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I didn't take an air mattress, got used to roughing it on the gym floor with just my sleeping bag.

I will say the few times we slept on carpet was like a royal treat for us.

So, if I were to march again, I would definitely take an air mattress.

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Use what backpackers and backcountry campers use, and get yourself a self-inflating Them-a-Rest sleeping pad. They come in varying thicknesses and sizes, and will expand to sleepability by themselves within the first minute that the valve is opened. Next morning, the whole thing gets rolled into a 6" by 24" package and is ready to go again. They can last literally decades with minimal care and maintenance, making them a good investment if you're an active person who likes the outdoors and isn't planning on turning into a couch potato after drum corps is done.

You can get them at any REI or other outdoors/camping shop.

these can sometimes be even more expensive (or comparable in price) to an airmatress.

if I had to choose, I'd go with B.

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Use what backpackers and backcountry campers use, and get yourself a self-inflating Them-a-Rest sleeping pad. They come in varying thicknesses and sizes, and will expand to sleepability by themselves within the first minute that the valve is opened. Next morning, the whole thing gets rolled into a 6" by 24" package and is ready to go again. They can last literally decades with minimal care and maintenance, making them a good investment if you're an active person who likes the outdoors and isn't planning on turning into a couch potato after drum corps is done.

This is what I used back when I was marching... and couldn't imagine using anything else.

They can be a bit more expensive than an air mattress, but you don't have to worry about puncturing it, and they inflate by themselves. They're also small enough to be able to throw down on the floor of the bus (depending on what your bus rules might be).

It also takes seconds to get it packed up (open the value and roll from the end).

Mine is still in perfect condition... more than 15 years after buying it.

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Hey Ashley! Welcome to the family! Let me tell you now that you are about to embark on the most educational, most fulfilling summer of your life. You're going to have a fantastic time with this corps, and you will grow to love every single one of your brothers and sisters.

Now, back on topic, Southwind does allow air mattresses(at least they did last year) but it's not really necessary. Some people use them; most people don't. Comfy as they may be, they do present some problems.

A ) Tearing. Of those that had air mattresses, I believe about half of them got a hole at one point or another. I know this because I had brought patches for my duffel in case it ripped, and people would come to me for patching equipment if they had none.

B ) Size. You will find yourself crammed into some small gyms/sleeping areas where you are practically sleeping on top of the person next to you. If you bring an air mattress, you will probably have trouble using it in these situations.

C ) Noise. If you bring an air mattress, I must ask you now for the sake of my brothers and sisters who use only sleeping pads: please please PLEASE blow that thing up as soon as you get in, or do it in the hallway. There's nothing more annoying when you're trying to get to sleep than having a constant whirrring noise coming at you from all sides.

I didn't use an air mattress last year, and I was just fine with a sleeping pad. Pain is part of drum corps no matter what, and soon enough, you won't even notice those little aches and pains anymore. That sleeping pad will feel like heaven if only because it isn't a field or a bus seat.

Again, welcome to the family!

Edited by zachariaswmb
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these can sometimes be even more expensive (or comparable in price) to an airmatress.

A Therm-a-Rest Camp Pad can be bought for $100, and will last you 15-20 years of use. Add in the fact that the outer skin makes it much more durable when being shoved into storage spaces and the fact that you don't have to inflate it- it inflates itself. Sometimes the higher price of a thing makes up for itself in greatly increased value.

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When I was marching Blue Stars I had a couple foam pads I would put under my sleeping bag. They were more than enough to keep me comfortable, especially when you're as tired as you'll get at the end of a day of drum corps, or rolling off the bus at 3am or later. Since then, I've carried an air mattress with me, since it is more comfortable and I usually have more time to mess around with setup than I did when I was marching juniors.

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My vote goes to the self-inflating mat

I was able to roll it up inside my sleeping bag, it inflated itself in a matter of minutes, was compartmentalized so that if anything ever went wrong (nothing did) it would be contained to a small area.

I went with just a sleeping bag my first year, and I survived, but it wasn't fun. I used the mat for the next two years and it was great. That inche or so off the floor really makes a difference - esspecially on a cold floor.

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I recently bought a Coleman twin air mattress from Target. It cost 18.00 and is from a brand I can trust. Years of camping and high altitude backpacking can attest to the durability and reliability of Coleman products. The great thing about this mat, is that it rolls up into it's own carrying case. So when it's rolled up, it's about 8 inches tall, 12 inches wide and 5 inches thick. Best thing for holes and leaks: Bicycle tire repair kit. Costs less then 5 bucks and is tiny. Kit comes with rubber patches, a scrapper, and adhesive. When you get some free time, inflate your mattress. Then take a wad of wet paper towel and wipe it over sections of the mattress, looking for bubbles. Once ya find it, it takes a whopping 5 minutes to patch and dry. While I can't imagine a gym floor would lead to more punctures then a pine forest floor, better to be ready.

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Sleeping bag.

When your woken up after a long night of being on a bus at 4 a.m. the last thing you want to do is go searching for an outlet plug. That and you dont want to deal with holes in your mattress. Trust me, during tour you'll be able to sleep on concrete; just laying down is a treat.

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My vote goes to the self-inflating mat

I was able to roll it up inside my sleeping bag, it inflated itself in a matter of minutes, was compartmentalized so that if anything ever went wrong (nothing did) it would be contained to a small area.

I went with just a sleeping bag my first year, and I survived, but it wasn't fun. I used the mat for the next two years and it was great. That inche or so off the floor really makes a difference - esspecially on a cold floor.

Agreed on the self-inflating mat! I've had the same one for three years and it looks like it's going to hold up for my final 2 years. It's just an inch or two of air between you and the floor but for me it is plenty. It doesn't require any external pump, unless you want it inflated fast but then you just blow it up like a beach ball. For me it was easy whenever we rolled into housing sites way late. I'd just open the seal and unroll it, go brush my teeth, and when I got back I put a couple of breaths into it, unroll the sleeping bag and then go to bed! But just to give you fair warning...if you have the air mattress be prepared to be given dirty looks when you inflate it at 3:30 in the morning after a 9 hour bus ride. I CAN'T STAND THAT HIGH PITCHED WHINE SOUND!!!

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