How to Blow Up a Mattress
- 1). Clear your intended sleeping area of all sharp rocks, sticks or other protrusions, as these can puncture your air mattress during the night, leading to a difficult repair job in the morning. Look underneath the floor of a tent for these protrusions as well, as they can often go undetected until you put pressure on them.
- 2). Lay out the air mattress, unrolling it completely and open the airflow valve. If you are using a self-inflating mattress, leave the mattress and perform other chores around the campsite, and when you return your mattress will be mostly inflated. To complete the inflation of self-inflating mattresses, blow strongly into the open valve until the mattress has reached the desired loft, and close the valve by rotating it clockwise.
- 3). Inflate regular air mattresses by opening the airflow valve and blowing into the opening, being careful not to allow air to leak backwards. If you do not have an electric pump, this can be a very tedious job, particularly for double-height queen-sized air mattresses. If you are attempting to inflate one of these large mattresses manually, work in shifts and take breaks to prevent lightheadedness.
- 4). Attach an electric pump to the airflow valve if available. Use the opening on the pump marked "inflate." There may be another opening marked "deflate," which you can use after sleeping to remove the air from the mattress. A battery-powered pump is a valuable camping tool, but a corded pump powered by the battery of a vehicle will do the job must faster.
