The other day Eric, Kovu (our lovable dog) and I got to shake off our winter cobwebs, hike some sunny miles through the Superstition Mountains of Southern Arizona, and test out the Zenbivy Light Double Camping Bed. We all got to share in the experience of sleeping on Zenbivy's two-person camp bed.
During the whole process we were treated with a mosaic of flowery goodness thanks to an excessively wet off-season. Who would guess that such a quiet and beautiful world could exist just outside of Phoenix!?
Visit Whiskey Springs Trail
I definitely recommend checking out the Whiskey Springs Trail if you're in the area. It was hot while we were there, so bring lots of water. We had a blast, and I think you will too. Now here's what I can tell you about the bed and the bag.
What We Thought of the Zenbivy Light Double Camping Bed
After getting camp set up, it was immediately obvious that the sleep system passed Kovu's sniff test. After a long day of hiking, he curled up on our fancy double bed and was lights out before we could even get in there to join him. That's always a good sign! Eric has also used the Zenbivy light bed before on his own last, and put it on his list of best hiking gear of the year.
Is the Zenbivy Double Bed for You?
So you can probably tell where I'm going with this. We were one big family of happy campers on the two-person version (or rather, two-person, one dog version). I thought it was so cozy, and I loved not being confined like a mummy in a sleeping bag. And besides, if you're hiking with your partner, you want to be able to snuggle up a bit. Ultimately, it just felt like sleeping on a real bed with my two favorite guys.
The Zenbivy Light Bed Double has two 25-inch-wide, 77-inch-long, R-5 mattresses that connect together (without much give) to form quite a tent-filling cloud. We hiked in with a 3-person tent (which is definitely the way to go if you have an adventurous pooch), and this bed occupied every inch. This isn't a bad thing, just something to be aware of. You wouldn't want to mismatch your tent and sleep system by accident.
Read more about dog-friendly tents here: Fresh Gear Friday, New Hiking Gear
A top sheet connects independently to the mattresses, and it has a super cool “pillow barn”/hood that keeps your pillows from sneaking off in the night, and it also gives you something to hide under when the temperatures drop. But that wasn't much of a concern because of the 25-degree-rated double quilt that sealed us in.
The one and only downside is really just a simple trade-off. Because the bed is so big and padded, it is naturally heavier and bulkier. So this may not be a fast-packer's first choice, but it is an excellent option for more leisurely couples.
Gear used in this review includes:
Sleeping system: Zenbivy Light Double Camping Bed
Fleece and Layers: Cotopaxi Otero Hooded Jacket
Pants: Fjallraven Keb Trousers
Sunglasses: Wiley X sunglasses
