Long Story Short: Keep Air Mattress Warm When Camping: You can use mattress topper or sleeping pad on air mattress or use some heating pads,

there are lots of ways to keep an air mattress warm during camping but make sure you elevate your air mattress from the ground and make good insulation.

If you are camping then I assume you already have an air mattress because air mattresses are one of the most important gear for camping.

But the main problem with air mattresses is they do not offer warmth during cold nights.

And if you are here and wanted to know how to keep air mattress warm when camping then let me tell you this first,

Air mattresses are not well insulated and can leave you cold in the middle of the night.

So if you are going camping in cold weather with an air mattress then get ready to be frozen.

But the simplest and quickest way to keep the air mattress warm is to put something under your air mattress.

You can put sheets, blankets, foam pads, Dri-Dek, and traps under your air mattress.

Also putting mattress toppers, egg crate foam and sleeping pads over your air mattress can be the best way to make air mattress warmer.

We will discuss some of the 9 best ways to keep air mattress warm when camping and also discuss 4 things to put under an air mattress for warmth.

But let’s discuss why air mattresses can leave you in cold during the night.

Why am I Freezing to death when I sleep on Air Mattress during Camping

Air mattresses mean they are just filled with air and when the air from the air mattress comes in contact with your body it absorbs heat from your body and the air starts getting hotter.

And air mattresses are made with plastic materials so they don’t have proper insulation.

But when air from the air mattress absorbs your body heat then the air becomes hot and because of that air inside of the air mattress makes a move and gives you cold freezing air.

And when you sleep on an air mattress then it literally means you are sleeping on cold air and it’s similar to sleeping on cold ground.

Air mattresses are not designed for cold weather camping, I know they are lightweight, portable, easy to carry, and best for camping,

But they are not great for cold weather camping.

And in this case, sleeping pads are far greater than air mattresses because sleeping pads are a type of insulated air mattress.

And sleeping pads are specially designed for sleeping in cold weather camping.

But if you just wanted to make your air mattress warm when camping then let’s get started.

Read More: How to make air mattress less noisy while camping

How to Keep Air Mattress Warm when Camping (9 ways)

how to keep air mattress warm when camping

So if you are camping in cold weather with your air mattress then there are proven ways to make your air mattress warmer and more comfortable during winter nights.

Also Read: 11 Best Air Mattress For Tall People 

Way 1: Use a Sleeping Pad

Why I am placing sleeping pad number one? Because sleeping pads are an advanced version of an air mattress and are a type of insulated air mattress.

But not all sleeping pads are designed for cold weather camping, so you need to look for Sleeping Pads that are designed for winter camping.

Sleeping Pads are a great option to keep you hot during cold weather winter nights.

If you just get a sleeping pad then there is no need to bring an air mattress or any other gear for your camp.

Way 2: Use a Mattress Topper

Another best and easy way to make your air mattress warmer during cold nights is using a mattress topper.

This will add an extra layer between you and your air mattress.

And memory foam mattress toppers are best for cold weather camping because they not only provide you warmth but also give comfort and body support.

But a drawback of bringing a mattress topper with you can be hard because they are heavy and needs some extra space.

Way 3: Wear Extra Clothes

Keep Air Mattress Warm When Camping

This way seems very easy and obvious to keep you warm on your air mattress.

Wearing extra pairs of clothes can add a more extra layer between your air mattress and you.

But if you are not comfortable sleeping on extra pairs of clothes then don’t worry you can try other ways.

Way 4: Use Hot Water Bottle

Believe me, this is the best and smartest way to keep you warm in cold weather camping.

This is the cheapest way to keep yourself warm on an air mattress.

And you can keep your warm water bottles on for 15 minutes in your sheets before you go to bed.

But cover the water bottles with some sheets or anything otherwise it can burn your skin if the water is too hot.

Way 5: Use Electrical Blankets

If you want to add more heat to your blankets for more warmth then don’t use normal blankets because you can use electric blankets to stay warm.

But this gear requires an electrical socket to plug in and if you don’t have an electricity source while camping then there is no use.

Way 6: Use Heating Pads

Again heating pads are the same as electrical blankets.

And this also requires electricity but this can be the way to keep yourself warm during cold nights.

You can put heating pads over your air mattress to make it more comfortable and warm.

Way 7: Use a Heater

Again Heater also requires some source of electricity to plug in.

But a heater is the best way to keep your tent warm during cold nights.

And this way will only work if you are inside the tent.

But the heater can be heavy and adds more weight to your camping gear.

Way 8: Use Hand Warmers

This can be another way to keep yourself warm on an air mattress when camping,

The hand warmers are small pockets that you can activate and put underneath your clothes to stay warm.

Way 9: Build Up Camp Fire

Building a campfire can be another best way to stay warm during cold nights camping.

After building a campfire put your air mattress near the campfire and wait for a few minutes until your air mattress gets warm.

But you have to do some hard work to build a campfire during that cold weather so without some hassle it’s not possible.

So these are the ways to keep an air mattress warm when camping but what about putting something under your air mattress?

What To Put Under Air Mattress When Camping (4 Tricks)

Putting things under your air mattress while camping is very important.

And putting something under your air mattress can improve circulation for the air mattress.

If you want to stay warm on your air mattress then you need to put sheets, blankets, foam mats or pads, and closed cell foam under your air mattress.

Trick 1: Put sheets, Blankets, or Rug between the air mattress

Putting sheets. Rug and blankets under and over your air mattresses are the best way to keep you and your air mattress warm.

This is the cheapest way to make your air mattress warm.

And the thicker the blankets or sheets the better for you to sleep.

But this trick doesn’t improve your comfort but you can use this trick to temporarily fix it.

Trick 2: Put Dri-Dek under an Air Mattress

This Dri-Dek is an interlocking tile system. And this Dri-Dek is made of non-slip and sturdy materials and can easily cut and fit into any size of the air mattress.

This trick will also escalate your air mattress from cold ground add to create an extra layer between the air mattress and the ground.

Trick 3: Put Foam Under an Air Mattress

Foam will provide you extra comfort and keep your air mattress warm from Cold Ground.

If you place the foam on the top of the air mattress then it can provide you with more insulation.

If you want comfort plus warmth and wanted to feel like sleeping on a real bed then put foam over your air mattress.

Trick 4: Traps

Traps are one of the best ways to protect your air mattress from the cold ground.

You can put traps under your air mattress because traps are made of waterproof materials.

And these traps can protect your air mattress and keeps the ground dry and free of moisture.

What To Put Over Air Mattress When Camping (3 Options)

After knowing what things you can put under your air mattress while camping now it’s time for you to know what things you can put over your air mattress.

There are lots of options to put over your air mattress but we are going to see only effective options to put over your air mattress.

Option 1: Mattress Topper

This option I already have discussed ways to keep your air mattress.

Mattress toppers are great for warmth and comfort.

You can put mattress toppers over your mattress and they are easy to carry and lightweight which makes them great for camping gear.

And air mattresses can be firm which makes it hard to sleep on them but if you add a soft mattress topper then you can sleep comfortably on your air mattress.

Option 2: Egg Crate Foam

Egg crate foam can be the best if you want to put something over your air mattress.

They are specially designed for more comfort and support and adding egg crate foam over your air mattress can also add an extra layer.

And this will also keep you warm during cold weather camping.

Option 3: Sleeping Pads

Sleeping heat pads are specially designed for keeping you more warm and it also gives you great comfort.

These pads will create good insulation between you and your air mattress.

Is an Air Mattress Good for Cold Weather Camping?

As I said before, Air mattresses are not a great option for cold-weather camping because they do not have good insulation which can freeze you while night.

But with little bits of tricks and insulation air mattresses can be best for cold-weather camping.

But the main idea behind making your air mattress good for cold weather camping is adding an extra layer between you and your air mattress which will create good insulation.

You can put some things under your air mattress like sheets, blankets, Dri-Dek, foam pads, and traps to make the air mattress warm.

And you can also put mattress toppers, egg crate foam, and sleeping pads over your air mattress to make them more comfortable and warm.

When It’s Okay To Use An Air Mattress For Winter Camping?

There is no right answer because it depends from individual to individual.

Lots of campers don’t think about the temperature because they are happy with any weather.

And some campers can measure the temperature of the weather can select their gear accordingly.

So it’s not about what temperature you could use your air mattress it’s about what temperature is too cold for you.

But if you are going into colder places then you will need some more extra gear for camping like sleeping pads or air mattress toppers and sometimes even heaters.

How To Insulate An Air Mattress For Cold-Weather Camping

If you are headed toward the camp and let’s say the weather is cold but not too cold.

So now you wanted to keep your air mattress warm as possible from the cold ground.

And in that case, you need to insulate or escalate your air mattress from the ground.

Step 1: Start Insulating Air Mattress From the Ground

This step will ensure that you are blocking the air mattress from the cold ground.

You can use a closed cell mat on the ground and place your air mattress on a closed cell mat.

Step 2: insulate the overall Mattress

You can use fitted sheets to insulate the upper side of an air mattress and place a thick blanket on an overall mattress.

This step can improve the warmer feel of the air mattress and make your air mattress more comfortable and insulate the overall mattress.

Step 3: Insulate yourself

You need to wear extra pair of clothes to insulate yourself and make yourself warmer.

You can also use a pair of socks and thermal underwear to make yourself warmer.

How Not to Freeze on an Air Mat While Camping in the Cold

Final Words on How to keep air mattress warm when camping

Keeping your air mattress warm during camping in cold weather is very important.

You can use a mattress topper, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, extra bedsheets, and blankets to make your air mattress warm during camping.

Bringing more camping gear for making your air mattress can be difficult so instead of bringing blankets, sheets, wearing clothes you can just buy a sleeping pad.

Sleeping pads are designed to sleep in cold weather.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do Air Mattresses Keep You Warm By Themselves?

No, regular air mattresses don’t keep you warm by themselves because air mattresses are not designed for you to keep you warm on the opposite air mattress do not have good insulation so they can literally freeze you so you need to use mattress toppers or sleeping pads to make them warm.

2. Can you put a heated blanket on an air mattress?

Yes, you can put a heated blanket on an air mattress but before that put something like blankets or sheets on your air mattress otherwise heated blankets can damage the material inside the air mattress.

3. Are air mattress good for winter camping?

No, air mattresses are not good for winter camping because air mattresses are not designed for winter camping because they do not have good insulation which can freeze you while you sleep on them. But if you use a mattress topper or put blankets or sheets under your air mattress then you can sleep comfortably on an air mattress in winter camping.