MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: GraemeL on April 21, 2013, 11:51:32 AM
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I need to buy a camp stretcher for my adult son and was wondering what others here use or recommend. It has to be easy to setup and has to be fairly compact but also comfortable and sturdy.
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Our two teenagers (14 and 18) have these
http://www.tentworld.com.au/products/bedding/item/OZtrail-Jumbo-Padded-Aluminium-Cross-Leg-Stretcher.aspx (http://www.tentworld.com.au/products/bedding/item/OZtrail-Jumbo-Padded-Aluminium-Cross-Leg-Stretcher.aspx)
and these
http://www.tentworld.com.au/products/bedding/item/OZtrail-King-Single-Self-Inflating-Leisure-Mat.aspx (http://www.tentworld.com.au/products/bedding/item/OZtrail-King-Single-Self-Inflating-Leisure-Mat.aspx)
Kids love them. Previously we had double height airbeds but they kept getting leaks.
KB
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Do they use the mattress on the stretcher? We already have some self inflating mattresses, but I thought they would be too big to fit properly.
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Yes and they fit perfectly. Also allows them to use fitted single bed sheets.
KB
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Make sure you check the size once packed, we recently bought an XL padded delux stretcher (Denali brand) and compared with our large oztrail stretchers it is huuuuge. When I was in anaconda the other day I had a look at them again and the XL non padded one packed away the same size as our oztrail, so I think it may be the padding that made it so much bigger.
Anyway, the amount of space it takes up compared to our oztrail ones is ridiculous, so we will be replacing it with a non padded one soon.
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Thats the problem, how big are they packed. The inflatable is pretty big, although I guess they could go up on the rack.
The problem is, you don't know how comfortable they are until you sleep on it for a night or two.
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Thumbs up in our camp for the OZ trail stretchers, though our lot dont use any type of mattress on them..Saw some mattresses at Rays outdoors the other day for about $70 that looked like they were filled with Doona stuffing, seemed to roll up fairly compact .
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Both of our girls sleep on Oztent King Goanna stretchers. A little bit weighty at 11kgs, but very sturdy and easy to set up/pack up.
The youngest finds it comfy enough as it is, the oldest likes a self inflating mattress with hers.
I've used them a couple of times myself, found it comfy enough and gave me a good nights sleep!
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These are great!!
http://www.blackwolf.com.au/product/Turbo-Bed/3/category/30 (http://www.blackwolf.com.au/product/Turbo-Bed/3/category/30)
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We use the oztrail stretchers as well
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Well it looks like we will be looking at the Oztrail :)
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
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Hope the picture comes out. We we bought the KK we felt it was unfair that we now have a proper bed to sleep on and our daughter only has an air-bed on the ground, so we bought her on of the Roman Rapid stretchers (with the Cushion) below. As it was a surprise, I did all the testing and I found (in my opinion) this one to be the best. It pulls out and folds back up like a camping chair in seconds.
She has used on about 4 trips so far and loves it.
http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server4600/22676/products/256/images/386/stretcher_cusion__43549.1339481951.1280.1280.jpg (http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server4600/22676/products/256/images/386/stretcher_cusion__43549.1339481951.1280.1280.jpg)
LB
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Looking very luxurious there LB.
Is the general consensus that a stretcher is warmer than an air mattress on the ground with the same sleeping bag etc going on? Our kids are on air mattresses but with 6 months if chilly camping coming up, would prefer them to be comfy (mattress in our camper for us is on par with home mattress
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I have a pair of Oztent King Goanna Stretchers, as with their King Goanna Chairs they are made to a high standard. Rated to 150kg and suited for tall people the stretchers are quite comfortable. I am 100 kg,s and 187 cm in height and have no problems with them.
Sometimes better to buy something a little more expansive first time, that will last and allow for growing.
http://www.oztent.com/oztent-furniture/oztent-king-goanna-stretcher#.UXR1WMqPz8s (http://www.oztent.com/oztent-furniture/oztent-king-goanna-stretcher#.UXR1WMqPz8s)
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Oztent-KING-GOANNA-STRETCHER-Bed-OZKGS-/221074727013 (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Oztent-KING-GOANNA-STRETCHER-Bed-OZKGS-/221074727013)
cheers duggie
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If I want to sleep off the ground I use this, it's super quick to set up and fairly compact.
http://www.tentworld.com.au/products/bedding/item/King-Camp-Easy-Folding-Bed.aspx (http://www.tentworld.com.au/products/bedding/item/King-Camp-Easy-Folding-Bed.aspx)
Otherwise, if being off the ground is not important to me I just sleep on:
http://www.tentworld.com.au/products/bedding/item/Blackwolf-Mega-Deluxe-Self-Inflating-Mat.aspx (http://www.tentworld.com.au/products/bedding/item/Blackwolf-Mega-Deluxe-Self-Inflating-Mat.aspx)
That self inflater is awesome, just as good as home.
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I have a pair of Oztent King Goanna Stretchers
I looked at the Oztents and they seem well made. Difference between the Oztent and the the Oztrail was the Oztent uses a steel frame and is heavier but the feet were smaller. Preferred the Oztrail's feet for the tent's PVC floor.
KB
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We looked at this recently too, my 15yo is over 6foot tall, so the old stretchers were just big enough.
Looked a the Oztent Goanna King, but could not find one at a good price, ended up with an Oztrail (love my OzTrail gear).
http://oztrail.com.au/WebPage.gtl?Product=FBS-SAJP-A?currentgroup=ZZZ013?currentsubgroup=BED?currentsubsubgroup=STRETCH (http://oztrail.com.au/WebPage.gtl?Product=FBS-SAJP-A?currentgroup=ZZZ013?currentsubgroup=BED?currentsubsubgroup=STRETCH)
We bought it from www.campingmegastore.com.au (http://www.campingmegastore.com.au) (their website is offline at the moment) for around $85... They are just around the corner from work, so dead easy to pickup. Russ and Chris do a great job..
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Before you pick one, just check the ends of the beds for any poles that stick out that you may bump into. I have a big stretcher from BCF that is no problems, but my inlaws beds scratch you like an angry cat when you walk past them. The square edges of the frame, even with plastic plugs will get you :)
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I have a couple of store brand ones BCF and companion they are used often and no dramas With them. The king Goanna are great the mate has one.
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Hope the picture comes out. We we bought the KK we felt it was unfair that we now have a proper bed to sleep on and our daughter only has an air-bed on the ground, so we bought her on of the Roman Rapid stretchers (with the Cushion) below. As it was a surprise, I did all the testing and I found (in my opinion) this one to be the best. It pulls out and folds back up like a camping chair in seconds.
She has used on about 4 trips so far and loves it.
http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server4600/22676/products/256/images/386/stretcher_cusion__43549.1339481951.1280.1280.jpg (http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server4600/22676/products/256/images/386/stretcher_cusion__43549.1339481951.1280.1280.jpg)
LB
Thats not a bad looking stretcher, it looks comfy, how sturdy is it?
I hear what you say about feeling guilty sleeping in a nice comfy bed. My Son has Huntington's Disease and I care for him full time and I want him to be just as comfy as we are. We thought about getting a van so he would have a proper bed, but he wanted to get the CT and doesn't mind roughing it a little.
Looking very luxurious there LB.
Is the general consensus that a stretcher is warmer than an air mattress on the ground with the same sleeping bag etc going on? Our kids are on air mattresses but with 6 months if chilly camping coming up, would prefer them to be comfy (mattress in our camper for us is on par with home mattress
Sleeping on an air mattress isn't the way to go when camping, they are too cold. When we were tenting it, we used to have a big Queen size air bed, the one that is quite high. We found it was always cold, we decided to try a inflatable mattress and the difference was huge.
Thanks go to everyone else for posting their thoughts on stretchers. it gives me something to go by.
I am not too worried about the cost, but the main concerns are, easy setup, has to be very comfy, it has to be sturdy and not wobble around and should pack up fairly small.
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Thats not a bad looking stretcher, it looks comfy, how sturdy is it?
I hear what you say about feeling guilty sleeping in a nice comfy bed. My Son has Huntington's Disease and I care for him full time and I want him to be just as comfy as we are. We thought about getting a van so he would have a proper bed, but he wanted to get the CT and doesn't mind roughing it a little.
Sleeping on an air mattress isn't the way to go when camping, they are too cold. When we were tenting it, we used to have a big Queen size air bed, the one that is quite high. We found it was always cold, we decided to try a inflatable mattress and the difference was huge.
Thanks go to everyone else for posting their thoughts on stretchers. it gives me something to go by.
I am not too worried about the cost, but the main concerns are, easy setup, has to be very comfy, it has to be sturdy and not wobble around and should pack up fairly small.
It really is the very comfortable, the cushion thing on the top is an option but worth it the dimensions 214 x 84x 54.5 load capacity 110kg. No wobble, and it packs up maybe a little bigger than a average camp chair. I would still go and have you son test them out as he has to be the one who sleeps on it, you may find he prefers the firmer ones. There are two sizes we got the bigger one.
The cushion top thing eliminates any need for a air-bed. I agree with the comments regarding how cold blow up air-beds are, but I did find as well that the self inflating ones due to the high density foam made a huge difference.
LB
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These are great!!
http://www.blackwolf.com.au/product/Turbo-Bed/3/category/30 (http://www.blackwolf.com.au/product/Turbo-Bed/3/category/30)
Another user of this stretcher :D
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LB, do you know where I can have a look at them, I'm in Perth. The only ones I can find are online.
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Anaconda's stretchers are on sale now
http://www.anaconda.com.au/Brands/Spinifex#b=194&fr7=&fr10=&fr11=&fr12=&fr14=309&fr15=&fr16=&fr17=&fr19=&fr20=&fr22=&fr30=&fr53=&fr58=&fr61=&p=1 (http://www.anaconda.com.au/Brands/Spinifex#b=194&fr7=&fr10=&fr11=&fr12=&fr14=309&fr15=&fr16=&fr17=&fr19=&fr20=&fr22=&fr30=&fr53=&fr58=&fr61=&p=1)
KB
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Thats handy, we need to get a few things from there anyway.
Thanks
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Looking very luxurious there LB.
Is the general consensus that a stretcher is warmer than an air mattress on the ground with the same sleeping bag etc going on? Our kids are on air mattresses but with 6 months if chilly camping coming up, would prefer them to be comfy (mattress in our camper for us is on par with home mattress
From my research when looking in to this for the kids this is what i found
1. stay away from any of the traditional air beds as they have very poor insulation and you will quickly freeze the kids
2. The best insulators are closed cell pads but these are also not the most comfortable
3. Stretchers work well in isolating the body from the cold ground which is the prime source of heat transfer
4. Stretchers however still allow heat to be stripped away with air movement underneath especially if air temp is cold.
5. Self inflating mattresses such as thermarests are a good compromise for thermal and comfort as they combine small air pockets with foam. However If not looked after properly (ie stored inflated or get holes) these loose their value.
So my conclusion (and I could be completely wrong!) is the ideal solution is a stretcher bed with an insulator such as thermarest or closed cell pad on top.
Would be interested in others opinion.
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X2 for thermarests
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We have used Thermarests for many years and have never had issues with cold. We recently added a stretcher under them and this is a great combination ;D
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At my frustration in not being able to find a decent cot for our daughter, I purchased one from
http://www.cabelas.com/ (http://www.cabelas.com/) $100 delivered. Looks strong so when it arrives I will post a pic. With a thermarest on top ;D
Wayne
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LB, do you know where I can have a look at them, I'm in Perth. The only ones I can find are online.
Sorry been away!
Had a little look myself and I figured the best way out who sells them is to contact Roman. This is their website http://www.roman.com.au/ (http://www.roman.com.au/) they have a list of stockiest but that doesn't mean they sell the the stretcher so probably bet to give them a call.
LB