I'm looking for advice on how to sleep comfortably when camping, when you're overweight (I'm about 280). I've been looking at air mattresses, foam pads, and cots.. not sure what's the best choice. I don't want to spend a ton of money, but I don't want to have a miserable night's sleep, either.

My concerns are:

Air mattresses - they're comfortable enough at first, but deflate, and I don't want to wake up the whole campground reinflating it throughout the night.

Cots - I sleep on my stomach, and from what I've read, it seems like cots are better for back sleepers.

Foam pads - thick enough to actually be comfortable? I don't want one that reflects a ton of heat, we'll be going in the summer.

Thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!

An air mattress if your best choice if you have access to electricity. They're fairly cheap (less than $100) for a decent one. You might even be able to find one that has an air meter that automatically refills when the air pressure starts to get low.

Cots are okay, but like you said, they're designed for back sleepers.

Foam pads would be do-able. I would suggest the ones that they sell for preschoolers' naptimes. They're a bit thicker. Get one of these and then a sleeping bag on top and you should be fine.

How many nights will you be camping?

I've always hated air mattresses, so when I took one camping, I regretted it. However, if you sleep well on an air mattress indoors, you will sleep well on one outdoors. You can get an air pump that is battery-powered, or can plug into your car with an adapter. The catch is, the less money you spend on one, the more likely it is to deflate by morning. You get what you pay for.

I have a Thermarest sleeping pad, which is basically a fancy combo of a foam pad and thin air mattress, but these are pricey. I get a good night's sleep on it, especially if it's multiple nights (the first night is usually an adjustment period). I just wish I had bought the wider one - being overweight, I take up more room...and my arms don't quite fit on the pad. So if you go this route, make sure to get the widest version available.

I have also brought along my queen sized memory foam mattress from my bed and have slept like a log on it. You can get these pretty cheap these days, but if you're low on space in your vehicle, it may not be ideal (and they are heavy)....but honestly, oh it's heavenly! Especially when I put my Thermarest underneath. Heat isn't really an issue with a foam pad.

Look for a camping mattress. I have an REI self inflatable mattress and it is great. I used to hate the traditional air mattresses and found them not comfortable. If you go to a place like REI, you can try out a variety of mattresses that they have and tell them you are looking for comfort, not portability.

I think this is the one I have, if not it is similar.
http://www.rei.com/product/870757/re...-sleeping-pad-

And if you want something specifically made for Big and/or Tall, Big Agnes seems to specialize in that. Here is a list of their mattresses at REI
http://www.rei.com/b/big-agnes/c/sle...d-hammocks%3Bb

A quality air mattress will support your weight and much more without much deflation through the night.

oh gosh...YESSSS. I've tried going for cheapo ones and it was so awful. I love the Aerobed.

I'll have to see if I can find the air mattress my boyfriend bought at Walmart. I believe is was around $100. We sleep on it a couple time a month and it doesn't deflate at all.

EDIT: FOUND IT.

We have the queen size. $90
Air Mattress

And this is one of the self-adjusting ones that is fairly cheap.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Insta-bed-...Queen/19515135

Thanks guys! We probably won't go for more than a couple nights, but with four kids, I need my sleep. We already have an air mattress or two, but I was thinking of letting the kids use it if I can find something that might work better for me. We've had all sorts of air mattresses over the years, and used them at family's houses, and no matter what, they all deflate somewhat throughout the night, even the $$$ ones.

I bought an Intex air mattress from Academy a few years ago to take camping. It's this one: http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/inte...51?N=830450255
It's very comfortable, and it didn't deflate too much. Everyone in my family asked for one for Christmas for our next trip. If it does deflate, it only takes about five seconds to tighten it back up. Plus, it's high so it's much easier to get up! My mother who is 62 sleeps on this when we go, and she is also around 270-280 lbs.