Do you have any recommendations for a self-inflating air mattress that will provide enough padding to keep my hip bones from hurting? I will probably do more car camping in New England than backpacking, so weight is not a big deal.

Jane

Expert Answer:

To relieve your sore hips, choose the thickest self-inflating air mattress you can find. In my experience the Cascade Designs Therm-a-Rest LE is splendidly luxurious with its 2 inch thickness. However, there is an even more decadent model on the market, the Cascade Designs LE Camp Rest at 2-1/2 inches in thickness, and an equally hefty price tag of $130. The LE Tandem double width is now 51.5 in. x 77 in. x 2.5 in. thick, MSRP $200. Couple kits for joining single-width pads are $6.00. www.cascadedesigns.com

Correct inflation pressure will greatly affect comfort — it allows you to sink in just enough at hips and shoulders to benefit from the thickness. Insufficient air pressure results in too little cushioning and insulation at the pressure points — you may contact the ground in some places. Too much pressure and the pad will be too flat and hard. You have to experiment!

Using another, harder pad underneath lets you keep the top pad very soft and cushiony, while still avoiding contact with the hard and cold ground. This extra pad could be closed cell foam, either a low-cost flat type or a convoluted type. Alternatively it can be another self-inflating pad, perhaps much thinner, but blown up harder. A > length model will do fine. This extra pad method is particularly useful on the all-too-common, hard, flat, pebbly car-camping sites.

Hip discomfort may be made worse if your feet are lower than your hips. Try raising your feet by propping up the foot end of the pad with clothes or a pack or other items. For many people this relieves a lot of back tension that can also translate into unwanted downward pressure at the hips.

Finally, remember that a dead flat site isn't always best for a comfortable sleep. A hollow for your hips can greatly improve your comfort. In fact, old-style camping manuals from the days of high impact camping used to recommend digging yourself a"hip hole"! I wouldn't recommend digging one nowadays, but careful tent positioning might yield the perfect hollow in the right place!