Anybody ever try a waterbed?

[Hazumu]

Mid-quality twin-size waterbed bladders are around $75. It takes an incredible amount of heat energy input to get a given mass of water to a given temperature. A waterbed bladder could also provide non-potable water for personal use and gifting. As long as the water mass was still cooler than ambient daytime temperature, afternoon naps would be possible without bringing an air conditioner.

The downsides I see are weight ("a pint's a pound..."), leakage/breakage of the waterbed bladder (water as MOOP), and the water mass finally getting too warm for comfortable napping (but might make nighttime sleeping more pleasant.)

Anybody tried this yet? Any pros/cons I haven't thought of?

[Trishntek]

That's a lot of water upon which to sleep. 500 pounds, I'm thinking. At least 300. Honestly, I've tried cots and air mattresses and have found a pilate pad on the ground suits me just fine. By the time I get to be, I'm not very picky where I land so it boils down to the princess and the pea thing.

I have heard of people using the old style waterbed mattress for water storage and even elevating it for gravity feed.

[danibel]

That seems like a mud puddle waiting to happen. Plus all the water to carry out there, too heavy.

I would go with a futon mattress (as I have the last three years), or foam. Air mattresses are too cold for my taste and I worry it might pop!

[quadraspleen]

Go to Costco or Walmart and get a mattress topper..they are the nuts..a few of us got them last year; I put mine on top of an airbed, but then let the air out (too wobbly )and just used the topper on the floor of the tent (we have nice large bell tents so lots of room) One of our crew had a HUGE airbed (like divan-sized) and I think he had a better experience than my pathetic three/four inches of air. A waterbed? oooh..sounds like a disaster waiting to happen (at 0400 when a darkwad rides over your guy ropes and bursts your waterbed by falling on you lol)

[quadraspleen]

I have heard of people using the old style waterbed mattress for water storage and even elevating it for gravity feed.

Wow. What a great idea! Stolen! (with props to both you and the originator )

EDIT; although, having thought about that for another twenty seconds; you still have to fill it up and carrry it to where it's going, or just bring the water in flagons, like they sell it in, and pour it out (still lots of trash/potential moopness though) lol (sorry, going OT there)

[Bay Bridge Sue]

Plus 100 on the airbed + Topper - I love my airbed, wouldn''t trade it for anything. THinking about a futon-frame style gig for it this year... because, hey, if ya gotta do a tent, do it with style! (Reminds me, need to charge my 2 airbed pumps!)

Minus 100 on the waterbed - One, you gotta get all that water OUT there, then you gotta get all that water off the playa. There is a limit to water out there - you need to get a special okee-dokee from the borg to take more than, IIRC, 250 gallons out there. There HAVE been HUGE HUGE issues with water-scarring and moop on the playa from large water features before (Pools, Waterbeds, water bladders, etc.), so they are genetrally verboten.

[JStep]

I tried a water bed once. It started out great but as soon as the frame was fairly well lit the mattress popped and put the whole fire out.

[Elliot]

Hazumu, have you slept on waterbeds before? In my experience they must be heated, because water is so efficient at sucking heat away from the body. That's in a normally heated home, and the Playa can get below freezing at night. Good on you for thinking outside the box, though!

[quadraspleen]

Plus 100 on the airbed + Topper - I love my airbed, wouldn''t trade it for anything. THinking about a futon-frame style gig for it this year... because, hey, if ya gotta do a tent, do it with style! (Reminds me, need to charge my 2 airbed pumps!)

Minus 100 on the waterbed - One, you gotta get all that water OUT there, then you gotta get all that water off the playa. There is a limit to water out there - you need to get a special okee-dokee from the borg to take more than, IIRC, 250 gallons out there. There HAVE been HUGE HUGE issues with water-scarring and moop on the playa from large water features before (Pools, Waterbeds, water bladders, etc.), so they are genetrally verboten.

One of our crew turned up with M.A.S.H-style stretcher beds that the memory-foam toppers were just peachy with..my sleeping kit is the most important part of my burn survival kit after my goggles, portable ashtray and gold lame pants.

Never knew about that 250gal thing. If you have a twenty-strong crew, at two gal/day/person that's already 280gal

[SnowBlind]

I tried a water bed once. It started out great but as soon as the frame was fairly well lit the mattress popped and put the whole fire out.

Have you considered gasoline instead?

[theCryptofishist]

We need a gold lame pants thread...

[Ugly Dougly]

Good on you for thinking outside the box, though!

+1

[dragonpilot]

I had a water bed spring a leak in the middle of the night long ago...talk about your Hans Brinker moment!

For the playa, I've devolved to the fold-out cot with the 2-3" mattress atop the network of springs. Love swinging my legs over the side and standing up in the normal fashion in the morning.

[Hazumu]

Thank you all for all your advice.

The first waterbed I slept in (a friends',) was unheated. For that reason, he used a foam pad and a heavy sleeping bag. I do get that it takes an incredible input of BTUs to heat water. That's why it might have the potential to foster daytime sleeping on the playa. By layering over the bladder with a removable foam pad and sleeping bag, you can remove layers of insulation between your body and the water 'heatsink' as the day heats up.

Also, non-potable water can be drawn off from the bladder and gifted for washing of cooking/eating utensils or dusty bodies.

I agree - leaks would be a problem. There has to be a backup plan.

[Elliot]

A thought. This would never be the perfect solution, but sometimes what's needed is simply a solution, even a tolerable compromise.

A couple of years ago I bought a foam rubber mattress pad at Walmart. Hopefully, these are available in other stores also. They come in many sizes and thicknesses. The thing is, they come in an astonishingly small package. Those clever Chinese must have a machine that sucks all the air out of the foam rubber and compresses that pad with brutal force.

This could be someone's solution for getting a decent sleeping pad to BRC. If you could not take it with you again, you could probably give it away. But also, you can pack the vehicle differently when you leave, because there is no need to open it for Gate inspection.

[7chix&me]

We need a gold lame pants thread...

Oh yes, Fishy! PLEASE start a gold lame pants thread!!

[trilobyte]

It seems that the time, energy, and hassle of bringing something out there along with a backup plan, and then filling it and watching for leaks and managing out the water… it would be much easier to just go with an air mattress. A mylar emergency blanket underneath plus another blanket or comforter on top of the air mattress (but under you) will keep you nice and comfy in the middle of the night.

[CitizenRandom]

yes..it rocked!

[Sail Man]

UD?

[vargaso]

In 2009, we camped across the street from a group whose thing was having a constant stream of misters going the whole week. They brought out 1000's of gallons of water in these giant plastic containers and yes, they had a couple water beds set up for any and all to flop on. I talked to the camp leader, he was quite wealthy and spent an assload of money to truck all that water out. Of course, it was way worth it, because their camp was awesome and he could afford it. That's the only way I can see a waterbed happening. You gotta bring A LOT of water out there, doesn't seem to be worth the trouble for just one person to sleep on.

[C187]

Hazumu, while it's a good idea to has a lot of drawbacks as indicated by other posters. Another draw back not touched upon yet is you might have a holdup at gate. I say this because that amount of water might be considered a swimming pool if it ever breaks away from the bed. Swimming pools are on the do not bring list. More so if you glance at the survival guide you'll notice a trend of stuff that creates MOOP isn't allowed inside. A bed's worth of water might be considered MOOP.

Now I know you are thinking, "but don't a bunch of people bring more then a beds worth of water into the city all the time." Yes, yes they do. The issue is with the container for the water. Hard plastic or metal drums aren't going to break from the volume of water in them. But more importantly they can take passing by damage from people. Imagine if you will, you bring some hot young thing into your tent to hand them a refreshment. Upon entering your tent their platform shit-kickers with spikes at the toe glances your bed, puncturing it. Or you stumbled home at four in the morning, and plopped down forgetting the unclosed safety-pen holding your tail on your rear end from when you played pin the tail at that one camp around eleven.

Of course everything above is speculative, but worth considering. Along with everyone else suggestions.

If you are looking for that waterbed feeling, consider a double tall air mattress (the single chamber kind). Typically their rate of deflation gives the same feeling as a water bed since you sink down to about half-way by the end of the week. Also you might not need to re-inflate it.

[Oldguy]

Do Depends count?