Saturday 25th June 2011 - On a mission for a bed

Since getting back from California, and after reading various posts on UKCS on the subject of camp beds, I had been considering getting one for my tent. The Outwell Posadas was highly recommended by several people and an internet check had told me that Camperlands currently had them on special offer so I decided to give myself a belated birthday present and get a double one. I suppose anyone would be forgiven for wondering why I would want a double when I'm on my own but the simple answer is, I like a big bed! So leaving the dogs at home for once I set off, and arrived at Camperlands half an hour later. First I had a quick look round the tent display near the entrance then went to find the camp beds in the main building - there was a double Posadas on display but I couldn't really tell whether or not it would fit in my bedroom pod just by looking at it so I went to ask one of the assistants if I could borrow a tape measure to measure the bed and the bedroom pod of the display tent like mine. And that's where the fun began!

The assistant said he would take the bed round to the tent display and try it in the tent for me, which he did, but it was a complete no-go as it was far too big for the bedroom. I did suggest that maybe two singles might be better than one double so after he had put the bed back on display he measured a single one for me but two of those would have been exactly the same size as the double so another no-go. Thinking that maybe a different make may be better I asked him to measure the Kampa Together which was on display but this turned out to be exactly the same size as the Posadas. Feeling a bit disappointed but not wanting to give up I then had the thought that maybe the bed would fit if the bedroom pod was taken out - so the assistant took it back off display, carried it back over to the tent and between us we removed one of the pods. And yes, the bed would go in, but the end of it was partially blocking the door so that was the third no-go - and after replacing the bedroom pod the assistant took the bed back for the second time and I resigned myself to not having one.

However, there's more than one way to skin a cat as they say, and not wanting to give up completely before every possibility was exhausted I turned my attention to the smaller Highlander single bed on display - maybe two of those would fit in the tent.  And if the assistant was ready to commit suicide when I asked him if he would try it for me he certainly didn't show it. Taking the Highlander off display he carried it over to the tent, put it in the bedroom pod and measured the remaining space - and two together would fit nicely with a couple of inches to spare. Brilliant!! So the decision was made, I would have two Highlanders, and the assistant returned the display bed to it's rightful place then got me two from stock. There was a slight downside in that they weren't folding beds and I would have to assemble them myself, but this was far outweighed by the difference in cost - only £26 for the two compared to £59 for the Posadas. So although I hadn't quite got what I originally went for I'd got a good second best and I left Camperlands a very happy bunny. And I really must thank Nick, the Camperlands assistant, for all his help and patience - he deserves a gold star!

Back at home I decided to assemble the beds straight away - they didn't have any instructions but then none were needed. For each bed it was just a simple matter of slotting together eight tubular poles, four for each side, and sliding them into each edge of the canvas then slotting in the four supports. Well, it was supposed to be simple - the side poles went in without too much trouble but putting the supports in was rather more difficult. They were pre-formed and when one end had been slotted into the relevant holes in the side pole they had to be forcibly bent inwards to allow the other side to slot in - it took the strength of Goliath, a fair amount of patience, and a break for a brew before I got them all in but eventually both beds were set up. And fortunately there would be enough room in the van to enable me to transport them as they were - no way am I going through all that palaver every time I want to go camping!