Camping is a total blast: you get to experience nature, have great fun with friends and family, and spend time around a campfire. But sleeping on the ground can be pretty uncomfortable, especially if you’re on rocky, uneven, or wet/cold terrain- that’s where making a DIY camping bed comes in handy.
There’s plenty of ways on how to make a camp bed more comfortable that we’ll cover in this guide to make sure you wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested in your tent on your camping trip.
How To Make A Camp Bed
We’ll walk through how to make your own DIY tent bed using many things you already have at home. Read on for more.
Step 1: Gather A DIY Sleeping Pad
You’re going to need a soft yet sturdy base (or sleeping pad) that can start to take the brunt of the uneven ground below your tent.
Here are a few great options for a sleeping pad that you probably have around the house:
- Foam mat floor tiles that connect together (these are often used for kid’s playrooms or home gym flooring)
- Yoga mat (just make sure it’s long)
- An actual thin foam sleeping pad or self-inflating pad (both are made and sold for camping)
- Bubble wrap taped to cardboard with the cardboard side down (yes, this looks pretty funny, but is pretty effective and cheap!)
- An air mattress (just be sure to check the air mattress weight limit and how much the air mattress weighs). If you are using an air mattress, make sure to choose a tent that fits an air mattress.
- Pool noodles (you’ll need to secure them together and have enough of them, though)
Step 2: Build Up Your DIY Camping Bed With A Second Layer
Now that you’ve got the base layer down, it’s time to increase the comfort factor with a second thicker and more cushiony layer.
Use these common household items for a second layer:
- Mattress topper
- 3” foam pad sheets or egg crate foam (cut to size)
- Thick quilts or blankets (folded to the size of your base layer)
- Opened sleeping bag (comfy side up)
Step 3: Keep It All Together
Now that you’ve built up the main part of your camping bed, you’ll need to make sure to keep it all together so there’s no dips in the middle or that it doesn’t slowly come apart during your camping trip.
- Take a bed sheet (full size or queen size will do for most do-it-yourself camping beds) and wrap it around your two layers.
- If you have some bed sheet clips at home, bring those too – those will make sure everything stays together.
Step 4: Pack In The Pillows
How many pillows you want to use in your camp bed is up to you and the total available space in your car!
- Toss in as many pillows as you need to make sure you stay comfortable.
Step 5: Top It All Off
At this point, you are in charge of what all you want to put on top of your camp bed.
- You can put sheets, sleeping bags, comforters, or a combination of all three.
Word of advice: the colder it’s going to be during your camping trip, the more blankets you ought to bring.
3 Main Benefits Of Making A Camp Bed
Feels Like Your Bed At Home
Okay, so maybe it’s not as plush as your home mattress, but you get to be “under the covers” rather than stuck in a sleeping bag, which is a big plus for those of us who can start to feel claustrophobic.
The ability to get next to your sleeping partner in bed is also nice, which isn’t an option if you’re both zipped up in separate sleeping bags
If you’re camping in cold weather, you can pair your DIY camping bed with an insulated tent for the ultimate cozy camping experience.
It’s Super Convenient
DIY camp beds are so easy! There’s nothing to pack, unpack, assemble, or inflate to get your bed put together. It’s as simple as “making your bed” – get it?
Affordable
Most everything on our list was stuff that everyone has at home already, so there’s no need to go to the store and drop hundreds of dollars on camping gear.
Wrapping Up How To Make A DIY Camping Bed
We hope we’ve saved you some time and money on how to make your camp bed comfortable.
If you’re looking to upgrade your camping experience, take a look at our reviews of the best e port tents that allow you to bring electricity right into your tent for extra convenience.
Have any other camping bed tips or material suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.