The Sleeping Systems Worth Losing Sleep Over

Car camping shouldn't mean martyrdom. Lillian and I have been testing sleeping setups across desert camps and slickrock sites, chasing the perfect balance between comfort and practicality—no Instagram-worthy suffering required.

Our preferred arsenal starts with the Helinox Cot One Convertible, elevated 8.5 inches off the ground. Sure, REI's Wonderland Comfort Cot wins on pure comfort, but it's a space-hogging beast. The Helinox breaks down small enough to live permanently in my truck.

For padding, we float between the four-inch Exped MegaMat and Hest's newer Foamy—foam over inflatable for puncture-proof reliability. The Foamy's waterproof bottom works straight on slickrock when he skips the cot setup entirely. No fussing with pumps or midnight deflation disasters.

Our insulation varies by temperature—cotton blankets for mild nights, wool or sleeping bags when it's cold. House pillows beat backpacking gear for car camping, though he's testing Hest's Camp Pillow. I see no reason why you shouldn't be comfortable. I’d love to master sleeping rough with just a wool blanket like the Mexican mule packers.

For backpacking, we stick with Therm-A-Rest NeoAirs despite their puncture potential. Exped's Flex closed-cell foam pads work on sand but feel thin on hard ground. The new Flex R3 doubles the thickness but weighs 18 ounces—the eternal tradeoff between reliability and weight.

We are shooting for 100 nights camping this year, providing ample testing opportunities across different conditions. Every biome demands different solutions. Every body needs different comfort levels. But that doesn't mean accepting misery as some badge of outdoor authenticity—leave the suffering-for-suffering's-sake nonsense to the gram-worthy van life crowd.