Everyone, it seems, loves car camping these days. After the Covid Years, folks want the freedom to roam without the hassles of hotels, social-distancing, and infection risks.
Fortunately, it’s never been easier or more comfortable to establish camp in and around your car. A couple new products perfectly illustrate this ease of escape.
Luna Air Mattress 2.0
Custom designed to fit seamlessly inside specific vehicles, the latest generation of Luno Air Mattresses are ideally suited for solo travelers looking for easy camp set up. Our core tester, Donna, is a 62-year-old retiree who is exploring the west while her husband completes his last few years or work.
The Luno Air Mattress fit perfectly in the cargo space of her Jeep Grand Cherokee, curving snugly around the wheel-well and filling the gaps around the doors and hatch. Donna reported that with just half the bed inflated, she had plenty of room to store cargo boxes loaded with other camp and hiking gear, making it easy to leave her bed setup for nightly use while still having easily accessible storage for the gear she needed for various adventures.
The Luno Air Mattress inflates quickly using the included 12-volt pump, and it proved durable over the course of several weeks of use exploring the western U.S. The stout 300-denier face fabric protects the air mattress while providing a soft, slip-free surface for your sleeping bag or blankets.
The Luno Air Mattress 2.0 is available in custom fit configurations for most late model SUVs and Pickups. Check the website to ensure your vehicle is covered. $329. Buy now.
ZenBivy Light Bed 2.0 – 10ºF
The ZenBivy system replaces a traditional sleeping bag with a full-featured backcountry bed. Instead of a narrow, tapered bag, the ZenBivy bed provides campers with insulated mattress and integrated sealed quilt. The quilt is tapered to match the rectangular mattress, and instead of a simple bag design, it spreads out from the footbox section in a broad blanket design. That provides incredible warmth, while giving campers the comfort of their normal bed and comforter.
For use during the cool shoulder seasons, we opted to test the ZenBivy Light 10º system. With a 700-fill HyperDry Down, the bed is water-resistant and warm, while keeping weight minimal. The size Large, fitted on a 20-inch by 72-inch pad, weighs in at 2 pounds, 15 ounces making it useable as a backpacking bed, but the incredible comfort is suitable for car camping use as well. The 10ºF rating was spot on – we slept soundly during snowy nights in Washington’s high desert coulee country. The ability to vent via the open nature of the quilt design, and the drawstring-opening at the base of the footbox make the bed versatile enough to be a functional summer-weight bed as well.
The ZenBivy Light bed replaces traditional sleeping pad and bag with one complete bed system that is light, warm, and incredibly comfortable. $329 (regular), $349 (long). Buy Now.
