Classic

This highly-engineered pillow combines a cotton case and a synthetic microfiber fill. The shell is ruggedly constructed and waterproof, making it perfect for just about any outdoor adventure. The Quixote Classic is also made in the USA and is subject to strict quality control.

Camping pillows are often thought of as luxury items, and their minimalist design standards uphold this view. The Quixote Classic manages to surpass this standard, becoming many travelers’ go-to pillow whether on the trail or at the hotel. It can be difficult to find pillows that work consistently well regardless of the environment. The price may be a bit steep, but the benefit of sleeping well anywhere makes this a great purchase for any frequent traveler.

While the above may make choosing a camping pillow seem overwhelming, it actually is not. Cover and fill materials are important to be sure, but even the most expensive pillow is useless if it doesn’t result in a quality night of sleep. Try the pillow out in extreme circumstances. Test it in a back yard, or on an uncomfortable hardwood floor. If it moves about freely and doesn’t offer solid support, send it back. The outdoors already provides a healthy array of challenges. Getting a good night’s sleep should not become yet another, and one’s pillow should be a help, not a hindrance.

If you’re in to camping, but you don’t want to rough it too much, an air mattress is a good choice for ensuring that you sleep soundly. The variety of air mattresses available on the market today make it likely that you’ll find one which suits your needs exactly, but a wide variety can also make it difficult to choose. Never fear, this post is just what you have been waiting for. We’ll talk about what you should consider when choosing an air mattress, the top brands in the business, and several specific recommendations to fit your needs.

What type of pump will work?

A lot of air mattresses come with a pump, and if you are planning to use that pump instead of buying a separate one, you will want to make sure that the pump supplied is usable in your situation. In other words, don’t buy a pump that needs to plug into a wall outlet if you are planning on camping in the middle of the woods, and don’t buy a pump that’s battery-powered if you’re notorious for forgetting extra batteries. Pumps may come in varieties that plug into the wall, run on batteries, or plug into the outlet in your car. You may also be able to find pumps that are powered manually by your hand or foot. If you’re going really deluxe, check out air mattresses with internal pumps that will automatically inflate when the mattress is unrolled. As a side note, if you are planning to buy a separate pump, make sure that the nozzle will fit your air mattress.

How thick do you want your mattress?

Air mattresses come in different heights. These can range from the super compact air pads that only lift you an inch or two off the ground, to deluxe mattresses that are 22 inches or taller. The height you want will depend on your plans for camping. Those super compact air pads are popular with backpackers, because they fold up tightly to take up little space in your backpack and can be inflated with nothing more than your lungs. If it’s important to cut back on how much gear you have to carry, it doesn’t make sense to bring along a pump. Alternatively, if you’re planning to camp in a single location which is near your car (or maybe you’re just looking for something to put in the guest room for when your in-laws visit), a tall mattress might be a good choice. They’re especially helpful if you have trouble getting in and out of a low bed. You’ll want to consider the size of your tent when you’re making this decision, too. A 22-inch tall bed in a small tent might mean that you’re sleeping uncomfortably close to the ceiling.

What size mattress do you want?

Air mattresses typically come in twin-sized and queen-sized (although you may be able to find some king-sized or full-sized if you’re willing to hunt for them). A queen-sized mattress obviously gives you more space to sprawl or cuddle with your honey, but two twin mattresses might offer more flexibility in case you’re not always sleeping in the same sized space (for example, if you’re planning to borrow tents from friends), meaning you can reconfigure if the space is too tight for a bigger mattress.

How much do you (and your partner) weigh?

Keep in mind that air mattresses have weight limits. If you or someone who is going to be using it is on the heavy side, you may want to invest in a mattress with a higher weight limit. This also goes for families who might have children crawling into sleeping bags with them in the middle of the night.

How durable does your mattress need to be?

Depending on the material, some mattresses may be more or less durable than others. Durability comes at a price, thoug. Often times, the more durable mattresses are also heavier. If the weight of the mattress is a concern (for example, if you’re backpacking) you may want to go with a lighter-weight, but keep in mind that you want to be careful to keep your kids from bouncing on it. If you’re camping a little closer to your car, a heavy mattress will be just fine and will probably help you sleep better since they tend to be a bit more comfortable.

Do you want a padded mattress?

Many air mattresses come with additional foam padding that is supposed to make the mattress more comfortable. Before dropping the extra dollars to get a mattress with padding, make sure that the padding is in a place where it counts. That means, the top of the mattress, right under where you’re going to be laying. Padding anywhere else isn’t going to do you any good. An extra benefit of this padding is the layer of insulation it provides. Air mattresses can be really chilly, since they’re filled with air that tends to be the same temperature as the air in your tent. You can bring all the blankets you want and still be freezing all night if you’re sleeping directly on top of 45 degree air. If you don’t want an air mattress with padding, bringing along an extra blanket to lay underneath you should help you stay warmer.

So What Should I Buy?

Okay, now that you have thought about what your needs for an air mattress are, let’s get down to business talking about brands. This conversation also depends a lot on what your goals for your air mattress are. If you’re buying something to take on your spur-of-the-moment float trip and you don’t camp regularly, you may not want to drop all that money on a top-of-the-line brand like REI. In that case, a mattress from Intex might be the way to go. Intex makes mostly “budget” air mattresses. They are no-frills, but they keep you off the ground and they won’t cost your entire paycheck. You can find twin-size Intex mattresses starting under $20. Don’t just assume that “budget” means low-quality. It’s fine to figure out what you really need and look for mattresses without all the bells and whistles that come with higher price tags. If you’re not planning to use it much, is it really worth it to pay extra for the optional inflatable headboard?

If you camp frequently, you should think about investing in something that might last a little longer and keep you more comfortable. There are lots of options for reliable, good-quality brands. Coleman is a big name in the camping industry with some good entry-level prices, so they are a great place to start if you camp often but have a small budget. They have a wide range of products, so you can also find some higher-end items with cool extras like cot stands to hold the mattress off the ground and automatic, built-in pumps. If you’ve got a little more cash to spend, check out specialty brands like REI and High Sierra. You’re likely to find the best quality there, but that can come with a hefty price tag.

The Top Picks

Coleman Premium Pillowtop Support Rest with Built-In Pump

For those of you who want to camp, but want to sleep like they’re at home, your best bet is a Coleman with a pillowtop. The (washable!) pillowtop will give you a little extra cushion to make it feel more like a real bed. That pillowtop will also provide some insulation, which is great for camping on chilly nights. This air mattress supports up to 600 pounds and has a built-in 120V pump, which means that you don’t need to buy a separate pump, but you do need an outlet to plug in to. If there isn’t an outlet available, there is a separate nozzle that you can use for a battery-powered or manual pump.

5-in-1 Twin/King Quickbed and Hide A Sofa

This is a really cool option for the type of camping trip where you spend a lot of time hanging around the campsite, and it also provides tons of flexibility if you’re not sure exactly where you’ll be using it. The selling point for this mattress is that it’s convertible. Zippers and snaps allow you to use it as two separate twin mattresses; a single, stacked twin mattress (to raise it higher off the ground); zipped together to form a single, king-sized mattress; or as a sofa. How many times have you been sitting on a log around the campfire and aching for a backrest? Problem solved. The weight limit on this one is 300 pounds, and it doesn’t come with an air pump, so make sure there’s a little extra room in your budget for one.

Insta-Bed Raised Air Mattress with Never Flat Pump

You know how you lay down on an air mattress at night and it’s so firm that it feels like you’re sleeping on a board, and then when you wake up in the morning it has lost so much air that it feels like you’re laying on a half-empty balloon? Some air mattresses come with special pumps that automatically re-inflate your mattress for you when it senses that the pressure is getting low. If this sounds like the type of mattress for you, this Insta-Bed mattress is a great choice. The pump starts out pretty noisy when it’s first inflating the mattress, but tends to be much quieter at night when it’s just re-inflating. This recommendation comes with a caveat, though: the pumps have to be plugged in to work, so this mattress is a good buy if you’re planning to use it indoors or will be camping with a constant power source nearby. You’re unlikely to find one of these automatic air mattresses that doesn’t need an outlet. This Insta-Bed mattress is available in twin- or queen-sized, and you can get the queen size with cool extras like a headboard and a pillowtop. The twin-sized bed is just under $120, and the queen-sized bed is around $140-175, depending on what features you want.

Lightspeed Outdoors PVC-Free Air Bed

This is a good higher-end option for serious campers who are also finicky sleepers, since you can easily adjust the firmness of the mattress until it’s comfortable for you. Another great feature of this one is that it’s made from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), instead of the standard PVC. TPU tends to be more durable than PVC, and it’s much lighter. For example, the queen-sized version of this bed weighs only six pounds, but supports about 360 pounds.

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Venture WV Mattress

Now, like we talked about previously in this article, if you’re into backpacking you have different needs in an air mattress than other campers do. This Therm-a-Rest mattress is a great option for backpackers because it balances compactness with comfort. When it’s inflated, it’s 2 inches tall, and the way it’s constructed provides more insulation than a typical air mattress, meaning that you can stay warmer without worrying about bringing extra insulation. The two-inch height means that it’s possible to inflate it with just your lungs, but you can also attach a pump if that’s more your style.