Camping out at events on the cheap - Best type of air bed??

[runNjump86]

So I’m exploring ways of camping at away events without spending a fortune on a hotel or having to rely on someone else with a LQ. DH and I aren’t really into camping, mostly because we don’t have the time, so I don’t really want to go pick up a bunch of expensive camping gear that won’t get used more than a handful of times per year.

I have a BP trailer and a truck with a regular sized bed. My idea is to get a topper (shell, whatever they are called now) for the truck. Not a fancy pop-up kind (which would be nice but are expensive), just a plain topper. That way I can keep hay and supplies dry and not wind-blown on the way to said event, and once there I can sweep it out and put down an air mattress. I’ve done this routine before as a kid and with a good air mattress and plenty of blankets, its not too shabby!

Showers can usually be bought at nearby campgrounds and I’m not against spending one night in a hotel, I just don’t want to spend $400 on a room I won’t be in very much. We have coolers so I could bring my own food or make a trip to the grocery store once settled. Porta potties are never fun, but are generally easily located.

Any suggestions or ideas? What have others done to keep expenses as low as possible when going to “away” shows?

NEW QUESTION!!!

Unless I find a topper for SUPER cheap, I’m just going to camp in the back part of the trailer. Now I’m debating on what type of air bed to get!! It’s going to have a built in pump, for sure. I’m NOT getting a tent. I just don’t care for them. A full size mattress will fit in our trailer easily. My SIL has a lovely air bed that is tall, almost normal mattress height. It is super comfy and easy to inflate/deflate.

Would a “raised” air bed be better or worse for trailer camping? I’m not opposed to a normal air bed that’s 6" off the ground, but DH and I could use a taller one as a guest bed as well.

[Ready_To_Riot]

This is my game plan this coming season! SO and I camp a lot already, but we haven’t invested too much into all the gear. We do tent camping, but a friend of ours has a topper on his truck and when he goes camping he sleeps in there on an air mattress. He has been doing that for YEARS and loves it. Never complains about a bad nights sleep, where as us in our tent sometimes have sore backs. For showers, you could go to a near by truck stop and shower there. You would be surprised as to how clean they are. Cleaner than most camp grounds. If you want to get food, I would invest in some sort of cooking stick to roast food on (if you are at a place where you can make a fire).

If you’re ever at the same show as me, we can have a little camping party! lol

[normandy_shores]

I have an awesome rechargeable pump for my air mattress. Also, I have a small tub with baby wipes (instant “clean” feeling before bed when no shower available), a battery powered lantern and a wind up light for porta potty trips, among other things.

I don’t like having to camp, but did buy an instant cabin tent. It pops up in 2 minutes, is big enough for my queen air mattress and tack and room to change, and it’s tall enough to stand up comfortably. It does take a few mins longer to fold back into its bag. Got it at walmart…

[phoebetrainer]

Everyone here camps!!! Most people have trucks / lorries / rigs which are set up with a living area in front and horse area at the back. Trailers are set up with bunks, sinks, showers etc. Event venues all have showers and toilets, some have kitchen facilities.

Lots of people put stretchers or similar up in their trailers. Coolers work well for a couple of days. You can get little gas stoves for cooking etc.

Most of our events are just too far away from anywhere which would have enough accomodation for all the people at the competition.

[pony_grandma]

I have portable cots that are very comfortable, back from my yrs of State Fair life. They fold up into a carry bag, like chairs do. Easy to set up in the stall area of the trailer.

I think a truck topper for all ‘the stuff’ is the way to go.

Even at my age I’m not into $100 showers and an early am coffee grab at a motel - sometimes the free breakfast isn’t even set up yet!

You can pack a small microwave that you can plug in/set-up at the stall. They do have those Starbucks (and types) of instant coffee! Heat water and it’s heaven at 5 am. Take plenty you’ll need to share! All kinds of heat-up foods you could do for the day.

We keep those baby wipes handy too - just not the butt scented ones :lol:

[FitToBeTied]

I want to get this. http://www.hayneedle.com/product/backroadztrucktent.cfm?source=pla&tid=NAPR016-1&adtype=pla&kw=&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=NAPR016-1&gclid=CMW8w66OmboCFcud4AodchEAJQ

[SouthernYankee]

I did this with my trailer and this is what it looks like on the inside so as long as we have electricity we are ok. And could always throw the generator into the trailer if we needed one. It’s not perfect but we have spend long holiday weekends in it and it works just fine. (We camp inside the horse compartment of the trailer, I’m OCD about keeping it very clean)

[HappyHorselover]

SouthernYankee - That.is.AWESOME

[JWB]

I have this and I LOVE it for overnight trips. Ice is great but if I can’t find it, I still have a fridge in the truck.
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11620540&camp=CSE:GooglePLA:11620540:10284880:LIFESTYLECAMPING-&gsidynamic=GooglePLA--LIFESTYLECAMPING--LIFESTYLECAMPING-_-SKU-10284880

[La_Chasse]

southernyankee…can i pin that to pinterest? awesomeness.

now that im in WA (vs VA where everything was local), i’ve had to camp and i hate camping. the first one, my DH put the air-mattress in a tent we own- comfortable enough except i froze my ass off and was miserable. i used baby wipes and felt utterly gross the entire time. thank goodness it wasn’t hot! we found a national camp ground 30 mins away but nothing close to the event.

second one, where i was safety coordinator, i finagled a bed in a camper, had my meals cooked for me, and sweet talked the rescue crew i hired into letting me & the event organizer shower at the fire station. =)

i’m still scarred from an incident in the porta potties tho— let’s just say the cleaning truck man was literally just there, they were full of blue liquid (having just been pumped clean) and somehow, i got blue goo on me…HORRIBLE!

[wsmoak]

The topper on the truck sounds like a great idea. Just get a good air mattress, because having one deflate in the middle of the night is no fun.

I’d skip the port-a-potties and put a 5-gallon bucket toilet in the horse area of the trailer. Much closer (assuming you park the truck and trailer together) than trekking to the port-a-potties at 2am. (I have a gooseneck with a dressing room and a walk-thru door to the horse area, so I don’t even have to go outside.)

If the event is near an interstate, sometimes the big truck stops have showers you can rent. We did that once in Flagstaff after they took out the shower building. It was essentially a ‘master bath’ setup with separate tub and shower, big mirror and double sinks. For $10 or so, I was clean!

[Carolinadreamin]

Speaking of air mattresses, can anyone recommend one that doesn’t leak?

I’m tired of waking up with the mattress deflated (we sleep in the gooseneck part of our trailer).

[wsmoak]

[QUOTE=Carolinadreamin’;7215852]
Speaking of air mattresses, can anyone recommend one that doesn’t leak?

I’m tired of waking up with the mattress deflated (we sleep in the gooseneck part of our trailer).[/QUOTE]

My in-laws have a couple of of the Aerobed brand and they’ve been hauled around for years to different houses, and still no problems. Plus, it’s very nice to have the pump right there inside the bed.

[gypsymare]

I did some truck camping without the horses and slept very well on a cot in the back of the truck. Upside is you can store things under it, it takes up less space than an airbed and you don’t have the empty out the whole bed of the truck to blow it up. A simple camp stove is perfect for heating soup or water for tea.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/20369794

I have friend who build a plywood box in the bed of their truck (extra tall cap) that holds a mattress above and stores all of their gear below.

[vineyridge]

I had a camper topper–not a real camper, but much taller than the usual topper. It was tall enough to carry a washing machine upright inside, but it was on a tiny Toyota truck. I camped in it many times. HOWEVER, I would never suggest a cot for camping. In cooler weather, they let the cold air underneath and you will freeze without a good sleeping bag. I also learned from bitter experience that an air mattress on a raised metal platform like a truck bed will also freeze your buns off. I’ve put down foam insulation under the air mattress in the gooseneck of my trailer.

But then I’m cold natured, unless I’m having a hot flash.

[wildlifer]

I have camped in both truck and BP stock side trailer. I prefer trailer – airier and I sleep better somehow. But I do have a cap on the truck bed too, it’s fiberglass, insulated, with screened sliding windows, just not as airy as the trailer so I only use it if the weather is going to be really really wet.

I put a tarp down on trailer mats, put down this awesome camping air mattress I got when I lived in Australia, tuck in sheets, blankets, sleeping bag, whatever I want. I bring food like sandwiches that doesn’t require heating and keep a cooler up under the horse ties. I sleep great in that thing (always bring earplugs). If I’m at an actual campground with a plug, I can run an extension cord and use a ceramic space heater if it’s cold or fans if it’s warm.

[runNjump86]

Awesome responses!!

At Coconino a friend and I camped out on her air mattress in the horse part of my trainer’s trailer. Not bad, but it definitely had a pee smell. I LOVE the idea of having a space heater though!! Once I hear from her about what brand her air mattress is I will share. It’s awesome! We only had to blow it up twice over six nights, and it has the pump built in so no lugging it around. And it was pretty comfortable!

[gypsymare]

Yep, air mattress or cot, if it’s cold, you need insulation under you. I slept on top of a thick sleeping bag wrapped in a big down blanket and dressed in multiple layers of fleece. Slept like a baby in freezing weather.

[NSRider]

I camped out for a 4 day clinic then a horse trial on the weekend and was SO glad that I picked up an air mattress. We had some chilly nights and was very glad I had two sleeping bags (not rated) and kept my warm sleeping gear close at hand.

Good base layers are important! I like using my thermo-silk base layers with a pair of high super warm wool socks. Keep warm mittens and a hat close at hand along with sweat pants and a warm hoodie/coat for a late night bathroom run.

If you’re going to be in a tent, make sure you let it air out with some circulation since the condensation will make you much colder.

[Eleanor]

This FB group has some great ideas.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/565970220097130

I have a small two horse straight and have a small camper. I set up a shower in my horse trailer and it cost less then $25. I used a metal watering can. I tie it up at the back of the stall, close the area in with shower curtain/tarp and put down a little cedar platform to stand on. I use a metal can as then I can put hot water in it. I went to a 3 day clinic, and had this set up in my trailer and it worked so well. I had 6 showers, there was enough water in the can to get wet, wash hair/body (I have long hair) and rinse and still have water left over. I made sure the trailer was higher at the front so the water just went out the back door. I wish I had taken a photo of my set up.

This photo will show how you work the watering can.
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/03/43/12/034312184e109d5ca24c01e87ed38234.jpg